eSTELops - Inveracnet.invera.com/estelplan/manuals/eSTELops/eSTELops-MD.pdf · Control Number’ (SCN) that provides the correct sequence in which to process transmissions as they

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eSTELPLAN

eSTELops

Release 4.0a

February 15, 2016

Copyright 2016 Invera Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Invera Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Invera) has prepared this document for use by its personnel, licensees and

customers. The information contained herein is the property of Invera and shall not be reproduced in whole or in

part without prior written approval from Invera.

Invera reserves the right to make changes in specifications and other information contained in this document without

prior notice, and the reader should in all cases consult Invera to determine whether any such changes have been

made.

The terms and conditions governing the licensing of Invera software consist solely of those set forth in the

written contracts between Invera and its customers. No representation or other affirmation of fact contained

in this document, including but not limited to statements regarding capacity, response-time performance,

suitability for use, or performance of products described herein shall be deemed to be a warranty by Invera

for any purpose or give rise to any liability of Invera whatsoever.

eSTELPLAN is a Trademark of Invera Inc.

Web: www.invera.com

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (514) 935-3535

Fax: (514) 935-3850

Invera Corp. 6125 Luther Lane, #425

Dallas, TX 75225

U.S.A.

Invera Inc. 4333 St. Catherine Street West,

Westmount, Quebec H3Z 1P9

Canada

Table of Contents

1. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................ 1 OPS HISTORY ......................................................................................................................................... 1 COMPORD STANDARDS ...................................................................................................................... 1 X12 STANDARDS ................................................................................................................................... 3 SUPPORTED TRANSACTIONS............................................................................................................. 4

2. eSTELops SOFTWARE INSTALLATION ......................................................................................... 5 SIO CONFIGURATION........................................................................................................................... 5 eSTELops BRANCH DUNS NUMBER (OPABRD)............................................................................... 5 TOLL CUSTOMER RECORDS (TPATCS) ............................................................................................ 6 OPS NETWORK ID (OPANID) ............................................................................................................... 8 OPS NETWORK ASSIGNMENTS (OPANAS) ...................................................................................... 9 TOLL CUSTOMER SHIP-TO INFORMATION (TPATSH) ................................................................ 10 TOLL CUSTOMER OR SHIP-TO RULES (TPACSR/TPATSR) ......................................................... 11 eSTELPLAN vs. OPS DAMAGE CODES (TPACCX) ......................................................................... 12

3. COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION .............................................................. 13 OPS VIA GLOBAL EXCHANGE SERVICES (OPS_GXS) ................................................................ 13 OPS VIA GENERIC FTP (OPS_FTP) ................................................................................................... 15 NETWORK CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................................................... 16

How does a VPN connection work? .................................................................................................... 16 Establishing VPN Properties ............................................................................................................... 16

AIX CONFIGURATION ........................................................................................................................ 17 .netrc File ............................................................................................................................................. 17 OPS Working Area Structure .............................................................................................................. 17 OPS Batch Queues .............................................................................................................................. 18 OPS CRON Jobs .................................................................................................................................. 18

OPS Queue Timer Utility (ops_qtime) ............................................................................................ 18 OPS Cleanup Tool (ops_clean) ........................................................................................................ 18

4. eSTELops MONITORING TOOLS ................................................................................................... 19 eSTELops SERVER STATUS (OPS_STATUS) ................................................................................... 19 eSTELops ACTIVITY MONITOR (MFX OPTMON) .......................................................................... 20 eSTELops EXPLODER TOOL (OPS_EXPLODE) ............................................................................... 23 VIEW OPS COMMUNICATION LOGS (OPS_LOG_VIEW) ............................................................. 25 RENAME OUTBOUND OPS JOBS (OPS_REN) ................................................................................. 26 eSTELops TEST TRANSMISSION TOOL (OPS_TESTER) ................................................................ 27 OPS STARTUP/SHUTDOWN (OPS_UP/OPS_DOWN) ...................................................................... 27

5. eSTELops APPLICATION FUNCTIONS ......................................................................................... 29 TOLL RECEIVING ................................................................................................................................ 29

Advance Shipping Notification (ASN) ................................................................................................ 29 Shipment and Carrier Information (Header Level) ............................................................................. 29 Customer Tag Number (Tag Level) .................................................................................................... 30 Pending ASNs ..................................................................................................................................... 30 ASN Cleanup ....................................................................................................................................... 31 Material Receipt Acknowledgement ................................................................................................... 32

Table of Contents Page ii

HOLD/RELEASE REAPPLICATION ................................................................................................... 33 Received from Producer via OPS and Applied Automatically ............................................................ 33 Manually Initiated ................................................................................................................................ 33 Automatic Generation of Re-Apps ...................................................................................................... 33

Inventory Processing (IP) and eSTELtoll Production ...................................................................... 33 Bill of Lading ................................................................................................................................... 33

User Menu Options – Restricting Access to Re-Apps ......................................................................... 33 Hold/Release Function ......................................................................................................................... 34 Re-Application Function ...................................................................................................................... 34

INVENTORY PROCESSING (IP) AND eSTELtoll PRODUCTION ................................................... 36 Production/Build-Up ............................................................................................................................ 36

Process Codes ................................................................................................................................... 36 Material Status ................................................................................................................................. 37 Fault Codes....................................................................................................................................... 37 Damage Codes ................................................................................................................................. 37

Re-Application ..................................................................................................................................... 37 BILL OF LADING .................................................................................................................................. 38

Nature of Shipment .......................................................................................................................... 38 Transport Mode ................................................................................................................................ 38 Transport Charge .............................................................................................................................. 39 SCAC Code ...................................................................................................................................... 39

