The DAAS GEX EDI supports SFTP, HTTPS, SMTP/MIME, and MQ to transport X12 transmission files over the internet and the NIPRNET. DAAS Data Delivery via a secured protocol and implementation of Firewalls throughout DoD, will require the customers assistance.

If a customer requires an SFTP connection using the SFTP/SSH protocol, then this protocol is similar to FTP, but it uses encryption to secure the connection. The technical details are discussed: in this document

Additional information about this protocol and implementations can be found at: OpenSSH home page

This page describes the OpenSSH project, which provides an Open Source implementation of the protocol. For commercial vendors that support the protocol there is a section on that page labeled 'Alternatives.'

DAAS requires that Public Key Authentication (PKA) be performed when DLA DAAS initiates the connection to the customers SSH/SFTP server. Password authentication is possible when your connection is made with a DAAS server, but is not preferred.

You are referred to this discussion of Public Key Authentication for more information: Public Key Authentication

DAAS has several SFTP IP addresses. While it is not required, programming one IP address as a primary and the other IP address as a backup should be considered to prevent loss of connectivity. We make every effort to ensure that we keep one of the two machines up at all times, but if you program a single address, you'll be unable to send in files while that machine is down for maintenance.

Network Addresses for FTP

DAAS has several IP addresses that you may use for FTP destinations. While it is not required, you should consider programming one IP address as a primary and the other IP address as a backup. We make every effort to ensure that we keep one of the two machines up at all times. If you program a single address, you'll be unable to send in files while that machine is down for maintenance.

We prefer that you send your data to the Dayton, OH hub unless we have instructed you to do otherwise.

SMTP Mail Destination

DAAS has flexible support for transmission and receipt of eB data via SMTP.  The data can be in the body of the message or as a MIME attachment.

If you are interested in exchanging eB data via SMTP, please request sample transmissions by email to edi@dla.mil.

AS/1 is not currently supported.

HTTPS Transfers

DAAS supports a form-based interface for sending and receiving files via HTTPS.  The options here varied and are currently the subject of ongoing development and testing.

We’ve found that it is fairly easy to interface using HTTPS with only a trivial CGI program.

An interactive file-based dialog is available via HTTPS for uploading to DAAS. 

DAAS currently requires specific firewall rules to be applied locally to allow inbound HTTPS transmissions to our systems.  Please contact edi@dla.mil for more information about this mode of communication.

AS/2 is not currently supported, but DAAS is looking into this increasingly popular mode of communication.  If you have a requirement for AS/2, please contact us at edi@dla.mil.

Pushing/Pulling with FTP

We support your pulling data from our servers or pushing data to our servers.  By push we mean that for files coming to DAAS, the sending site will run its FTP client, log on with a user name and password provided by DAAS and initiate placing data.  By pull we mean that the receiving site will run its FTP client, log on with a user name and password and initiate a retrieval.

We also support pulling data from your server or pushing data to your server.  If DAAS is initiating the transmission, then DAAS will need to be provided with a user ID and password on the host at  your site.

If you wish to pull your files from DAAS, you should do so with an FTP GET or MGET command. After you pull the files, it is your responsibility to make sure that you have received them completely and then delete them. DAAS cannot delete EDI files for users who pull.

Make sure that you only pull files whose names begin with the letter "D" followed by your site code. That way, you will not pull down files that may reside in your directory for administrative or other purposes. In the following example, suppose that your site code is MGSC:

FTP> mget DMGSC*.*

After checking that your received everything...

FTP> mdel DMGSC*.*

FTP> quit

Our DEBX system, where all new setups are performed, guarantees that no new files can come into the directory after you login, thus ensuring that the above procedure does not delete any files that have arrived after the mget and before the mdel command

Files that you send to us should be named as follows:

I<userid><nnn>.jjj where <userid> is the 4-letter site code that we will assign to you. nnn is an arbitrary sequence number and jjj is the julian date.
Example: IQBAX001.109

A technique most of our customers use is to transfer in their file with a "Z" as the first letter. After the transfer has successfully completed, the file is renamed, changing the first letter to "I". This way, we don't attempt to process a partial file that is doomed to fail.

Example:

SFTP> put ourfile ZQWER348.255

SFTP> rename ZQWER348.255 IQWER348.255

You can make the sequence numbers longer or shorter as you wish, or use alphanumeric sequence numbers. The primary requirement is that the file names begin with the letter "I". File names are case-sensitive on our GEX system. We can support file names that begin with a lower case 'i' if required.

We prefer this naming convention because it identifies the file as yours, and contains elements to ensure a unique name. The better the name, the easier it is to find a file when a problem occurs.

Other file naming conventions can be supported for special interfacing requirements, such as to MVS or AS/400 systems.

The files we send to you will be named as follows:

D<userid>nnn.jjj where <userid> is your user name on the DAAS computer, nnn is a sequence number which we generate, and jjj is the julian date. Generally, the DAAS FTP client software generates uppercase file names on UNIX systems.

Example: DQXYZ002.109

Other file naming conventions for transmission can be supported for special interfacing requirements, such as data set names.  ‘Site’ commands custom to your application can also be accommodated.

What is EDI
VAN LIST
Dial-In & Filenaming Conventions
EB Points of Contact
DLA Supply Centers
Frequently Asked Question's
Becoming a BNC TP
Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) Link