A working partnership, consists of :-
For more info see also my old notes on EDI. These date from 1995 but are still relevant.
It provides the control and checks needed to run custom import and export applications, under control of a selected user, or the system cron daemon. while preventing execution during system maintenance, and backups.
It also where files are involved in the transfer, maintain history directories, of past transactions.
Security is not normally a problem, the only external connection is to the bureau service.
Either configure cron to run RTedi -i shortly after the downloads, from the service, add RTedi -i to a post download event handler.
Transfers line delimited data records to the roadrunner server using a tcp connection to an agreed port {5001}. As only a single inbound connection is required it can be easily routed through a firewall even if using NAT.
The daemon prepends the IP4 address of the client to the data records as they are received. There is never any data back to the client other than the ack's for the data received.
It is very useful, for use by trusted individuals, between computers on the same network. FTP uses two TCP connections usually a control connection from the client port>1023 to the server port=21, and then one or more data connections from the server port=20 to the client port>1023.
From the security point of view, having two connection in opposite directions, makes firewalling harder. Also the FTP protocol allows directory browsing, to any directory that the user would have had access to using the same name and password from a terminal or telnet connection.
To send, program calls MQPUT to put messages on to a MQ queue
To receive the program polls receive queue with MQGET
Requires RMcobol v11+ run time, and our MQ extensions. Currently only tested for AIX
If the character that is used to delimit the fields may appear in any field, it must be quoted in some way. This may complicate the programming.
whatever the date it is strongly recommended that you update to the latest release set.
Log out and log back in as the system administrative user (root). Invoke the Roadtech Administrative Toolkit RTadmin. Select SYSTEM utilities then System check menu followed by Check roadrunner links and ownerships
Exit back to the system prompt.
If you do not already have one, create a shared group for use with EDI data links {datalink}, then name does not matter but you must use the same group throughout.
Create a user account, {edi2} again the name does not matter but what ever name you use you must be consistent.
Create this user with a primary group of {datalink}, and a group set including this group, and the group used for the COBOL programs {rm85}.
Make sure the Roadtech Administrative user {rr85} has {datalink} as part of its group set.
Log out and login as the new user {edi2}.
Start up RTedi in menu mode RTedi -m
It will create a couple of directories and files, and then exit.
You now need to edit the example configuration file it has produced.
/home/{edi2}/bin/edi.var
The file is commented, it is recommended that you duplicate the example lines where you wish to change the default behaviour.
The default directory for files to be imported/exported is
/home/{edi2}/edi
Please do not try changing this to a users home directory, for security reasons the group, and group permissions must be different to those that are sensible on a users home directory.
If you restart RTedi in menu mode RTedi -m
It should display a menu with a subset of the options displayed. check it all works.
Edit /etc/passwd please make a backup copy first.
Find the line for the user created above {edi2}, duplicate this line.
Change the user name of the second copy, to {edi2ftp}.
Set the primary group for the new user name to nobody and the the group set to nobody,{datalink}.
Note even set as this any user who knows the password, for {edi2ftp} and as access to you partners server will be able to read a number of files on your server.
The command
find / -perm -004 ! -type l -ls
run as root will list files that are world readable, while
the command
find / -perm -002 ! -type l -ls
will list the files that are world writable.
Alternatively run the following while logged in as {edi2ftp}
find / \( \( -group {nobody} -a -perm -040 \) -o -perm -400 \) ! -type l -lsfind / \( \( -group {datalink} -a -perm -040 \) -o -perm -400 \) ! -type l -lsfind / \( \( -group {nobody} -a -perm -020 \) -o -perm -200 \) ! -type l -lsfind / \( \( -group {datalink} -a -perm -020 \) -o -perm -200 \) ! -type l -ls |
Must be the simplest, it disables import for this user.
This does very limited setup.
Current directory is set to ${EDI_Import_Dir} before invoking COBOL program. Environment is initialized to contain standard Roadtech Values, as well as RTedi's custom ones.
This method was added in 2012, for use with IBM WebSphere MQ. It does a very limited setup. It is expected that the program called will handle the data transfer its self.
Current directory is set to ${EDI_Import_Dir}. Environment is initialized to contain standard Roadtech Values, as well as RTedi's custom ones.
Script detaches from calling program and demonizes.
Daemon invokes COBOL program. Program alternates between active and sleeping states. It checks for the various system flags, if one of the relevant down flags is set the COBOL program exits returning control to the daemon.
As the COBOL program handles the data transfer, it is possible to have one program that does both import and export. In this case the control configuration will have the Export paths set, but EDI_Export_Method set to "none".
