eAPI

eAPI - Application Programming Interface : "B to B interface is real e-business exchange"

ERPWEB is e-Business Operating System

SUMMARY: eAPI is based on Microsoft Web Services Technology and MS.NET Architecture. Your Business can provide reusable API for your customers or suppliers via ERPWEB so that their softwares can directly interface to your Business. eAPI Web Services are building blocks for constructing distributed Web-based applications in a platform, object model, and multilanguage manner. eAPI Web Services are based on open Internet standards, such as HTTP and XML forming programmable Web & an interface API for your business associates.

One of today's most pressing challenges is application integration: taking different applications running on different operating systems built with different object models using different programming languages and turning them into easy-to-use Web applications.

A Look at Web Services
Broadly speaking, a Web Service is simply an application delivered as a service that can be integrated with other Web Services using Internet standards. In other words, it's a URL-addressable resource that programmatically returns information to clients who want to use it. One important feature of Web Services is that clients don't need to know how a service is implemented. In this section, I'll explain how Web Services combine the best aspects of component-based technologies and the Web, and introduce the infrastructure needed to communicate with Web Services.
Like components, Web Services represent black-box functionality that can be reused without worrying about how the service is implemented. Web Services provide well-defined interfaces, called contracts, that describe the services provided. Developers can assemble applications using a combination of remote services, local services, and custom code. For example, a company might assemble an online store using the ERPWEB service to authenticate users, personalization service to adapt Web pages to each user's preferences, a credit-card processing service, a sales tax service, package-tracking services from each shipping company, an in-house catalog service that connects to the company's internal inventory management applications, and a bit of custom code to make sure that their store stands out from the crowd. Figure 1 shows a model that illustrates how Web Services can be linked to create distributed Web applications.

Figure 1 Web Services Application Model

Figure 1 Web Services Application Model

Unlike current component technologies, however, Web Services do not use object model-specific protocols such as DCOM, RMI, or IIOP that require specific, homogeneous infrastructures on both the client and service machines. While implementations tightly coupled to specific component technologies are perfectly acceptable in a controlled environment, they become impractical on the Web. As the set of participants in an integrated business process changes, and as technology changes over time, it becomes very difficult to guarantee a single, unified infrastructure among all participants. Web Services take a different approach; they communicate using ubiquitous Web protocols and data formats such as HTTP and XML. Any system supporting these Web standards will be able to support Web Services.
Furthermore, a Web Service contract describes the services provided in terms of the messages the Web Service accepts and generates rather than how the service is implemented. By focusing solely on messages, the Web Services model is completely language, platform, and object model-agnostic. A Web Service can be implemented using the full feature set of any programming language, object model, and platform. A Web Service can be consumed by applications implemented in any language for any platform. As long as the contract that explains the service's capabilities and the message sequences and protocols it expects is honored, the implementations of Web Services and Web Service consumers can vary independently without affecting the application at the other end of the conversation.
The minimum infrastructure required by the Web Services model is purposefully low to help ensure that Web Services can be implemented on and accessed from any platform using any technology and programming language. The key to Web Service interoperability is reliance solely on Web standards. However, simply agreeing that Web Services should be accessed through standard Web protocols is not sufficient to make it easy for applications to use Web Services. Web Services become easy to use when a Web Service and Web Service consumer rely on standard ways to represent data and commands, to represent Web Service contracts, and to figure out the capabilities a Web Service provides.
XML is the obvious choice for defining a standard yet extensible language to represent commands and typed data. While rules for representing commands and typed data using other techniques (such as encoding as a query string) could be defined, XML is specifically designed as a standard metalanguage for describing data. The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is an industry standard for using XML to represent data and commands in an extensible way. A Web Service can choose to use SOAP to specify its message formats.
XML is also the enabling technology for the Web Service contracts. The Service Contract Language (SCL) is an XML grammar for documenting Web Service contracts. Since SCL is XML-based, contracts are easy for both developers and developer tools to create and interpret.
The Disco specification will describe a standard way for service providers to publish Web Service contracts and the corresponding mechanism that lets developers or developer tools discover contract documents.
Standards like SOAP, SCL, and Disco help developers since they do not need to understand and implement different ways to access each Web Service that they use. Even better, well-tested, high-performance infrastructure supporting these standards can be supplied by development platforms, greatly simplifying the entire development process.

