AS1 and AS2 Standards

To offer an alternative to the proprietary Value Added Networks (VAN) protocol, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) developed and approved the Electronic Data Interchange-Internet Integration (EDIINT) specification for conducting secure business transactions over the Internet. EDIINT uses the open Internet as the backbone and provides the following message-handling elements under an agreed upon standard named Applicability Statement 1 and 2 (AS1 and AS2):

Through implementation of these standard protocols, cooperating business enterprises can eliminate the requirement for the expensive VAN connectivity.

AS1 uses Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) with S/MIME providing encryption and security by requiring authentication, message integrity, and originating non-repudiation. AS2 is a modification of AS1 that provides S/MIME support and uses direct HTTP or HTTP/S as its transport protocol.

The AS2 specification supports any data type transmission using the Internet over HTTP. AS2 governs data transport, not specific data-type validation or document processing. It designates the means by which to connect, deliver, validate, and acknowledge transport in a secure and reliable manner.

For information on configuring and using listeners for AS1 and AS2, see the iWay Adapter for EDIINT User's Guide.