INVENTORY HANDOFF GENERATION ........................................................................................... 40 TAG OWNERSHIP TRANSFER ........................................................................................................... 42

Transport Mode ................................................................................................................................ 43 Transport Charge .............................................................................................................................. 43 SCAC Code ...................................................................................................................................... 43

TEST RESULTS REPORTING .............................................................................................................. 44 Entering Test Results ........................................................................................................................... 44

Update Action Bar Option................................................................................................................ 46 OPS Administrative Message Window ............................................................................................ 46 Canceling Test Result Entry ............................................................................................................. 46

Changing Test Results ......................................................................................................................... 47 Deleting a Test Result .......................................................................................................................... 47 Viewing Test Results ........................................................................................................................... 48 Purging Test Results ............................................................................................................................ 48 OPS Monitor – Test Results ................................................................................................................ 48

RESEND OUTBOUND TRANSMISSION ............................................................................................ 49 eSTELops INSERTION GATEWAYS ................................................................................................... 51

Advance Shipping Notice Insertion Gateway (opnasn) ....................................................................... 51 File Definition: opiash ......................................................................................................................... 52 File Definition: opiasd ......................................................................................................................... 53 File Definition: iniaht........................................................................................................................... 54 Hold/Release Insertion Gateway (tpnhld) ............................................................................................ 55 File Definition: tpihld .......................................................................................................................... 55 Re-Application Insertion Gateway (tpnrap) ......................................................................................... 56 File Definition: tpirap .......................................................................................................................... 56

eSTELops CODES TABLE MAINTENANCE (opacds) ....................................................................... 58

6. OPS TROUBLESHOOTING ............................................................................................................... 59 NO OPS DATA HAS COME IN OR GONE OUT FOR SEVERAL HOURS ...................................... 60 OPS WON’T START OR DOES NOT SEEM TO STAY RUNNING .................................................. 61 TRADING PARTNER CALLED TO REPORT A MISSING TRANSACTION .................................. 62 WE SEE MESSAGES: OPS NETWORK [XXXXX] IS DOWN........................................................... 63

Testing the Network............................................................................................................................. 63

Table of Contents Page iii

Restarting the OPS Network................................................................................................................ 64 DATA IS MISSING FROM THE TRANSACTIONS ........................................................................... 65

Trading partner did not supply the information ................................................................................... 65 VAN did not translate the data properly .............................................................................................. 65 Outbound transactions missing info .................................................................................................... 65

TRADING PARTNER REPORTS OLD DATA RECEIVED ............................................................... 66 THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF BATCH JOBS IN THE OPS QUEUE................................................. 67 ASNS ARE ON MY REPORT BUT ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A TOLL CUSTOMER ......... 67 ALL MY TRANSMISSIONS ARE SHOWING DUPLICATE SCN RECEIVED ............................... 68 I WANT TO SET UP A NEW TRADING PARTNERSHIP ................................................................. 68

APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................................ 69 FLOW DIAGRAMS ............................................................................................................................... 69 eSTELPLAN – INBOUND PROCESSING ........................................................................................... 70 eSTELPLAN – OUTBOUND PROCESSING ....................................................................................... 71 ASN PROCESSING ............................................................................................................................... 72

APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................................ 73 PIO SETTINGS ...................................................................................................................................... 73 OPS ACTIVITY LOG CLEANUP (OPCOLG) ..................................................................................... 73 OPS SENDER CONTROL NUMBER EXPIRY (OPCXCL) ................................................................ 73 OPS CONTROLLER (OPTCTL) ........................................................................................................... 73 TOLL RECEIVING – COIL LENGTH (TPPRCG) ............................................................................... 74

APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................................ 75 AISI TABLES AND CHARTS ............................................................................................................... 75 TABLEe 26: MODE OF TRANSPORTATION CODES ...................................................................... 75 TABLE 59: TRANSPORTATION CHARGE CODES .......................................................................... 76 TABLE 63: NATURE OF SHIPMENT CODES.................................................................................... 76 TABLE 66: PROCESS CODES ............................................................................................................. 77 TABLE 67: MATERIAL CLASSIFICATION ....................................................................................... 78 TABLE 70: MATERIAL STATUS CODES .......................................................................................... 79 TABLE 71: SCAC CODES (SAMPLE) ................................................................................................. 80 TABLE 72: FAULT CODES .................................................................................................................. 81 TABLE 73: DAMAGE CODES ............................................................................................................. 82

APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................................................ 85 OPS ACTIVITY MONITOR MESSAGES ............................................................................................ 85 OPS APPLICATION EXPECTED MESSAGES ................................................................................... 85 OPS APPLICATION ERROR MESSAGES .......................................................................................... 87

Both 04, 05 elements received together ............................................................................................... 87 Branch record does not exist or is inactive for XXX ........................................................................... 87 Damage Code XXX not found in xref ................................................................................................. 87 Duplicate material shipment transaction ............................................................................................. 87 Duplicate material tag for Producer ..................................................................................................... 87 Duplicate Sender Ctrl No. ................................................................................................................... 88 Fault code XX not found in xref .......................................................................................................... 88 File does not end with 99 element ....................................................................................................... 88 HELLO & GOODBYE elements mismatched .................................................................................... 88 High Order in use (element 20) ........................................................................................................... 88 Hold/Release for tag # 9999999999, rejected ...................................................................................... 88 Invalid Customer Order item tag# 999999999999 .............................................................................. 88 Invalid Element count in 20 ................................................................................................................. 89 Invalid element count in transaction .................................................................................................... 89 Invalid Field ID .................................................................................................................................... 89 Invalid Inbound Transaction Type ...................................................................................................... 89 Invalid Matl Status, transaction ignored .............................................................................................. 89

