Definition and key components of transmission specifications in EDI
Transmission specifications in electronic data interchange (EDI) refer to the technical requirements and protocols for exchanging electronic documents between different computer systems or trading partners. These specifications outline the rules and formats for transmitting data securely and efficiently.
Key components of transmission specifications in EDI include:
- Communication Protocols: This includes the protocols used for transmitting data over networks, such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol), AS2 (Applicability Statement 2), SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), and others.
- Data Format: The specification defines the format of the data being transmitted, which could be standardized formats like ANSI X12, EDIFACT, or XML (eXtensible Markup Language), among others.
- Encryption and Security: Transmission specifications often include encryption methods and security measures to protect the data during transmission, ensuring confidentiality and integrity.
- Error Handling: Specifications outline how errors during transmission are handled, including protocols for retransmission of data and error notification mechanisms.
- Compression: Some transmission specifications may include provisions for data compression to optimize bandwidth usage and speed up transmission.
- Acknowledgment Mechanisms: These mechanisms ensure that the receiving party acknowledges the successful receipt of transmitted data, providing confirmation that the transmission was successful.
- Routing Information: Specifications may include routing information to ensure that data is directed to the correct destination within a network or between trading partners.
Transmission specifications are crucial for ensuring seamless and reliable communication between different systems in an EDI environment. They provide the necessary guidelines for setting up connections, transmitting data securely, and resolving any issues that may arise during the transmission process.
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