Chapter 4. Managed file transfer within an enterprise
4.1 Solution overview
This chapter is an introduction to the basic benefits, concepts, and components of managed file transfer using IBM Sterling Connect:Direct and WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition. These scenarios demonstrate how a file can be transferred from one system to another, either WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition to Sterling Connect:Direct or Sterling Connect:Direct to WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition.
Connect:Direct servers receive instructions about the work to be performed from
Connect:Direct clients. The clients communicate with the servers through a command-line interface (CLI) or a desktop client, called a Connect:Direct requester. The client uses the Connect:Direct process language to provide instructions to the server. A process contains special statements and parameters that instruct the server to perform data movement by running the jobs or programs.
This chapter includes examples of uploading and downloading a file using WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition and Sterling Connect:Direct. When a file is transferred to Sterling Connect:Direct, the Connect:Direct process instructs the Connect:Direct server to launch a WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition transfer. Likewise, after a file is transferred to a
WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition agent, an ANT job launches a Connect:Direct process. With these solutions, organizations can connect the WebSphere and Sterling Connect:Direct infrastructures.
4.1.1 Using Sterling Connect:Direct and WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition
The examples in this chapter simulate managed file transfers that occur on an internal network. For our purposes, an
internal network
is one that does not require additional software or hardware security devices. Any data that is sent to or received from an external company should always be encrypted. The examples in this chapter do not show the use of encryption, because the scenarios are examples of internal file transfers.The examples demonstrate WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition and Sterling Connect:Direct integration by launching a program or an ANT job. Sterling Connect:Direct uses the
Connect:Direct process language to transfer a file and then executes fteCreateTransfer.cmd to start the WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition transfer. The fteCreateTransfer.cmd program is included as part the installation of WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition.
WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition uses an ANT job to transfer a file and then launches a Connect:Direct process to start the Sterling Connect:Direct transfer.
The scenarios make use of three separate systems. On one system, both WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition and Sterling Connect:Direct must be installed to enable both
applications local access to the tools that are required to launch a transfer on the other application. Access to fteCreateTransfer.cmd is required for Sterling Connect:Direct to start a WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition transmission. Likewise, access to the Sterling
Connect:Direct CLI is required for WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition to start a Connect:Direct process.
WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition and Sterling Connect:Direct have multiple methods of initiating transfers and executing programs after a successful file transfer. The following other methods are available, but we do not discuss these methods in this book:
User exit programs
A Software Development Kit (SDK) File monitoring applications Built-in job scheduler
Scripts Ant jobs
4.1.2 Business value
Sterling Connect:Direct is a point-to-point file-based integration solution that is designed for unattended operation. It provides assured delivery and high-volume, secure data exchange. It is designed to move files that contain any type of data across multiple platforms, disparate file systems, and disparate media, maintaining high performance levels and throughput. Sterling Connect:Direct eliminates the need for manual intervention in data delivery, improving productivity and the reliability of business processes.
WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition exploits the proven reliability and connectivity of WebSphere MQ to transfer files across a wide range of platforms and networks. In addition to using existing WebSphere MQ networks, you can integrate WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition with existing file transfer systems.
WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition
WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition provides an enterprise-ready, managed file transfer capability that is both robust and easy to use. WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition exploits the proven reliability and connectivity of WebSphere MQ to transfer files across a wide range of platforms and networks. In addition to using existing WebSphere MQ networks, you can integrate WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition with existing file transfer systems.
WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition offers the following benefits: Auditability
WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition provides full logging of transfers at both the source and destination systems. File transfer audit logs are stored in WebSphere MQ queues and optionally in a relational SQL database.
Ease of use
Using WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition, you can initiate file transfers using the GUI in WebSphere MQ Explorer, CLI, and scripts.
Simplicity
WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition has a low resource footprint and, apart from WebSphere MQ, has no other prerequisite software.
Security
Access to files is controlled by file system permissions. File transfers can be protected using SSL encryption and authentication.
Automation
File transfers can be set up to occur at specified times or dates or to repeat at specified intervals. File transfers can also be triggered by a range of system events, such as new files or updated files.
Additional documentation: For more WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition
documentation see “Customizing WebSphere MQ File Transfer Edition with user exit routines” at:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/wmqfte/v7r0/topic/com.ibm.wmqfte.doc/ user_exits.htm
Sterling Connect:Direct
Sterling Connect:Direct is a solution for secure, point-to-point file transfers. It is optimized for high-volume, assured data delivery of files within and between enterprises and provides script-based automation, scheduling, and alert notifications for 24x7 unattended operations. Sterling Connect:Direct allows organizations to automate the data exchange between mission-critical applications, regardless of the platform. The event-based
architecture enables high volumes and large files, with no product-defined limits on file sizes. Sterling Connect:Direct also supports various clustering technologies and IBM Sysplex on the mainframe. It provides built-in automation and checkpoint restart to ensure
lights-out operations.
Automation and management
Sterling Connect:Direct includes the following automation and management features: Supports 24x7 unattended operations
Schedules jobs on a one-time, recurring, or continuous basis Assigns and manages file transfer workload
Provides event-driven alert notification
Includes a process language that builds scripts to provide integration with back-end systems
Supports API and SDK for programmatic access by other applications Supports checkpoint restart
Includes automatic recovery from network interruptions Provides automated alert notifications for success or failure
Security and compliance
Sterling Connect:Direct includes the following security and compliance features: Standard Sterling Connect:Direct
– Interfaces with operating system security for user authentication
– Provides a complete audit trail of data movement through extensive statistics logs Sterling Connect:Direct Secure Plus
– User authentication
– X.509 certificates for authentication – Data encryption (SSL/TLS)
– Certificate and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) checking – FIPS 140-2 and Common Criteria certification
Multiple platform support
Sterling Connect:Direct includes support for the following operating systems: z/OS and z/VSE
OpenVMS
i5/OS (OS/400) UNIX and Linux Windows HP NonStop