Table of Contents Page iv

Invalid Order No format for tag# 999999999999 ................................................................................ 89 Invalid P.O. format for tag# 999999999999 ........................................................................................ 89 Invalid Release No format for tag# 999999999999 ............................................................................. 90 Invalid Transaction count in 20 ........................................................................................................... 90 Invalid Transport mode ........................................................................................................................ 90 Missing mandatory elements in transaction ......................................................................................... 90 Sender Ctrl No. is out of sequence ...................................................................................................... 90 Shipment info not on file, transaction ignored ..................................................................................... 90 Tag ref not on file for transaction ........................................................................................................ 90 Tag is not on HOLD, transaction ignored ............................................................................................ 91 Tag is already HOLD, transaction ignored .......................................................................................... 91 Tag already processed, transaction ignored ......................................................................................... 91 Invalid Matl Status, transaction ignored .............................................................................................. 91 Tag already processed, transaction ignored ......................................................................................... 91 Tag already reserved, transaction ignored ........................................................................................... 91 Tag ref not on file for transaction ........................................................................................................ 91 Trading Partner not authorized ............................................................................................................ 91 Unrecognizable Receiver DUNS number ............................................................................................ 92 Unsupported elements in chemical elements ....................................................................................... 92 Unsupported elements in transaction ................................................................................................... 92

OPS COMMUNICATIONS MESSAGES .............................................................................................. 93 Configuration File – Invalid Field Contents ........................................................................................ 93 Configuration File Missing or Inaccessible ......................................................................................... 93 FTP – Invalid Network Login .............................................................................................................. 93 FTP – Missing Entry in Network Login File (.netrc) .......................................................................... 93 Invalid Qbatch Name ........................................................................................................................... 94 No Details Defined in Configuration File for Trading Partner ............................................................ 94 No Files to Receive/Receive Complete ............................................................................................... 94 OPS – Controller UP/DOWN .............................................................................................................. 94 OPS Network is DOWN. Please contact your System Manager ........................................................ 94 OPS Queued Job Exceeded Timeout Limit ......................................................................................... 95 Send Complete/Resend Complete........................................................................................................ 95 Send or Resend Failure (opx) .............................................................................................................. 95 Timecycle – Receive cannot be zero ................................................................................................... 95 Timecycle – Send cannot be zero ........................................................................................................ 95

APPENDIX E ............................................................................................................................................ 97 AISI OPS ELEMENTS & FIELDS CHART .......................................................................................... 97 ELEMENT NUMBER ............................................................................................................................ 97 ELEMENT STRUCTURE ...................................................................................................................... 97 OPS ELEMENT FIELD CHART ........................................................................................................... 98

APPENDIX F........................................................................................................................................... 103 GLOSSARY .......................................................................................................................................... 103

Index ......................................................................................................................................................... 107

eSTELops – 4.0a eSTELPLAN Licensed Material, February 15, 2016 Integrated Systems for the Metal Industry

1. OVERVIEW

OPS HISTORY

In the early 1980’s, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) developed a common standard data

format and supporting file structure known as COMPORD to facilitate EDI communications among steel

producers, customers and outside processors/storage facilities.

Although the COMPORD standard has been replaced by many larger companies and mills with the more

modern and less rigid X12 standard for EDI communications, the older COMPORD standard is still in

use today by many smaller metal industry service centers.

COMPORD STANDARDS

The structure of the COMPORD standard is simple. Each line is 80-columns wide. The lines start with a

special two-digit code (called an element) that indicate its purpose. Every line is numbered sequentially.

The remainder of the lines vary depending on their purpose.

It is important to understand the difference between a transaction and a transmission. A transaction is a

series of lines (known as elements) that make up one process that was done to trading partner material. A

transaction could be sending an advance shipping notice, acknowledging receipt of the material, doing

production or tests on the material, or reporting the inventory that is on hand.

200001H00515919981009411100010013052209082918807 000

020002900000000051591994038161 81009411100110829

010003 901EGMSR444 132288866

010004 677E15834461D 15834461D

430005052209005159199810094111Burnham Trucking 406 1BUHT 0829

41000600003563000000F454310 30001035630 0000

0500070001000591D0578549D 0000000000000000 0000000 000306512000035630

540008857-40743 918450 4038161 102008 01052209 000000

530009 10712-E1

8700101 003412024

450011918450 1C01 MN0174 P01 S004SI029 CR0002 AL004

450012918450 2N0036 B0001TI0002

990013G00515919981009411118807

Sample OPS/COMPORD Transaction

1. Overview Page 2


Here is a short example of the OPS elements break down within a normal COMPORD transmission,

using information from the previous screen:

The first two digits of each line indicate the element number. Each element has a meaning in the

COMPORD standards.

Every line has its own unique sequence number in columns 2-5. The numbers start at ‘0001’ and

increment up until there are no more lines (max: 9999). In this manner, the OPS system is able to

determine if a transmission was received in a corrupted state, or with lines missing within a

transaction.

Each transmission starts with a Hello (20) element and ends with a Goodbye (99) element. These two

elements also contain the nine-digit DUNS numbers indicating both the sender (005159199) and the

receiver (810094111), and a unique five-digit sequence number (18807) known as the ‘Sender

Control Number’ (SCN) that provides the correct sequence in which to process transmissions as they

arrive.

Each transaction within a transmission starts with a customer information (02) element. There can be

one or more transactions in each transmission. The customer info (02) element will contain a two-

digit code that indicates the type of transaction. In this example, the ‘90’ in Element 02 represents an

Advance Shipping Notice. The DUNS numbers for processor and producer are also present in this

line.

