AS2, OFTP2 and the Other Transports
Five transport kinds are provided. Which you use is usually decided by the partner, not by you.
Where to find it
Architect Panel → ERP - Trading & Analytics:
- EDI Transports — the five kinds, all shipped disabled
- AS2 Certificates — certificates and their expiry
- EDI Trading Partners — which transport each partner uses
The five
- SFTP — files to or from a server. Simple, widely understood, no built-in receipt.
- HTTPS — direct posting. Simple, and immediate.
- EDI VAN mailbox — a value-added network in the middle. One connection serves many partners and the VAN handles their differences, at a cost per message.
- AS2 — signed, encrypted, direct, with a signed receipt. The common retail requirement.
- OFTP2 — the automotive equivalent, likewise secure and receipted.
Why AS2 and OFTP2 exist
Both give you non-repudiation: a signed receipt proving the partner received the message, and proving what they received. Encryption in transit is the easy part; the receipt is the point.
In a dispute about whether an order was sent, a signed receipt settles it. An SFTP transfer log does not, which is why large trading partners mandate these.
Certificates
AS2 uses certificate pairs — yours for signing, theirs for encryption — and certificates expire.
An expired certificate stops the exchange dead, and it does so on a date known well in advance. Diary the renewal, and coordinate it: a certificate swap needs both sides ready, so it is a planned exchange rather than something to do when the connection breaks.
Keep the AS2 Certificates list current and check expiry dates quarterly. This is the most common avoidable EDI outage there is.
Choosing
Take the partner's requirement. Where you genuinely have a choice: SFTP or HTTPS for a small number of technically capable partners; a VAN when you have many partners and would rather pay per message than manage each connection; AS2 or OFTP2 when non-repudiation matters or the partner insists.
A VAN is often the right answer for a first EDI implementation — it removes most of the per-partner variation at a predictable cost, and you can move high-volume partners direct later.
All disabled by default
Every transport ships disabled with no credentials. Enable only what you use. A configured transport nobody is using is a credential to rotate and an attack surface to defend, for no benefit.
Worked example
A manufacturer trades with three retailers over AS2, one automotive customer over OFTP2, and a dozen smaller customers through a VAN. Certificate expiry is a diary item 60 days ahead of each date, and the AS2 renewals are agreed with each retailer in advance. The VAN removes twelve separate connections' worth of maintenance.
Recommendations
- Diary certificate expiry 60 days ahead.
- Enable only the transports you use.
- Consider a VAN for a first implementation.
- Keep credentials per transport, not shared across partners.