Runs the configured COBOL Program. Program should then collect any data available using the documented calls to communicate with the EDI daemon.
Checks that the user ____ does not have a current ftp connection to the system.
Looks in ${EDI_Import_Dir for file{s} matching ${EDI_Import_File}, or ${EDI_Import_Pattern} if set.
Files that appear to be closed will be copied to a history directory. If more than one was found (${EDI_Import_Pattern} set) they will be concatenated as ${EDI_Import_File} and then the configured program will be run.
Current directory is set to ${EDI_Import_Dir} before invoking COBOL program. Environment is initialized to contain standard Roadtech Values, as well as RTedi's custom ones.
This allows for custom scripting. Within the directory ${HOME}/bin create a file called custom.lib.
within this file code a korn shell script edi_import_custom
If you wish to invoke a COBOL program, call the function edi_runcobol_import
Must be the simplest, it disable export for this configuration.
This does very limited setup.
Current directory is set to ${EDI_Import_Dir} before invoking COBOL program. Environment is initialized to contain standard Roadtech Values, as well as RTedi's custom ones.
This method was added in 2012, for use with IBM WebSphere MQ. It does a very limited setup. It is expected that the program called will handle the data transfer its self.
Current directory is set to ${EDI_Export_Dir}. Environment is initialized to contain standard Roadtech Values, as well as RTedi's custom ones.
Script detaches from calling program and demonizes.
Daemon invokes COBOL program. Program alternates between active and sleeping states. It checks for the various system flags, if one of the relevant down flags is set the COBOL program exits returning control to the daemon.
This allows for custom scripting. Within the directory ${HOME}/bin create a file called custom.lib.
within this file code a korn shell script edi_export_custom
If you wish to invoke a COBOL program, call the function edi_runcobol_export
RTedi -m from a shell.
This will provide a menu screen with some basic configuration settings.
The menu options allow various tasks to be performed.
14/02/2003 AIX Ver 4 rel 2
Default Print Queue := postscript
RMcobol Ver 6.61.00 Serial YR-0063-00000-0016
Data path := /usr/share/rr85
Import method :- rredi Export method :- none
Company :- A User :- EDI
Import Program W1EDIIN2
1 Stop auto transfer.
2 Start auto transfer.
----- ----- -----
3 Display config.
----- ----- -----
4 Import run.
5 Export run.
E Exit.
[ ]
|
The default configuration is to run every ten minutes with a 5 minute offset between the import program and the export program.
If the file $HOME/bin/cron exists this will be used rather than the built in timings.
In addition to the RTedi, environment variables, all of the
standard variables
set when started from rr are also set.
Programs may leave an error log file EDIERR.ASC, in the current directory.
Fetching may be carried out by either these scripts or the called COBOL Program.
From here they can either be collected by a third party program, or pushed to their destination by the edi scripts.
COBOL programs that are called by other users may not, under any circumstances, write out data files for later transfer by an EDI export program or script. If a user action triggers the need to send an EDI message this trigger or event shall be written to a normal COBOL data file owned by the Roadrunner administrative user.
The program run by an EDI user to handle the EDI transfer will, read and delete the events from the event file, and write any necessary transfer file with the EDI user as owner. In this way the EDI script always has the necessary rights to clean up after a successful transfer.
It also initializes the following values. These are either taken from the file $HOME/bin/edi.var, or initialized to default values.