The remaining elements that appear will depend on the type of transaction. In our example, we have

freeform elements (01), how the material was shipped (43), the load information (41), material

dimensions (05), material identification details (54, 53), miscellaneous data (87), and chemistry

information (45).

In the example, we have only one transaction that makes up the transmission. We know this because

there is only one customer element (02) between the hello (20) and goodbye (99) element. Element

20 also indicates how many transactions to expect, listed as ‘0001’ right after the second DUNS

number.

Additional data verification checks are built into the OPS. Element 20 contains a field which

indicates exactly how many lines (0013) exist in the transmission. Element 02 contains a field that

indicates how many lines (0011) make up the current transaction.

The major benefits that the Outside Processor System (OPS) offers is that it reduces clerical work when

receiving or sending material, reduces errors introduced through duplication of information processing,

and provides real time updates to the trading partner of shipped materials and stages of production.

1. Overview Page 3


X12 STANDARDS

Because of its flexibility, the X12 standard has become an accepted standard by many industries,

including the metal industry. This flexibility is also one of its drawbacks, as software developers often

have to create unique mapping files for each trading partner, in order to determine what information is in

what field, as each company decides to implement the standard slightly differently.

ISA~00~ ~00~ ~ZZ~070299268 ~ZZ~ST7 ~090311~0849~U~00200~000000725~0~P~<?

GS~RC~070299268~ST7~20090311~0849~725~X~004010?

ST~861~0001?

BRA~0012600020001~20090311~00~1~0849?

DTM*050*20090311*0846?

N1~MF~STEEL TECH OTTAWA~1~121330323?

N1~SF~OPP~1~126781553?

N1~OU~OPP~1~070299268?

RCD~~1~CX?

LIN******HN*121614*SN*925905*PO*12096?

PID~S~MAC~ST~01~~~67?

PID~S~MA~ST~7~~~70?

REF~SE~25441?

REF~RV~25441?

MEA~WT~WT~45700~24?

MEA~WT~WT~45700~01?

MEA~PD~TH~0.092~ED?

MEA~PD~WD~46.3~ED?

MEA~PD~LN~3156~LF?

CTT~2?

SE~52~0001?

GE~1~725?

IEA~1~000000725?

Sample of EDI X12 Standards

Invera had its own EDI product (called eSTEL/EDI) which was discontinued because of its reliance on

Third-Party software and a constant need to update maps for each new trading partner. Invera now

provides EDI services exclusively in the older COMPORD standard. We rely on Third-Party vendors

such as Acclimate, GXS, and OpenTrac to provide EDI translation services (from COMPORD to X12,

and vice-versa) so that customers can communicate with their trading partners who ONLY accept X12

transactions.

1. Overview Page 4


SUPPORTED TRANSACTIONS

eSTELops is Invera’s implementation of various AISI OPS transactions. eSTELops is integrated with the

Toll processing functions that are available in the eSTELtoll module.

Invera’s eSTELops software offers support for the following transactions:

INBOUND COMPORD

Type

X12 Equivalent Description Invera Program

80 *998 Material Transfer Cancellation opx80

90 856 Material Transfer (ASN) opx90

94 864 Text Message opx94

96 870 Hold/Release Material opx96

97 867 Material Re-Application opx97

Inbound transactions are generated by files that are received from the trading partners (directly or

indirectly via a value-added network).

OUTBOUND COMPORD Type X12 Equivalent Description Invera Program

78 *870 Re-Application Acknowledgement opb78

89 846 Inventory Handoff / Material Status opb89

90 856 Material Transfer (ASN) opb90

91 861 Material Receipt Acknowledgement opb91

92 870 Production Reporting opb92

96 870 Hold/Release Material opb96

97 867 Material Re-Application opb97

98 863 Test Results opb98

*NOTE: In the charts above, there are no direct X12 equivalents for the specified COMPORD transactions. What is indicated

is the most similar X12 equivalent.

Outbound transactions are files that are generated by Invera’s software. Transactions may be

automatically triggered when certain conditions are met, such as receiving new material, processing of a

trading partner’s material, putting material on hold for inspection, or shipping material back to a toll

customer.


2. eSTELops SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

SIO CONFIGURATION

In order for eSTELops to function properly, you must have the eSTELops and the eSTELtoll modules

activated and licensed. This must be set up and authorized by an Invera application analyst.

eSTELops BRANCH DUNS NUMBER (OPABRD)

The Dunn & Bradstreet number that is to be used internally to identify the eSTELPLAN company to the

trading partners must be defined in the Toll Reference files. This is done by adding a record into the OPS

Branch/DUNS Cross-Reference table.

Each branch must have its own unique DUNS number so that it can be identified which location is

shipping, receiving, or doing production on the material.

Branch/Duns number xref

Accessing By Branch

1. Branch.............. PHI

2. DUNS number ......... 1234567

3. Usage status ....... A

Item No :

1-Alter 2-Copy

Sample Branch DUNS Number

2. eSTELops Software Installation Page 6


TOLL CUSTOMER RECORDS (TPATCS)

In order to indicate that a specific toll customer will be sending or receiving OPS data as a trading partner,

the appropriate fields in the Toll Customer reference file must be configured. The fields that affect OPS

data generation are the company DUNS number (Field 2), the transmission DUNS number (Field 3), and

the OPS Trading Partner (Field 30).

Toll Customer

Accessing By DUNS Number

1. Customer Number..... 1801 US STEEL - MIDWEST

2. DUNS Number.......... 5447891

3. Transmission DUNS No. 2028801

4. Scheduling Contact.. John Smith

5. Telephone Number.... 219-555-5278

6. Fax Number.......... 219-555-5901

7. QC Contact.......... Jane Doe


9. Fax Number.......... 219-555-5901

10. Traffic Contact..... Jane Doe


12. Fax Number..........

13. Processing Contact.. John Smith


Item No :

1-Alter 2-Copy

Sample Toll Customer Record (Screen 1)

In field 2, the DUNS number is the number that defines the actual location. This value will end up in the

customer info (02) element.