- Courtsey Microsoft Corporation. Above information is produced from Microsoft website.

ERPWEB will provide full webservices to its customers via rosettanet standards in version 3. ERPWEB version 3 will be fully based on .NET Technology.

ERPWEB eAPI follows Rosettanet - XML based Document Standards for B2B Exchange.

Developed by means of an industry-wide partnership, RosettaNet standards address the Information Technology (IT), Electronic Components (EC) and Semiconductor Manufacturing (SM) supply chain, including manufacturers, distributors, resellers, shippers and end users.

Following is the list of Rosettanet based XML document standards which ERPWEB will provide in version 3: (Just now the documents standards are under preparation by non-profit organization RosettaNet.

Cluster 0: RosettaNet Support
Segment 0A: Administrative

PIP 0A1: Notification of Failure

Cluster 1: Partner Profile Management
Segment 1A: Partner Review

PIP 1A1: Request Account Setup
PIP 1A2: Maintain Account
PIP 1A3: Request Credit References

Segment 1B: Product and Service Review

PIP 1B1: Manage Product Information Subscriptions
PIP 1B2: Request Authorization Status
PIP 1B3: Notify of Updated Authorization Status

Cluster 2: Product Information
Segment 2A: Preparation for Distribution

PIP 2A1: Distribute New Product Information
PIP 2A2: Query Product Information
PIP 2A3: Query Marketing Information
PIP 2A4: Query Sales Promotion & Rebate Information
PIP 2A5: Query Technical Information
PIP 2A6: Query Product Lifecycle Information
PIP 2A7: Query Product Discontinuation Information
PIP 2A8: Distribute Product Stock Keeping Unit (SKU)
PIP 2A9: Query EC Technical Information

Segment 2B: Product Change Notification

PIP 2B1: Change Basic Product Information
PIP 2B2: Change Marketing Information
PIP 2B3: Change Sales Promotion & Rebate Information
PIP 2B4: Change Product Technical Information
PIP 2B5: Change Product Lifecycle Information
PIP 2B6: Query Optional Product Information
PIP 2B7: Notify of Product Change
PIP 2B8: Notify of Product Change Response
PIP 2B9: Notify of Modified Product Change
PIP 2B10: Notify of Cancel Product Change
PIP 2B11: Query Product Change

Segment 2C: Product Design Information

2C1: Distribute Product Change Notice
2C2: Request Engineering Change
2C3: Distribute Engineering Change Response
2C4: Request Engineering Change Approval
2C5: Notify of Engineering Change Order
2C6: Notify of Engineering Change Implementation

Segment 2D: Collaborative Design

Cluster 3: Order Management
Segment 3A: Quote and Order Entry

PIP 3A1: Request Quote
PIP 3A2: Query Price and Availability
PIP 3A3: Transfer Shopping Cart
PIP 3A4: Manage Purchase Order
PIP 3A5: Query Order Status
PIP 3A6: Distribute Order Status
PIP 3A7: Notify of Purchase Order Acceptance
PIP 3A8: Change Purchase Order
PIP 3A9: Cancel Purchase Order

Segment 3B: Transportation and Distribution

PIP 3B1: Distribute Transportation Projection
PIP 3B2: Notify of Advance Shipment
PIP 3B3: Distribute Shipment Status
PIP 3B4: Query Shipment Status
PIP 3B5: Change Shipment
PIP 3B6: Notify of Shipper's Manifest
PIP 3B7: Create Delivery Appointment
PIP 3B8: Notify of Transportation Claim
PIP 3B9: Notify of Delivery Exception
PIP 3B10: Notify of Cancel Delivery Appointment

Segment 3C: Returns and Finance

PIP 3C1: Return Product
PIP 3C2: Obtain Financing Approval
PIP 3C3: Notify of Invoice
PIP 3C4: Notify of Invoice Reject
PIP 3C5: Notify of Billing Statement
PIP 3C6: Notify of Remittance Advice

