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DMX Overview
Orbit
Nov 2011
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Introduction
DMX Modular EDI System
A series of self-standing programs which can be
used individually or combined seamlessly to make
the EDI system which suits your needs
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Important Modules
 DMXCONST - construction
 DMXTRANS - translation
 DMXERRAN - session report
 DMXSCHED - scheduler
 DMXGWAY - traffic analyser
 WINTASKS - batch file processor
 DMXPRINT - flat file re-formatter
 DMXREFRM - relational file re-formatter
 DMXEFAX - delimited file re-formatter
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
EDIFACT Interchange Structure
UNB - Interchange - UNZ
UNH - message - UNT
TAG+ segment '
UNG - Functional Group - UNE
Group
Message
Message
(UNG-UNE seldom used)
+data element+
+composite+
Segment
Group
data element: data element:
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Segments & Groups
 A segment has structure:
TAG+element+element:element+ ….. ’
 Within a message sequences of segments
can be marked as repeatable. They are then
said to form a GROUP.
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Data Element
 Has properties such as:
 Fixed/Variable length
 Maximum Length
 Alphanumeric/Alphabetic/Numeric content
 Mandatory/Conditional
e.g. A6 AN..35 N..14
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Separators (Syntax Characters)
 Components
:
 Data Elements
 Segments
+
’
 Escape Character
?
 BUT - can be re-specified by a UNA
segment before EDIMatrix
the UNB
Ltd 1993-2011
Compression - remove
 Trailing blanks
 Leading zeroes
 Trailing decimal zeroes
 +element::+ becomes +element+
 +element++’ becomes +element’
 NOTE +element::element+ unchanged
 Sigh! These rules are often broken
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Mandatory / Conditional
 A Group, Segment, Composite or Data
Element may be Mandatory or Conditional
 The status of a composite structure is
independent of the individual statuses of its
components
 Violations of these statuses are probably the
most common fault in EDIFACT messages
 SO - you need to understand them!
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Other EDI Standards
 Tradacoms - obsolete but widely used in UK
 X12 - the USA standard; seldom found in UK
 XML - use slowly growing; handled by
DMXEFAX
 … and some non-standard EDI types ...
 Delimited formats - handled by DMXEFAX
 SDF formats (VDA, BISAC, GENCOD etc.);
handled by DMXPRINT
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
A Simple EDI System
Scheduler
Wintask
EXPORT.TSK
Wintask
IMPORT.TSK
DMXCONST
DMX400AP
DMXERRAN
DMXGWAY
DMX400AP
WINRUA
WINRUA
DMXTRANS
DMXERRAN
DMXGWAY
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
DMXGWAY
(archiving)
An Even Simpler System
SCHEDULER
Wintask
EDIRUN.TSK
DMXCONST
DMXERRAN
DMXGWAY
DMX400AP
WINRUA
DMXTRANS
DMXERRAN
DMXGWAY
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Management Information Flow
•Converters
•Session Log
•Error
Analyser
•Gateway
•Database
•Network I/F
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
•Renames
Outgoing DATA Flow
•Application
•Re-formatter
•DmxConst
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Incoming DATA Flow
•Interchange Files
•DMXTRANS
•DMXPRINT
•Inhouse Files
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
•A
P
P
DMXGWAY
 Most of the operational functionality of a
conventional EDI Gateway lies in the DMX
converters themselves. The DMX Gateway
is therefore primarily a Traffic Analyser
whose function is to show you what has
been happening in your system, and to tie
together the various information sources
available to you.
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
DMXGWAY
 View EDI traffic using a query generator
 Update the traffic database
 Create and view archives
 Edit and maintain the database
 Easy links to all EDI system information
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Information Sources
•Gateway View
•Session Log
•Control Log
•Gateway Log
•Net I/F Log
•Data Files
•Net Reports
•Gateway Reports
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Converters
 DMXCONST constructs EDI, DMXTRANS
translates it
 Mapping driven by a compiled table
 Operational control by a text control file
 EDIFACT, Tradacoms and X12; XML aware
 Very rich set of operational options
 Can be data-stream driven by using a profile
 Batch, server and service modes
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Profiles
 Switch the operational environment of the
converter according to contents of the
incoming data stream.
 Based on Trading Partner
 Based on Message Type
 Based on Test status
 OR - based on complex pattern matching
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Profiles
•You only need two profiles to cover all
your EDI processing; one for
construction (DMXOUT.PRO) and one for
translation (DMXIN.PRO). Once operating
under a profile the converter becomes
data-driven, and switches its
environment automatically to respond to
the changing requirements made of it
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Profile Logic
•?
PARTNER1
Fred
Message1
PARTNER2
Joe
Message2
Message1
Message3
DEFAULT
PARTNER
Message1
•Use DEFAULT
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Message4
Message5
Table Generation
•DMXTEDIT
•Table
•DMXSCOMP
•DMXTCOMP
•DMXTDUMP
•DMXMKTRN
•Source
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
DMXTEDIT
 Interactive
 Direct
 Quick
 Automation
 Edits, not creates
 Full sets of UNSM’s
 Intuitive ?
