Custom HTTP Header Profiles in AS2 Communication

In AS2 transmission, creating header profiles with custom headers can be essential for several reasons. In this article, let’s discuss what they are and how MFT Gateway can be used to facilitate such needs. Here are some of the reasons why we need custom headers in AS2 transmissions.

Enhanced Security

Custom Authentication

AS2 users may need to add an additional security layer to their AS2 transmission. AS2 message recipients/servers may mandate message senders to add custom headers that could include authentication tokens or additional security information, ensuring that only authorized parties can transmit AS2 messages to their servers.

Interoperability

Vendor-Specific Requirements

When communicating with multiple AS2 trading partners, different partners might have specific requirements to include custom headers in the AS2 transmissions that are addressed to them.

Legacy Systems Integration

Backward compatibility is essential to maintain successful AS2 communication. Custom headers can help integrate AS2 transmissions with legacy systems that require specific header formats or fields.

Message Management

Routing Information

Headers can include routing information for better message handling and processing within complex network architectures. This could be very useful for users who have recipients with multiple routing centers like FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration).

Error Handling

Upon AS2 message send failures, custom headers can carry error codes or status messages in the retries/retransmissions, enabling better handling of transmission issues and automated responses.

Compliance and Auditing

Regulatory Requirements

Certain industries or regulatory bodies like the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) or EMA (European Medicines Agency) may require specific information to be included in the headers for compliance purposes.

Auditing and Traceability

Headers can contain audit-related information, such as transaction IDs and user IDs, to maintain a comprehensive record of transactions. Moreover, headers can include unique identifiers and timestamps to track and verify the authenticity and integrity of messages.

When submitting electronic data to regulatory authorities such as the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) or EMA (European Medicines Agency) using AS2, specific custom headers may be required to ensure proper routing to multiple centers, authentication, and compliance with regulatory standards. These headers facilitate the secure and accurate transmission of sensitive pharmaceutical, clinical, or compliance data.

For example, FDA uses HTTP headers sent on the incoming AS2 request, to route submissions sent by their partners to the appropriate center. The primary headers are as follows:

To improve efficiency, uniformity and reduce the chance of errors, it is recommended to create a set of submission profiles for each, so that senders can quickly submit an application to FDA/EMA, without entering the headers each time. Being an AS2 provider, MFT Gateway allows their users to configure such HTTP header profiles at the partner level as below.

Here the user can configure multiple header profiles for one partner and once configured, the user can proceed (or skip) to choose a profile when composing the message.

Conclusion

Summing up to what we have discussed, by implementing and configuring HTTP custom headers in AS2 transmissions, organizations can significantly enhance security, interoperability, message management, and compliance, ensuring that their electronic data interchange (EDI) processes are robust and efficient.

Kumudika Rupasinghe

Kumudika is the Senior QA Lead at Aayu Technologies, bringing over six years of industry experience. She has a keen eye for detail and committed to delivering high-quality software products. When not testing, Kumudika loves watching sitcoms, enjoying good food, and catching up on sleep—just like a bear in hibernation.