In field 3, the Transmission DUNS number defines a central location through which the company may

want all EDI transactions to be funneled. This field will end up in the Hello (20) and Goodbye (99)

elements.



Toll Customer

Accessing By Customer No

1. Customer Number..... 1000 ARCELOR MITTAL - BURNS HARBOR

15. Fax Number.......... 219-555-4699

16. Billing Type........ S

17. Monthly Scrap Credit Y

18. Separate Frt Bill... N

19. Company Name on Tag. ARCELOR MITTAL USA INC.

20. Company Name on B/L. ARCELOR MITTAL USA INC.

21. Mill................ MIT

22. Billing wgt. basis.. N

23. Tag Prefix.......... B

24. Prt Chem on Receiver Y

25. Inside Salesperson.. JD

26. Outside Salesperson. JD

27. TMM Report Grouping.

28. Scrap Usage Code.... V

29. Receiving Coil Wgt.. B

30. OPS Trading Partner. Y

31. TMW Code............ 0

Item No :

1-Alter 2-Copy

Sample Toll Customer Record (Shift F5)

In field 30, the OPS Trading Partner toggle must be set to ‘Y’ (prior to any transactions being created) to

indicate that we should treat this toll customer account as a valid trading partner. If this is not on,

transactions will not be generated.



OPS NETWORK ID (OPANID)

Every setup used to send OPS transmissions from the eSTELops customer server to the trading partner is

referred to as a network. Networks in past versions of eSTELops involved using a dial-up modem to

phone a value-added network (Sterling Commerce, GEISCO, etc.). The trading partner and the

eSTELops customer would each pick up transmissions addressed to them (using the DUNS number) or

drop off new transmissions for their respective partners.

In more recent times, dial-up modems have been discontinued and replaced with the more reliable FTP

transfers via TCP/IP networks and VPN tunnels. Networking specialists are involved to negotiate and

establish agreed-upon protocols and security levels, and the data is transferred to and from the value-

added networks (VANs for short) or directly to a trading partner.

OPS Networks must be defined in the eSTELops reference tables. Each network is designed to provide

details on how often data is transferred, which queue will be used, and what communication script will be

executed to actually send or receive the data.

Many of the fields (6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14) in the OPS Network record are now either unused or obsolete.

Network Identification

1. Network ID.......... ACCLFTP

2. Description......... FTP via Acclimate

3. Timecycle- Send..... 5

4. Timecycle- Receive.. 30

5. Qbatch Name......... queuea

6. TTY Port............

7. Network Connect ID..

8. Network Signon ID...

9. Opennet Region...... ALL

10. Unix Host ID........

11. Last Time Executed.. 1515

12. Script-to-Call...... ops_ftp

13. Transmission Tel No.

14. Kleinschmdt Hd Trlr. N

15. Usage Status........ A

Item No :

1-Alter 2-Copy

Sample OPS Network for Acclimate Technologies VAN



OPS NETWORK ASSIGNMENTS (OPANAS)

Each Toll Customer account must be configured to use a specific OPS Network. To accomplish this, the

OPS Network Assignment table keeps track of which DUNS number is assigned to which network.

Field 4 (Trigger) is an obsolete field that is no longer used.

Network Assignment

Accessing By Branch/Trans DUNS No

1. Branch.............. PHI


3. Network ID.......... ACCLFTP

4. Trigger............. N


Item No :

1-Alter 2-Copy

Sample OPS Network Assignment – US STEEL to Acclimate



TOLL CUSTOMER SHIP-TO INFORMATION (TPATSH)

The toll customers that are doing business with an eSTELPLAN company may have more than one

location, or may want the material to be shipped directly to their customer's location. In order to do this,

the trading partner must have a DUNS number listed in the ship-to (field 3) that will be picked up by the

eSTELops software.

Toll Ship-To

Accessing By Customer/Ship-To

1. Customer Number..... 1010 ARCELOR MITTAL BURNS HARBOR LLC

2. Ship-To Number...... 121 CHRYSLER CORP

3. DUNS Number.......... 72782683

4. Look-Up Name........ CHRYSLER

5. End User Number.....


7. Scheduling Contact..

8. Telephone Number....

9. Fax Number..........

10. QC Contact..........


12. Fax Number..........

13. Traffic Contact.....


Item No :

1-Alter 2-Copy

Sample: Mittal’s material, shipped direct to Chrysler



TOLL CUSTOMER OR SHIP-TO RULES (TPACSR/TPATSR)

Although the COMPORD standard was designed to be very rigid and fields are not supposed to be

altered, some companies have insisted on changing the way certain element lines work, or what data is

stored in what field. Toll customer rules are designed to override the default way the OPS transactions

are supposed to be formed.

For example, US Steel may insist that the Master Reference number for material be sent to them starting

in a different column than where the AISI OPS standards indicate it should be. Or perhaps a mill wants

the Toll Processor ID tag listed in the Material Identification element.

These minor differences and ‘unique setups’ are handled by rules that are designed to apply to a specific

customer or ship-to address only. It allows a transaction to look correct for each customer, and allows

eSTELops to figure out data coming in that may not be where we expect it to be.

Toll Rules Lookup

Rule Description

TMWOPS TMW Wgt computation as per TMW Code and factor as per AISI

TPCFT Transmit process code from tag for inventory deletions.

TPSCNM Toll Customer Company Name

USS US Steel shipment item handling

USS2 Extra zero added to Customer Order Item No in Order Entry.

