ebXML - Overview on ebBP and CPP/CPA

The ebXML.org homepage offers this brief characterization of ebXML project:

" ebXML is a set of specifications that together enable a modular electronic business framework. The vision of ebXML is to enable a global electronic marketplace where enterprises of any size and in any geographical location can meet and conduct business with each other through the exchange of XML-based messages ."

The exchange of XML-based messages involves problems related to:
1. Organization and monitored execution of message exchange
2. Agreement between business parties on:
- transport protocol for message exchanging
- envelope protocol for message exchanging
- content of messages to exchange
- security constraints (signature, encryption, etc.)

To enable business collaborations between two or more enterprises and to facilitate the solution of the above issues, ebXML has defined two specifications:
- Business Process Specification Schema (ebBP or BPSS)
- Collaboration Protocol Profile and Agreement (CPP and CPA)

As defined in the ebBP specifications, a Business Partner is an entity that engages in Business Transactions with another Business Partner(s). The message exchange capabilities of a Party MAY be described by a Collaboration-Protocol Profile (CPP). The message exchange agreement between two Parties MAY be described by a Collaboration-Protocol Agreement (CPA). A CPA MAY be created by computing the intersection of the two Partners' CPPs. Details about the transport, messaging, security constraints aspects are included in the CPP and CPA, together with the necessary bindings to an ebBP Business-Process-Specification (or, for short, Process-Specification) document that contains the definition of the interactions between the two Parties while engaging in a specified electronic Business Collaboration.

- An ebXML presentation (.ppt) [1,11 MB]
- ebXML Deployments
- "Top Reasons to use ebXML" brochure