EDI is a set of standards for structuring business documents exchanged between businesses, organizations and government entities.Integrator’s EDI services can:

• Send and receive EDI documents using FTP, SMTP, HTTP, HTTPS and AS2/AS3.
• Parse and validate EDI documents.
• Transform an EDI document into a data set, or a data set into an EDI document.
• Update a database with data from an EDI document or create an EDI document from data in a database.
• Collate multiple documents into a single EDI document.

The AS2/AS3 specification defines how to transport data securely over the Internet using digital certificates and data encryption.

Integrator’s AS2 and AS3 file transfer services can:

• Receive and send AS2/AS3 transactions.
• Send message disposition notifications.
• Manage X.509 certificates.

The Excel service reads and/or creates Microsoft Excel workbooks.

Use case: Many companies distribute information in spreadsheet format as a convenient way to exchange data between suppliers and partners.Developers can use the service to create an Excel workbook including data extracted from a corporate database or line-of-business application, and then use the SMTP mail service to send the workbook to users on a distribution list.

The PDF service provides developers with the tools to generate PDF documents including text, images, bar codes and QR codes.

Use case: An application can merge data and images into PDF documents and optionally add password protection
to distribute information in read-only mode.

This service generates PDF documents from IBM i spooled files.

Use case: Using this PDF service, developers can write applications that automatically convert reports (spool files) to PDF documents and send them to nominated recipients via email using Integrator’s email services.

The zip service accepts one or more files and creates a single compressed (or zipped) file.

Use case: Use the zip service in an online banking application that includes the option to download copies
of statements. When a user selects 10 statements, the zip service sends an email containing a single zipped attachment including
all 10 statements instead of sending 10 emails or 1 email with 10 attachments.

The SQL service allows IBM i applications developed using LANSA or RPG to access data in databases that reside on other IBM i, Windows, or Linux servers. Any database with a JDBC driver is accessible, including DB2, MySQL, Oracle and SQL Server.

Use case: Developers can use the SQL service to include data from multiple databases in an application. For example, combine product item data from a DB2 database (IBM i server), customer data from a SQL Server database (Windows server), and logistics data from an Oracle database (Linux server).

The POP3 service enables applications to receive email messages and examine their content including sender details, subject, message text and attachments.

Use case: Use the mail service for task management in Human Resources (HR) processes. Employees can send email messages to a HR email address and an application can examine the message content and then create a workflow task for a person or group in HR.

The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mail service enables applications to send email messages. Applications can set property values such as recipient addresses, subject and message text, content type and character encoding, and also include one or more attachments.The service also supports a variety of encryption techniques.

Use case: Use this service to distribute PDF copies of month-end reports, or automatically respond to data in incoming email messages.

Integrator provides multiple options for sending and receiving files:

• File transfer using FTP or FTPS.
• Secure file transfer using Secure Shell network protocol (SSH).
• Secure document transfer using EDIINT AS2 and AS3.
• File transfer using HTTP or HTTPS.

Message services enable programs to send messages and files to message management software such as IBM WebSphere MQ.Programs create messages, pass them to Integrator using commands such as send and receive, and Integrator provides the interfaces to the messaging software. The messaging software transports messages and files to their destinations.

Use case: Using the message services and WebSphere MQ, an RPG application can receive an order on an IBM i server in Chicago, send the order to a Windows server in London and fulfil the inventory from a German warehouse managed by software running on an AIX server in Berlin.

The SMS service allows an application to send Short Message Service (SMS) text messages to mobile devices.

Use case: A typical use of the SMS service is to automate sending messages to on-call employees when events
occur, for example sending messages to engineers when a failure occurs in a production process, or to data centre staff
to indicate the status of long-running jobs.

The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) services provide tools to consume or publish web services using the Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

Applications can use a web service to retrieve product information from a manufacturer, or publish a web service that accepts orders and updates an ERP system.

Use case: A web service that accepts orders can receive an order from a customer, call a distributor’s web service to determine stock availability, then call the UPS web service to calculate shipping price, and finally send back an order confirmation.

REST (Representational State Transfer) defines a set of architectural principles for building HTTP-based web services.

Integrator’s REST services support these principles and developers can implement the example above using REST web services.

The XML services provide tools for developer to use when working with XML files including reading, parsing, creating, sending and receiving the files.

Integrator can read and parse any XML document and map it into data structures in an application.

Use case: Integrator can receive AS2 encrypted documents via SOAP, map the XML documents into IBM i files, then create XML invoices.

The FTP service allows an application to send and receive files to or from servers and supports both standard and secure FTP. Service commands include connecting to a server, creating, deleting, renaming and navigating folders on the server, creating and deleting files, and transferring files to or from a server.

Developers can automate moving files from one server to another, regardless of platform or operating system.

Use case: Moving daily sales and/or customer data from several servers to a business intelligence server.

Send and receive files to or from one computer to another.

• FTP is the TCP/IP file transfer protocol.
• FTPS is the TCP/IP file transfer over SSL.
• SFTP (secure FTP) uses Secure Shell (SSH) to transfer files.

Send and receive data via messages.

Integrator supports messaging software interfaces for ActiveMQ (Apache), WebSphere MQ (IBM), SonicMQ (Progress Software) and Tibco Rendezvous (Tibco).

Java Message Service (JMS) API is message middleware for sending messages between applications.

The Remote Function Invocation (RFI) service allows Java programs to interact with RPG or LANSA programs to access dataon IBM i servers without using JDBC. The data in a data structure on an IBM i server can be a row from a database table, a collection of data combined from multiple data sources, data from a file in the IFS, or even a single data item.

Java programs work with the data as if it is a local object and can send objects to, or receive objects from the RFI service as serialised, class-like objects. Data is available in read-only mode or Java programs can update the data. When a Java program updates data it can send a revised copy of the object to a program on a server via the RFI service.

For example, a distributor who requires real-time access to a manufacturer’s ERP system running on an IBM i server can use a Java program to access stock availability, pricing and shipping data on the server from a Linux server, Windows desktop computer or mobile device.

Advantages of the RFI service are:

• Java programs do not need to know anything about where the data resides.
• Accessing data is faster because the RFI service requires no remote database connections using JDBC or similar database access methods.
• There is no need for an exchange of XML documents and the implicit overhead of creating and interpreting the XML.

Transport mechanism for moving the data is WebSockets over HTTP or HTTPs and the RFI service can operate via proxy servers.

Java programs can run on any server, computer or mobile device that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM), including IBM i, IBM AIX, IBM z/OS, Windows, Oracle Solaris, Linux, Apple iOS and Android.

Java programs can run on the same server as the RPG or LANSA programs or on a remote server, desktop computer or mobile device.

The aXes Terminal Service allows an application to connect to and interact with aXes Terminal Server to navigate, interrogate and/or edit 5250 application screens on IBM i servers. Applications can interact directly with 5250 applications running on the same or remote IBM i servers.

Applications can issue commands including:

• Connect (and logon) and disconnect the 5250 session
• Interrogate the values of current screen identifiers, labels and field values
• Set or edit the values of fields on a screen
• Send function keys such as ENTER and F3
• Perform multiple operations with a single command by using aXes terminal operation scripts

This service allows developers to automate data entry tasks. For example, customers can place orders on a website and Integrator can automatically insert the orders into an ERP system .