USS96 Send Fault/Condition codes with OPS Hold/Release transmissio

USSALL US Steel rule for All Steel

USSBL B/l Ref # and Master Ref # swap positions in the 41 element

VETAST Verify Tag is not on hold when Bill Of Lading is Updated

WHLG Customer Shipment Reference Number is 8 digits.

1-Search

Toll Rules Look-up – Sample List

For a complete listing of Customer Rules, please see the eSTELtoll Reference manual.



eSTELPLAN vs. OPS DAMAGE CODES (TPACCX)

In the AISI published OPS manual, Table 73 was defined that lists all the valid ‘Damage Codes’. These

three-digit numeric codes are used universally by the industry so that each company that receives a

damage code knows exactly what is wrong with the material. Here is a brief example of a few of the

codes:

CODE DESCRIPTION

121 Rust on the edge of the material

122 Rusty patch on the material

379 Stain due to wet storage

451 Pickle Line processing marks

eSTELPLAN has its own list of damage codes (called ‘Condition Codes’) that use a three-digit string of

characters. The characters are generally more meaningful than a number, especially for employees who

are dealing with day-to-day issues in production, receiving, and shipping. Some examples of Condition

Codes in eSTELPLAN are:

CONDITION

CODE

DAMAGE

CODE

DESCRIPTION

ANL 184 Annealing Stain

BM 188 Band Mark

BUR 149 Burrs

DEN 104 Dents in the Material

Invera provides a program known as the Toll Condition Code Cross-Reference, which allows the toll

processing manager to associate a specific globally-recognized damage code with the condition codes that

are used internally by eSTELPLAN.

The most commonly used codes already have a relationship, as Invera supplies an updated reference table

during every eSTELPLAN upgrade. If a code relationship is missing, it can be added manually by the

Processing Customer through an eSTELPLAN menu table.


3. COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE

CONFIGURATION

With the most recent version of eSTELPLAN, customers who are using the eSTELops module have all

converted from using a dial-up modem to communicating using a VPN connection and FTP software.

Invera currently supplies two generic scripts that perform FTP transfers:

OPS VIA GLOBAL EXCHANGE SERVICES (OPS_GXS)

Global Exchange Services is a value-added network (VAN) that has been handling EDI transactions for

many years. eSTELPLAN customers may remember them as General Electric Information Services

Company (GEISCO), and then later as AT&T Global Exchange Services.

GXS has a proprietary FTP service that connects to their MARK III outside processor system. Because

the commands that have to be issued in that system are so different than other FTP sites, a custom script

had to be developed that handles the added security on logins, and the special commands that must be

issued to download any transmissions to the toll customer mailbox.

Configuration of the GXS service is rather simple. No reference files are used by the ops_gxs script. All

information is passed to it via the OPS Network record.

3. Communications Software Configuration Page 14


Network Identification

1. Network ID.......... GXSFTP

2. Description......... FTP To GXS

3. Timecycle- Send..... 5

4. Timecycle- Receive.. 30

5. Qbatch Name......... queueg

6. TTY Port............

7. Network Connect ID..

8. Network Signon ID...

9. Opennet Region...... gxsftp1

10. Unix Host ID........

11. Last Time Executed.. 1128

12. Script-to-Call...... ops_gxs

13. Transmission Tel No.

14. Kleinschmdt Hd Trlr. N


Item No :

1-Alter 2-Copy

OPS via GXS Network



OPS VIA GENERIC FTP (OPS_FTP)

The default communications script that is used to communicate with trading partners is the ops_ftp script.

The software makes use of a reference file that is named after the OPS Network that it is using, along

with the value of PL_MODE which determines whether the script will run from a live or test

environment. For example, if the OPS Network is called WCIFTP and it is supposed to operate in the /liv

area, the reference file will be called ‘WCIFTP_liv.ini’. A sample record is shown below:

#################################################### US STEEL

002028801:ANY:abc:SEND_HOST=acclimate

002028801:ANY:abc:SEND_DIR=/Invera/CompIn

002028801:ANY:abc:SEND_TEMP=/Invera/CompIn/Temp

002028801:ANY:abc:GET_HOST=acclimate

002028801:ANY:abc:GET_DIR=/Invera/CompOut

002028801:ANY:abc:GET_FILE=opi.002028801

002028801:ANY:abc:GET_MANY=Y

Each line in the reference file consists of the trading partner DUNS number, the branch using this record,

the database directory that the record applies to, an OPS variable, and finally what the variable should be

set to.

The OPS transfer script reads the reference file to decide how communications should be handled, where

to store and/or pick up data, and what naming convention the files will be using. The chart below

explains what each variable means in the reference file.

FIELD DESCRIPTION

SEND_HOST What is the hostname for the system we are trying to FTP to?

SEND_DIR The default directory that will contain data sent out from the OPS system.

SEND_TEMP A directory that will hold any transmission files temporarily. The files will get copied to the remote host and placed here, then moved to the SEND_DIR directory once the entire file has been transferred. This design is to prevent the

trading partner from trying to pick up and process a very large transmission file (like an inventory handoff) before

the transmission is complete.

GET_HOST Name of where to pick up transmissions from. If this variable is not present, the value of SEND_HOST is used as it is assumed the location for sending and receiving should be the same.

GET_DIR What folder on the remote site should we go into to find files for pick up?

GET_FILE What is the name of the files we will try to get via FTP? This could be one or more files (see GET_MANY below)

GET_MANY If set to N, we only look for one filename (GET_FILE) on the remote site, and assume that it is a file that contains one or more transmissions. The file gets appended to by the trading partner.

If set to Y, the trading partner is using the GET_FILE name as a prefix, and the OPS script will need to pick up files that start with that name.

