A posting from Ian Jones (Chair, OASIS ebXML Messaging Services TC) announced that the latest ebXML Message Service Specification Version 2.0 has been approved, and that the technical committee has voted to submit the specification for approval as an OASIS standard. The ebXML Message Service (ebMS) "defines the message enveloping and header document schema used to transfer ebXML messages over a communications protocol such as HTTP or SMTP and the behavior of software sending and receiving ebXML messages. The ebMS is defined as a set of layered extensions to the base 'Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)' and 'SOAP Messages with Attachments' specifications. It provides the message packaging, routing and transport facilities for the ebXML infrastructure. The specification document provides security and reliability features necessary to support international electronic business. These security and reliability features are not provided in the SOAP or SOAP with Attachments specifications. The ebMS is a closely coordinated definition for an ebXML message service handler (MSH)." Implementations of Version 2.0 of the specification have been reported by bTrade Inc., Cyclone Commerce, Sybase, IONA Technologies, Sterling Commerce, Fujitsu, and zenAptix.

From the scope statement: "The ebXML Message Service (ebMS) defines the message enveloping and header document schema used to transfer ebXML messages over a communications protocol such as HTTP or SMTP and the behavior of software sending and receiving ebXML messages. The ebMS is defined as a set of layered extensions to the base 'Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)' and 'SOAP Messages with Attachments' specifications. This document provides security and reliability features necessary to support international electronic business. These security and reliability features are not provided in the SOAP or SOAP with Attachments specifications. The ebXML infrastructure is composed of several independent, but related, components. Specifications for the individual components are fashioned as stand-alone documents. The specifications are totally self-contained; nevertheless, design decisions within one document can and do impact the other documents. Considering this, the ebMS is a closely coordinated definition for an ebXML message service handler (MSH). The ebMS provides the message packaging, routing and transport facilities for the ebXML infrastructure. The ebMS is not defined as a physical component, but rather as an abstraction of a process. An implementation of this specification could be delivered as a wholly independent software application or an integrated component of some larger business process."

From the Introduction:

This specification focuses on defining a communications-protocol neutral method for exchanging electronic business messages. It defines specific enveloping constructs supporting reliable, secure delivery of business information. Furthermore, the specification defines a flexible enveloping technique, permitting messages to contain payloads of any format type. This versatility ensures legacy electronic business systems employing traditional syntaxes (i.e., UN/EDIFACT, ASC X12, or HL7) can leverage the advantages of the ebXML infrastructure along with users of emerging technologies.

This specification defines the ebXML Message Service Protocol enabling the secure and reliable exchange of messages between two parties. It includes descriptions of: (1) the ebXML Message structure used to package payload data for transport between parties, and (2) the behavior of the Message Service Handler sending and receiving those messages over a data communications protocol. This specification is independent of both the payload and the communications protocol used. Appendices to this specification describe how to use this specification with HTTP (RFC2616) and SMTP (RFC2821).

Document overview: "This specification is organized around the following topics: [A] Core Functionality: (1) Packaging Specification: A description of how to package an ebXML Message and its associated parts into a form that can be sent using a communications protocol such as HTTP or SMTP (section 2.1); (2) ebXML SOAP Envelope Extensions: A specification of the structure and composition of the information necessary for an ebXML Message Service to generate or process an ebXML Message (section 2.3), (3) Error Handling: A description of how one ebXML Message Service reports errors it detects to another ebXML Message Service Handler (section 4.2), (4) Security: Provides a specification of the security semantics for ebXML Messages (section 4.1), (5) SyncReply: Indicates to the Next MSH whether or not replies are to be returned synchronously (section 4.3). [B] Additional Features: (1) Reliable Messaging: The Reliable Messaging function defines an interoperable protocol where any two Message Service implementations can reliably exchange messages sent using once-and-only-once delivery semantics (section 6), (2) Message Status Service: A description of services enabling one service to discover the status of another Message Service Handler (MSH) or an individual message (section 7 and 8), (3) Message Order: The Order of message receipt by the To Party MSH can be guaranteed (section 9), (4) Multi-Hop: Messages may be sent through intermediary MSH nodes (section 10). [C] Appendices to this specification cover the following: (1) Appendix A Schema: This normative appendix contains XML schema definition (W3C XMLSchema) for the ebXML SOAP Header and Body Extensions; (2) Appendix B Communications Protocol Envelope Mappings: This normative appendix describes how to transport ebXML Message Service compliant messages over HTTP and SMTP; (3) Appendix C Security Profiles: a discussion concerning Security Service Profiles.

Bibliographic information: Message Service Specification Version 2.0 rev C 2. By: OASIS ebXML Messaging Services Technical Committee. 21 February 2002. 70 pages. Version URL: http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/ebxml-msg/documents/ebMS_v2_0rev_c.pdf. Previous version URL: http://www.ebxml.org/specs/ebMS.doc.