System Architecture

The typical B2B System Architecture is as follows:

The various components in the above diagram include the following

• Local Business Application - produces and consumes B2B messages. These messages are either sent or received from a compliant B2B message handler.

  Local FMS Message Handler - provides the messaging service for communicating B2B messages over a secure connection to a remote message handler. It is the responsibility of the business application to generate XML business messages with optional associated attachments complying to relevant business agreements and the responsibility of the Message Handler to wrap these messages in an envelope conforming to the B2B protocol. The Message Handler also secures these messages using any required authentication tokens, signatures and encryption services.

• Local and Remote Firewalls - Optional firewalls which must be configured to allow the local message handler to communicate with a remote messaging handler over the required TCP/IP ports.

• Remote Message Handler - Receives and sends B2B messages. Received messages are verified according to the necessary security requirements and then handed to the remote business application. The Remote Message Handler may optionally respond back to the local Message Handler with a receipt or error signal indicating successful or unsuccessful processing of a message.