GET_TEST If set to N, any data files that we bring back from the VAN or trading partner will immediately be processed into the

designated environment.

If set to Y, the data files recovered are treated as test transmissions, and will not be inserted into eSTELops.

Instead, we leave the files on the system so that they can be analyzed or manually processed into an alternate

environment, such as the QC area.



NETWORK CONSIDERATIONS

In order to allow the FTP scripts to communicate out of the eSTELPLAN system, both trading partners

(the eSTELPLAN company and their toll customer) must agree upon a method for transferring data

between their systems.

When using a Value-Added Network (VAN) such as GXS, Acclimate, OpenTrac, or other service, they

will outline what is allowed. Normally, this will involve the configuration of a VPN tunnel. A VPN

connection is simply a private link between two systems. This link must be permanently up and available

for the OPS network to operate properly.

How does a VPN connection work?

Imagine if you wanted to transfer data between two companies, but it was decided to broadcast the data to

each other over a radio channel! This is the equivalent to using FTP over the internet when you have no

VPN set up. There is no encryption, and the data could be picked up by anyone who happens to be

listening in on the right ‘channel’.

Now instead of doing it by radio, you decide to use a private phone line to transfer the data. In this way,

you have now isolated the data so it goes from one point to another without everyone in the world having

access to it. This would be the equivalent to setting up a VPN tunnel.

Of course, the data is still not encrypted, so anyone who has access to the tunnel you set up between the

two companies (for example, the phone company) may still be able to get access to the data and ‘see’

what is transferred. That is where data encryption comes into play. On one end, the sender uses an

encoding algorithm to garble the message (“Ontday endsay ethay essagemay inay lainpay ordsway!”)

and an agreed-upon decoder on the other end makes sense out of the message (“Don’t send the message

in plain words!”)

Establishing VPN Properties

When it comes time to configure a VPN tunnel between the eSTELPLAN company and its trading partner

(or a VAN), the properties on that tunnel will need to be negotiated. The trading partner may insist that

you use a specific IP Security setting (e.g., IPSEC=3DES) or a particular data hash method (such as

MD5).

Regardless of what they ask for, you may be limited by the networking equipment that you have in place.

If you are configuring an older network appliance that only supports less secure methods of establishing a

VPN, there are really only two choices:

1) The trading partner must be flexible and agree to use a configuration that they may not want to use,

but are still capable of and comfortable using.

2) The trading partner will insist on certain settings, and the eSTELPLAN company will have to go out

and buy replacement networking equipment that is capable of handling the configuration that the

trading partner has requested.



AIX CONFIGURATION

From the AIX operating system point of view, in order for the eSTELops communication scripts to

operate properly, the login using the FTP must be automated, and there must be no delays in trying to

reach the other server.

.netrc File

Within the eSTELops working directory (/$PL_MODE/$PL_GROUP/ops), Invera creates a special file

known as the ‘.netrc’ file. This file automates the login process by providing a username and password

that is to be used for logging on to a specific host. Since this username/password combo is in a hidden

file and is only available for the root user to see, it is relatively secure from prying eyes.

The FTP scripts look at the .netrc file, get the username and password, log on to the trading partner FTP

site, and then proceed with getting or sending files based on the settings in the reference file or script.

OPS Working Area Structure

The OPS software expects to be able to put data files into or grab data files from the eSTELPLAN

working directory (/$PL_MODE/$PL_GROUP).

Inbound data files that have been processed are stored in the archive area

(/$PL_MODE/$PL_GROUP/ops/arc) with the ‘opi’ prefix and a date and time stamp.

Outbound data files are also stored in the archive area (/$PL_MODE/$PL_GROUP/ops/arc) and are

named ‘opx.’, followed by the trading partner DUNS number, and finally the unique sender control

number (SCN).

Communication logs for each FTP attempt are generated and stored in the OPS logging area

(/$PL_MODE/$PL_GROUP/ops/log). They are named for the OPS Network that generated them, and

are date and time stamped.



OPS Batch Queues

The eSTELops software generates a lot of batch job traffic that needs to go out in a timely manner. It is

critical that a long-running report in eSTELPLAN never cause delays in the eSTELops product.

Likewise, you never want OPS to have so much traffic that it interferes with everyday procedures such as

printing BOLs, quotes, or production jobs.

To avoid conflicts, it is recommended that special batch queues be created for the OPS traffic to use. The

naming convention for eSTELPLAN has generally been to use the first letter of the trading partner or

VAN as the queue name. The chart below shows batch queue names that have been used recently.

Queue Name Used For

queuea Acclimate FTP data (VAN)

queueg GXS FTP data (VAN)

queuew WCI direct FTP transfers

Alternatively, if the company has multiple branches but only communicates with a single VAN, it may

make more sense to isolate each company or branch into separate queues. For example, you may want to

use ‘queuec’ for Chicago and ‘queuep’ for Philadelphia.

OPS CRON Jobs

OPS Queue Timer Utility (ops_qtime)

The OPS Batch Queues are monitored by a utility from the root CRON table. Under rare conditions, if

the connection to the trading partner FTP site is lost while in the middle of a transfer, the job may get

hung in the queue. The OPS Queue Timer utility (ops_qtime) keeps track of how long a batch job is

running in the batch queue. If the job is in the queue longer than the expected window (default: 10min),

the OPS Queue Timer is responsible for aborting that job so other ones can go through.

OPS Cleanup Tool (ops_clean)

Performing an OPS data transfer every X minutes throughout a normal business day can generate quite a

few logs and work files. Both the logs and the actual data files are stored in their respective areas for only

a limited amount of time. Once considered obsolete, they are deleted from the system. How long these

files stay on the system is customizable and controlled by a cleanup routine (ops_clean) that is placed in

the AIX CRON table.