Segment 3D: Product Configuration

PIP 3D1: Distribute Risk Analysis
PIP 3D2: Notify of Solution Configuration
PIP 3D3: Notify of Manufacturing Specification
PIP 3D4: Request Build Authorization
PIP 3D5: Distribute Material Status
PIP 3D6: Distribute Build Readiness
PIP 3D7: Request Customer Waiver
PIP 3D8: Distribute Work in Process
PIP 3D9: Query Work in Process
PIP 3D10: Distribute Test Result
PIP 3D11: Request Product Acceptance
PIP 3D12: Request Engineering Change
PIP 3D13: Distribute Engineering Change Response
PIP 3D14: Request Engineering Change Approval
PIP 3D15: Notify of Engineering Change Order
PIP 3D16: Notify of Engineering Change Implementation Plan

Cluster 4: Inventory Management
Segment 4A: Collaborative Forecasting

PIP 4A1: Notify of Sales Forecast
PIP 4A2: Embedded Release Forecast Notification
PIP 4A3: Threshold Release Forecast Notification
PIP 4A4: Forecast Notification
PIP 4A5: Acknowledgement of Forecast Notification

Segment 4B: Inventory Allocation

PIP 4B1: Allocate Inventory
PIP 4B2: Notify of Shipment Receipt
PIP 4B3: Notify of Replenishment Trigger
PIP 4B4: Notify of Replenishment Response

Segment 4C: Inventory Reporting

PIP 4C1: Distribute Inventory Report
PIP 4C2: Distribute Inventory Reconciliation Report
PIP 4C3: Distribute Inventory Error Notification
PIP 4C4: Distribute Inventory Reconciliation Discrepancy

Segment 4D: Inventory Replenishment

PIP 4D1: Trigger Inventory Replenishment

Segment 4E: Sales Reporting

PIP 4E1: Notify of Commercial Sales Report
PIP 4E2: Notify of Consumer Sales Report
PIP 4E3: Notify of Summary Sales Tie-out Report
PIP 4E4: Request Detail Sales Tie-out Report
PIP 4E5: Distribute Commercial Sales Report Error Notification
PIP 4E6: Distribute Consumer Sales Report Error Notification

Segment 4F: Price Protection

PIP 4F1: Announce Price Change
PIP 4F2: New Order Price Change
PIP 4F3: Request Price Protection
PIP 4F4: Claim Price Protection
PIP 4F5: Provide Price Protection

Cluster 5: Marketing Information Management
Segment 5A: Lead Opportunity Management

PIP 5A1: Transfer Sales Lead Responsibility
PIP 5A2: Query Sales Lead Status
PIP 5A3: Notify of Sales Lead Status

Segment 5B: Marketing Campaign Management

PIP 5B1: Distribute Marketing Activity Information
PIP 5B2: Create Sales Marketing Claim
PIP 5B3: Change Sales Marketing Claim
PIP 5B4: Notify of Cancel Sales Marketing Claim
PIP 5B5: Query Sales Marketing Claim Status
PIP 5B6: Notify of Sales Marketing Claim Status

Segment 5C: Design Win Management (Electronic Components)

PIP 5C1: Distribute Product List
PIP 5C2: Request Design Registration
PIP 5C3: Request Design Win
PIP 5C4: Distribute Registration Status
PIP 5C5: Query Registration Status

Segment 5D: Ship from Stock and Debit (Electronic Components)

PIP 5D1: Request Ship from Stock and Debit Authorization
PIP 5D2: Notify of Blanket Ship from Stock and Debit Authorization
PIP 5D3: Distribute Open Ship from Stock and Debit Authorization Status
PIP 5D4: Query Ship from Stock and Debit Authorization Status
PIP 5D5: Create Ship from Stock and Debit Claim
PIP 5D6: Notify of Ship from Stock and Debit Claim Status

Cluster 6: Service and Support
Segment 6A: Provide and Administer Warranties, Service Packages, and Contract Services

PIP 6A1: Notify of Service Package Registration

Segment 6B: Provide and Administer Asset Management (Merged with 6A)
Segment 6C: Technical Support and Service Management

PIP 6C1: Request Service Event Entitlement
PIP 6C2: Transfer Service Event Ownership
PIP 6C3: Notify of Service Event Solution
PIP 6C4: Query Service Event Status
PIP 6C5: Change Service Event
PIP 6C6: Cancel Service Event

Cluster 7: Manufacturing
Segment 7A: Design Transfer
Segment 7B: Manage Manufacturing Work Orders and WIP
Segment 7C: Distribute Manufacturing Information

Note: Rosettanet, Clusters, Segment & PIPs are Rosettanet Organizations registered trademarks.

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