Cloud Integration Platform
"Cloud Integration Platform manages communications with other parties"
Introduction
Before we go into the details of the Standard App for Business Central, we will go through some basics on how the Cloud Integration Platform (CIP) manages communications with other parties.
The CIP is an online cloud solution on Microsoft Azure.
CIP Connections
In the CIP, connections between different parties are configured. The CIP Connection holds information about which Business Central company it should connect to, and what other party it should integrate with.
It can be a direct connection, for example between your Business Central company and 1 of your customers. Or it can be a connection to a Value Added Network (VAN), were multiple parties can be integrated through the same connection.
The connection also holds information on which communication protocol that should be used to communicate with the other party. For example FTP, API, AS2 etc.
Communication with the Business Central company is usually via Web Service SOAP, but could also be via other means.
Each CIP connection has a Connection ID and a API key, this is linked in the Standard App to a 'GEDI Profile'. More on the 'GEDI profile' later.
CIP Translators
Communication between the Standard App and the CIP is always done via a internal JSON format.
A CIP Translator is a code script to convert between the internal JSON format and the format that the other party can handle, for example PEPPOL, EDIFACT, X12, XML etc.
In the CIP translator it is defined which direction it converts (incoming/outgoing), which format it converts to and from (PEPPOL, EDIFCAT etc) and which Message Document Type it converts (Order, Invoice, DespatchAdvice etc).
There are general translators that follow the standards for the format, and there can be specific translators that is custom made for parties with more specific demands and setups.
In the CIP Connection it is defined which directions, document types and translators that are allowed to be used for that CIP Connection.
CIP Work Items
A transaction in the CIP is called a Work Item, usually this is an incoming EDI file from an other party or it is an outgoing message from the Standard App. It is then processed and converted as part of several steps.
When the CIP reads or writes Work Items to and from the Standard App, the Work Item ID is updated and viewable inside Business Central.
References
For more details about the CIP, see bellow page on Core Concepts for Cloud Integration Platform.
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