Test Indicator Issue

["Miller, Robert (GXS)" <Robert.Miller@gxs.ge.com>]

David,

I support a test indicator, but do not agree that it should be handled at
the MSH level.  Both X12 and EDIFACT also have test indicators in their
outer envelope headers.  Documentation of this flag is minimal in these
standards, but in my experience, implementations of X12 and EDIFACT (EDI
Translators, to be more precise), do forward the payload for processing, and
most of the value of the test process occurs after the data has been
forwarded.  I believe it is most common to deliver the payload to a
'parallel' test environment (with no further indication that the data is
'test' data), which in turn may generate return 'test' messages to simulate
as closely as possible the genuine application end-to-end production
enviroment.  

Cheers,
        Bob Miller

-----Original Message-----
From: Burdett, David [mailto:david.burdett@commerceone.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2000 12:09 PM
To: 'ian.c.jones@bt.com'; ebxml-transport@lists.ebxml.org
Subject: RE: Outstanding Issues - LONG please red to end

<SNIP>
Issue 1
Title - Test indicator

Detail - 
I would propose that we add a new element to be used to indicate whether the
message is a test or live/production message. Both RosettaNet and OTA have
something similar in purpose, although each calls it something different. I
imagine that other vocabularies have something similar as well. The purpose
of this element (or attribute as the case may be) is to enable parties to
exchange messages prior to actually engaging in e-business, to ensure that
their systems are prepared to correctly handle the messages
they send each other. 

Proposed solution - Add test indicator  
<Daveb>I agree we should add a test indicator although we need to be precise
on what is being tested. I propose that messages with the test indicator set
should be processed by a MSH and forwarded to another MSH but NOT passed to
the application. If you want to do application level testing then this
information needs to be included as an attribute/element in the payload.
</Daveb>