Implementation Issues in
the ebXML CPA formation process
- the Referencing Problem

Sacha Schlegel

Abstract:

ebXML is a new framework for electronic business where each trading partner describes its capabilities in a Collaboration Protocol Profile (CPP). Two trading partners form a bilateral agreement, called a Collaboration Protocol Agreement (CPA), based on the two CPP's. This process is called the CPA formation process and can be implemented as a software system; CPP and CPA documents are XML structured documents. During the implementation phase of the system a problem was identified whereby XML elements were found to reference other XML elements within a CPP, with the possibility of overwriting previously accepted checks. This problem can be solved by copying the referenced XML elements prior to running the proposed algorithm. This paper provides an introduction to ebXML and describes where the CPA formation process takes place, explains the referencing problem and provides a subsequent solution. The paper closes with a discussion on the consequences and has an outlook for future work in the area of the CPA formation processes.

Footnotes

... Schlegel

Sacha Schlegel, Department of Computing, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987 Perth, Western Australia 6845, Email: sacha@schlegel.li