These may all be used when writing custom import or export methods. Those that are exported may also be read by COBOL programs that use the GETENV call from libRTrm
| rrcompany | Exp | A | Roadrunner company letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDI_User | N | EDI | Roadrunner user name |
| EDI_Uid | N | 132 | Roadrunner user id |
| EDI_Customer | N | "Customer" | Name for log entries and messages. |
| EDI_ErrorLevel | N | 9 | Roadrunner Error level |
| EDI_DisplayFlag | N | N | Roadrunner Display Flag |
| EDI_ParamiterMode | N | 1 | Parameter mode |
| EDI_Platform | N | $sysname | Platform code (AIX, PC, SCO, CDOS) |
| EDI_Group | N | datalink | Unix group |
| EDI_wdir | N | $HOME/.rtedi | Working directory for script logs. |
| EDI_Import_Dir | Y | $HOME/edi | Directory for import |
| EDI_Import_File | N | edi.xml | File name expected by COBOL program |
| EDI_Import_Host | N | "www.roadrunner.uk.com" | For network methods |
| EDI_Import_MailTo | Y | ${EDI_Import_MailTo:-$MailTo} | Alerts |
| EDI_Import_MailCc | Y | ${EDI_Import_MailCc:-$MailCc} | Alerts |
| EDI_Import_Method | Y | rredi | Method for import. |
| EDI_Import_Pattern | N | $EDI_Import_File | Import File pattern |
| EDI_Import_Program | N | W1EDIIN2 | COBOL program |
| EDI_Import_URL | N | "/testxml/testjob.xml" | For web methods |
| EDI_Import_FetchCmd | N | Command used by Fetch Methods | |
| EDI_Import_Sequence | N | Pattern to extract a 3 digit sequence number from file name. | |
| EDI_Import_Type | N | Pattern to extract file type from file name. | |
| EDI_Import_ | N | ||
| EDI_Export_Dir | Y | $HOME/edi | Directory for export |
| EDI_Export_Method | Y | none | Method for export. |
| EDI_Export_Program | N | W1EDIOUT | COBOL program |
| EDI_Export_File | N | edi.xml | |
| EDI_Export_Pattern | N | $EDI_Export_File | User where the COBOL program drops more than one file. |
| EDI_Export_Host | N | "www.roadrunner.uk.com" | For network methods |
| EDI_Export_URL | N | "/testxml/testjob.xml" | For web methods |
| EDI_Export_MailTo | Y | ${EDI_Export_MailTo:-$MailTo} | Alerts |
| EDI_Export_MailCc | Y | ${EDI_Export_MailCc:-$MailCc} | Alerts |
| EDI_Export_ | N | ||
| EDI_Export_ | N | ||
| EDI_Export_ | N | ||
| EDI_ | N | ||
| EDI_ | N | ||
runcobol ${EDI_Import_Program} -a "$rrcompany ${EDI_User} ${EDI_Uid} ${EDI_ErrorLevel} ${EDI_DisplayFlag} ${EDI_ParamiterMode} ${EDI_Platform}" -k
To preserve compatibility it is required that any routines that are written, ignore additional fields at the end of the list. Additions must be Agreed by the programming department.
| Parameter | Default Value | Range |
|---|---|---|
| $rrcompany | A | Company letter [A-Z] |
| ${EDI_User} | EDI | Any valid roadrunner user code |
| ${EDI_Uid} | 132 | Numeric user ID used for temp files? |
| ${EDI_ErrorLevel} | 9 | ? |
| ${EDI_DisplayFlag} | N | {Y|N} |
| ${EDI_ParamiterMode | 1 | ? |
| ${EDI_Platform} | $sysname | AIX, PC, SCO, CDOS, ... |
Custom values for these parameters may be set the the edi.var file.
Read from $HOME/bin
As of 2012 it also checks for the EDI specific flags. These enable an administrator to temporarily suspend all EDIs or a specific EDI while, still running RoadRunner.
All of the built in methods will abort gracefully if a flag is found on any of these checks. No files shall under any circumstances, be altered within the file tree of any DATASET, unless the corresponding flags for the DATAPATH, have been checked within the preceding second.
DISPLAY UPON CONSOLE
If any of the programmers feel like owning up, and providing some documentation I will post links here.
| Program | Encoding | Transport | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAHIM1 | ? | File | ? |
| RRCABLQT | ? | File | eqcom? |
| RRCMAQT | ? | File | Canada Maritime? |
| RRDRAYQT | Fixed Width | File | Draycote? |
| RREQCOQT | ? | File | eqcom? |
| RRMARIQT | ? | File | |
| RRMODM1 | ? | ? | MOD? |
| RRMODM1 | ? | ? | MOD? |
| RRPKSUPD | ? | File | Curries? |
| RRRUNMAL | ? | FTP | |
| RRSENSC | XML | TCPIP | Direct via TcpOpen2Host |
| RRWHMQT | ? | ? | Self bill import and reconciliation |
| UTCALLRF | ? | ? | |
| W1EDIIN1 | ? | File | |
| W1EDIIN2 | ? | File | |
| W1EDIOUT | Fixed width | File | |
| W1PRDEDI | ? | File | |
| W2EDIIN1 | ? | File | |
| W2EDIOT1 | ? | File | |
| W2EDIOT2 | ? | File | |
| W3IMPEDI | ? | File | |
| WHASCED1 | ? | FTP | |
| WHEDIIN1 | Fixed width | ? | |
| WHEDIIN2 | Fixed width | RTedid |
| Program | Encoding | Transport | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| FFPROFQT | Freight Forward? | ||
| RRARCQT | Cronable Archive run? | ||
| UTPATRFW | Cronable Diary Roll Forward? |
| Program | Encoding | Transport | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W3EDIIN1 | File | |||
| W3CSVIN1 | File | |||
| W3IMPED1 | File |