 EDI knowledge helps
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Control of Conversion
•Converter
•Command Line Parms
•Control File
•Profile
•Includes
•Codes
•CharConv
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Control File Contents
 Table
 Errorlevels
 Input File(s)
 Codes
 Output File(s)
 Links
 Flags
 Logging
 Moves
 Seeds
 Profile
 Includes
 Semaphores
 Local Variables
 Data
 ….. More!
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Flags
 Format ...
 Buffering
 Error behaviour ...
 Cache
 Residence ...
 Sizes
 Fast/Thorough
 Profile Triggers
 Debug
 Convert Characters
 Imp/Exp Nesting
 Timeslicing
 Decimal Separator
 Empty File Removal
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Network Interfaces
 Export - identify files to be sent
 Connect - call and monitor the network program
 Import - register incoming files and net reports
 Update traffic database
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Network Interface
 Desirable, but not essential!
 Needed for status recording in traffic
database
 All DMX network interfaces are
modifications of a single generic model
 The requirements of the network may need
to be considered at converter control file
level
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Network Communications
 Program to dial a network, establish a session, and
perform file transfers as dictated by the Network
Interface program
 Network specific.
 DMXCOMMS often used, with a script for the
particular network being accessed
 Expedite, FTPS and Putty also used
 Network determines facilities available
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
DMXCOMMS Features
 Script-driven comms for Async & TCP/IP
 Normally used with standard scripts
 Can be used for most Internet protocols
 Can be used to create a server
 For secure comms use with Stunnel
 Cannot implement FTP, since it only
supports a single communication channel
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Compiled Tables
 Several programs in the DMX range operate
using compiled tables; the information for
them is prepared as a text file which is then
compiled to a binary form more suitable for
active processing by the program involved.
 This is done to separate activities which can
be performed off-line from those which are
part of the ‘real’ processing.
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
DMX Compilers
Program
Source
Compiler Table
Profiling
Profile.pro
Dmxpcomp
Profile.cpr
Dmxrefrm
Formlist.rfs
Dmxrfcc
Formlist.rfc
Dmxprint
Printlnk.pls
Dmxplcc
Printlnk.plc
Dmxefax
Faxlist.fxs
Dmxfaxc
Faxlist.fxc
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Application Interface
 Intermediary file(s) - Inhouse files
 DMX can create and accept most formats,
providing they are not too crazy!
 Convenience for Application decides form
 Semaphores used to prevent conflicts
 Hierarchical tagged (flat) file often used
 Relational filesets also popular
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Hierarchical Tagged Files
 The most common interface file for
applications consists of a hierarchy of
different records, each identified by a
unique tag.
 The hierarchical structure tends to be very
similar to that of the EDIFACT interchange
 BUT - where the number of iterations of an
entity is limited it can often be folded into
the level above EDIMatrix
it. Ltd 1993-2011
Relational Files
 Essentially equivalent to database tables
 Each repeating entity has its own file with a
discrete record structure
 Records in different files are linked by Keys
 Once again, if an entity has a limited
number of repetitions it is often folded into
an existing file
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
DMX Converter Inhouse Files
 Are hierarchical tagged files
 Re-formatting to and from relational files
can be achieved by the DMXPRINT and
DMXREFRM programs
 These programs have many other uses!
 The hierarchical tagged file is, in theory,
inferior to a relational fileset but is, in
practice, normally better!
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Re-formatters
 Three different ones depending on input type;
DMXPRINT, DMXEFAX and DMXREFRM
 All can generate a variety of outputs; SDF, CSV,
Reports, HTML, XML to one or more output files
 All are template driven, and easy to modify
 All use compiled input file specifications
 Used for mapping without need of EDI awareness
 All have scripting capabilities
 DMXEFAX is theEDIMatrix
mostLtdversatile
1993-2011
Wintasks
 Started out to provide a simple batch processing
capability for Windows
 Grew gradually over the years to give extra
capabilities
 Now has the power of a scripting language .. BUT
 Still tries to look like a simple batch file, because
languages are intimidating to many clients
 Windows now offers other scripting capabilities,
so it is not a compulsory component
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Wintasks Features
 Runs external apps - sync or async
 File movement, with logging
 IF/THEN/ELSE and FOR statements
 IFOLDER, IFGREATER, IFEXIST
 Labels, GOTO & GOSUB/RETURN
 Manipulation of local strings & integers
 Read from & write to files
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Scheduler
•Runs the EDI tasks
•Monthly, daily, many times a day
•Versatile time window settings
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011
Utilities
 There are a lot of other handy DMX
programs to support a system
 Splitters, viewers, table tools …..
 Too many to list!
EDIMatrix Ltd 1993-2011