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Configuring Signing, Compression, and Encryption in AS2 Transport

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You can configure digital signatures, signature verification, encryption, and decryption from within the BizTalk Server Administration Console. This configuration requires that you set the appropriate properties for the AS2 pipelines and BizTalk parties.

Using AS2 Pipelines

To help secure an inbound AS2 message, use an AS2 receive pipeline (AS2EdiReceive or AS2Receive) in your receive location. The AS2 Decoder decrypts, decompresses, and/or performs signature verification on AS2 messages. For more information on how it does so, see the "AS2 Decoder" section of AS2 Receive Components.

To help secure an outbound AS2 message, use an AS2 send pipeline (AS2EdiSend or AS2Send) in your send port. The AS2 Encoder signs, compresses, and encrypts outbound AS2 messages. For more information on how it does so, see the "AS2 Encoder" section of AS2 Send Components.

Important

Once a message has been signed, the signature blob must not be changed. If changed, the signature would be corrupted. The boundary header, or anything outside the boundary headers, can be changed, but anything within the boundary headers must not be changed.

Setting AS2 Agreement Properties

You configure signature and encryption processing by setting AS2 agreement properties as follows:

  • To sign, compress, and/or encrypt an outbound message, check the Message should be signed, Message should be compressed, and Message should be encrypted properties on the Validation page of the one-way agreement tab (for the outgoing AS2 message) in the Agreement Properties dialog box.

  • To request a signed MDN in response to an outbound message, check the Request MDN and Request signed MDN properties on the Acknowledgements (MDNs) page of the one-way agreement tab of the Agreement Properties dialog box.

  • To specify that an inbound message is signed, compressed, and/or encrypted, check the Use agreement settings for validation and MDN instead of message header property, the Message should be signed property, the Message should be compressed property, and the Message should be encrypted property on the Validation page of the one-way agreement tab (for the incoming AS2 message) in the Agreement Properties dialog box.

    Note

    When the Use agreement settings for validation and MDN instead of message header property is selected, all header details of the incoming message are ignored and the message is processed based on the agreement settings.

  • To specify a signed MDN in response to an inbound message, when the inbound message properties are overridden by selecting the Use agreement settings for validation and MDN instead of message header property, check the Request Signed MDN property on Acknowledgements (MDNs) page of the Agreement Properties dialog box.

    Note

    When the Use agreement settings for validation and MDN instead of message header property is selected, all header details of the incoming message are ignored and the message is processed based on the agreement settings.

  • To specify a signed MDN in response to an inbound message, when the inbound message properties are not overridden (the Use agreement settings for validation and MDN instead of message header is cleared), but the message headers do not specify signing, check the Sign requested MDN if Disposition-Notification-Option header is not present or if Signed-Receipt-Protocol header is set to optional property on the Receiver MDN Settings page of the Agreement Properties dialog box.

  • To specify a different signing certificate than the one specified in the BizTalk Group properties for outgoing AS2 messages, select Override Group Signature Certificate in the Signature Certificate page of the one-way agreement tab of the Agreement Properties dialog box, and specify a signing certificate. If this property is set, whichever AS2 message that resolves to the agreement will be signed using the certificate provided in the Signature Certificate page and not by the certificate provided as part of the BizTalk Group properties.

    For more information about setting up party properties, see Configuring AS2 Properties.

See Also

AS2 Security
Configuring Certificates for AS2
AS2 Messages
AS2 Receive Components
AS2 Send Components
Configuring AS2 Properties