Updates to eDelivery AS4 2.0 and SMP 2.0 profiles & new eDelivery BDXL 2.0 profile

The eDelivery AS4 2.0 and SMP 2.0 profiles have been updated to reflect comments received during the 2023 public consultations on the eDelivery AS4 and SMP 2.0 specifications. In addition, the eDelivery team decided to offer a draft for the eDelivery BDXL profile version 2.0. Look out for the upcoming consultation on eDelivery AS4 2.0 and SMP 2.0 profiles and find out about activities and support towards their adoption!

Response to the previous consultation

In June 2023, the eDelivery team called for a consultation on the AS4 and SMP 2.0 specifications. The initial draft specifications presented several key updates, including enhancements in security measures and support for newer technologies. Notably, the initial AS4 profile 2.0 proposed the introduction of two new Profile Enhancements, while the initial SMP profile 2.0 included support for the latest OASIS SMP version 2.0, among other features. These updates signaled a backwards-incompatible evolution, where older versions of the profiles would not be interoperable with the newer ones.

The consultation aimed to gather feedback from stakeholders and experts to refine the specifications and ensure they meet the evolving needs of the digital ecosystems. Acknowledging the invaluable input received during the consultation process, the eDelivery team meticulously reviewed and addressed each comment and suggestion provided in response to the consultation. The disposition for public review comments is available online, showcasing the team's commitment to transparency and collaboration. The documents include the feedback from the eDelivery team on each comment individually:

• Consultation on the eDelivery AS4 profile version 2.0 public review comments and response
• Consultation on the eDelivery SMP profile version 2.0 public review comments and response

We would like to thank our stakeholders again for their input towards the consultations on the initial AS4 and SMP 2.0 draft specifications.

What changed?

In response to the public review comments on the initial AS4 2.0 profile, several changes were incorporated. Notably, the team decided to remove the optional SBDH profile enhancement and the availability of alternative standards. Users are free to choose either SBDH or XHE as a regular payload without any further specifications and the removal of the SBDH profile enhancement will provide clarity on this. Additionally, recommendations from cryptography and XML security experts and internal evolution influenced further changes to the profile enhancement sections, such as the support for elliptic curve cryptography with the introduction of additional curves and a recommendation to use the type attribute for originalSender and finalRecipeint. Changes in the message encryption section of the common profile concern the use of key transport algorithms, including the adoption of key derivation function HKDF over ConcatKDF, as well as the recommendation of the use of the type attribute on PartyId.

Similarly, the SMP 2.0 profile underwent significant revisions based on feedback received during the consultation. Adjustments were made to improve clarity and structure, such as rephrasing sentences and adding semantics for empty process collections. Apart from editorial corrections, the new draft has been adapted to allow for both the “::” and “:” separators when dealing with OASIS ebCore PartyId Type. 

In direct response to feedback received during the consultation process, the eDelivery team introduced significant updates to the eDelivery BDXL profile, now designated as BDXL 2.0 draft. These enhancements directly address stakeholder concerns and suggestions to use different service field values for the U-NAPTR records, now proposing the use of the value “Meta:SMP2” for publishing links to OASIS SMP 2.0 documents. 

Considering that multiple DNS records may need to be published during the (potentially years-long) network transition from SMP 1.0 to SMP 2.0, which may cause operational issues in large networks, the network can decide to refrain from adding the duplicate “Meta:SMP2” records and use the “Meta:SMP” record for both SMP 1.0 and SMP 2.0. We find that this approach indeed provides for a more canonical profiling of the standards without preventing practical operational alternatives where needed. 

By incorporating these suggestions received via the public consultation as well as the internal evolution, the eDelivery team aims to ensure that the eDelivery suite of profiles meets the evolving needs of stakeholders and facilitates seamless data exchange in the digital landscape.

Updated profiles available

In our continuous commitment to develop state-of-the-art data exchange in the EU, the eDelivery team is delighted to share significant developments regarding the eDelivery AS4 2.0 and SMP 2.0 profiles. Following the 2023 public consultation, the team has meticulously addressed the feedback received and are excited to present the updated eDelivery AS4 2.0 and SMP 2.0 specifications, building on the 2023 working drafts for the AS4 2.0 and SMP 2.0 versions:

• Updated eDelivery AS4 2.0 draft specification

• Updated eDelivery SMP 2.0 draft specification

The profiles have not only been updated based on public feedback, but also based on internal progress. During the process it was necessary to update the BDXL profile too, a draft is available hereIn direct response to feedback received during the consultation process, the eDelivery team introduced significant updates to the eDelivery BDXL profile and introduced the draft of the profile version 2.0:

• eDelivery BDXL 2.0 draft specification 

Adoption in 2024

To foster inclusivity and address any potential concerns on the draft of the latest profiles, we will invite you to participate in a public consultation on these updates soon - look out for the news! The final publication of the change will conclude the Specification Change Process and is expected soon after the second consultation. 

We recommend that EC colleagues operating or preparing eDelivery-based ecosystems as well as eDelivery solution providers plan their adoption of the new specifications starting from now. Read about how eDelivery will support the adoption of these updated profiles. Exciting events, inclusive meetings and an interoperability event are on the horizon as we take a step into the future with eDelivery in 2024.

The eDelivery Building Block  

eDelivery is a building block that provides technical specifications and standards, installable software and ancillary services to allow projects to create a network of nodes for secure digital data exchange.