4. eSTELops MONITORING TOOLS

The eSTELops software comes with a series of tools that are designed to help the administrator when it

comes to monitoring OPS transmissions. Transaction data can sometimes be time-sensitive, and delays

can have serious consequences for some companies that rely on just-in-time operations.

A delay in transmission might affect ASN information, causing a company to have to manually enter

received material (with increased chance of error), only to have the ASN arrive a few minutes after the

material was already entered into the system.

Alternatively, some trading partners evaluate and rate the efficiency of the companies that they do

business with. A low success rate for EDI traffic, or delays in providing transaction information could

cause the company to lower your rating within their organization, and lose out on increased business or

affect contract renewals.

Invera provides the following utilities that are designed to make it easier to monitor the OPS system and

to report anomalies or problems:

In addition to the monitoring utilities, workflow messages can be sent to specified email addresses when

an OPS controller has been Stopped/Started or OPS Network is Down.

eSTELops SERVER STATUS (OPS_STATUS)

A server process (or daemon) must be active in each data directory that is using the eSTELops module.

The server is called the OPS Controller (optctl), and the Server Status tool simply reports whether the

process is active or not.

eSTELOPS Controller Status

Environment: Status: PID:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~

/em34/em34 ACTIVE 25559100

/em331/em331 ACTIVE 25559100

OPS Controllers and Status

4. eSTELops Monitoring Tools Page 20


eSTELops ACTIVITY MONITOR (MFX OPTMON)

The OPS Monitor is the hub of activity for the eSTELops module, and should be examined on a regular

basis to determine that the software is working properly.

It provides summarized updated logging information on all activities that occur in the eSTELops module.

The Monitor keeps track of eSTELPLAN activities that have generated transactions, as well as

identifying each time a communications program attempts to send out or receive data.

OPS Monitor

Date Time Pgm Nm

13 May 09 07:53 opb92

<opb92> Production Transaction for Tag No: J693084A, Process Code: 18

13 May 09 07:53 opb97

<opb97> Tag J693084A ,PO-REL 1938457 -

<opb97> Tag:J693084A , Order No:21938457 applied

13 May 09 07:55 opbexp

<opbexp> SCN# 56788 for DUN# 00-515-9199

13 May 09 07:55 ftp M

040 ftp Send Complete

13 May 09 07:56 ftpgxs M

081 ftpgxs No Files to Receive

13 May 09 07:59 opb92

<opb92> Production Transaction for Tag No: K693743A, Process Code: 05

<opb92> Production Transaction for Tag No: K693743B, Process Code: 05

13 May 09 07:59 opb97

<opb97> Tag: K693743A ,PO-REL 2683971 -

<opb97> Tag: K693743A , Order No:2689371 applied

<opb97> Tag: K693743B ,PO-REL 2674567 -

<opb97> Tag: K693743B , Order No:2674567 applied

Dt 05/13/09 Tm 00:00 Pgm Nm Type ?

Sample OPS Monitor Screen

The OPS Monitor displays messages sorted based on date and time that the OPS activity occurred. The

messages are logged usually in a set of two or more lines. The first line contains the date, time, OPS

program name or mnemonic, and possibly a letter indicating if the activity is a (M)emo or an (E)rror. The

second line provides a more informative message or a description of the material transaction.

There are four fields listed at the bottom of the OPS Monitor screen that act as filters for the activities

displayed. Activities can be searched based on the date/time that they occurred.



In the OPS Monitor, if you prefer to see only activities associated with a specific program name, enter the

name you are looking for in the third field. For example, if you are only interested in looking for ASN

information coming in from a trading partner, entering ‘opx90’ as the program name will display only

inbound ASN details, as shown in the sample screen below.

OPS Monitor

Date Time Pgm Nm

11 May 09 08:17 opx90

DUN# 00-515-9199, SCN# 18676, ASN B/L No F317421 received.

11 May 09 09:24 opx90


11 May 09 09:24 opx90


11 May 09 10:16 opx90


11 May 09 10:16 opx90


11 May 09 12:00 opx90

DUN# 00-391-3423, SCN# 21460, ASN B/L No 4727846 received.

Dt 05/10/09 Tm 10:00 Pgm Nm opx90 Type ?

Sample: OPS Monitor showing inbound ASNs



Another important feature of the filters on the OPS Monitor utility is the ability to identify errors that may

be occurring. Using the ‘Type’ field, a search may be performed of any OPS activities that produced an

error, by entering ‘E’ as the value.

In the sample screen below, the OPS Monitor detected transactions (SCN# 21460, 21461) that came in

which contained invalid data in one of the elements. Later in the same day, the system reported that three

requests to hold or release material were rejected because the material had already been processed.

OPS Monitor

Date Time Pgm Nm

11 May 09 12:00 opx90 E

*ERR* DUN# 00-391-3423, SCN# 21460

*ERR* Invalid field Id: 210 .0632

11 May 09 13:12 opx90 E

*ERR* DUN# 00-391-3423, SCN# 21461

*ERR* Invalid field Id: 210 .0317

11 May 09 16:25 opx96 E

*ERR* DUN# 00-515-9199, SCN# 18702

<opx96> Hold/Release for Tag 473-8282 , Rejected

<opx96> Tag already processed, transaction ignored

11 May 09 16:25 opx96 E

*ERR* DUN# 00-515-9199, SCN# 18703



*ERR* DUN# 00-515-9199, SCN# 18703



Dt 05/10/09 Tm 10:00 Pgm Nm Type ? E

Sample OPS Monitor showing Error type messages

Appendix D describes some of the messages that you may expect to see in the OPS Monitor, and provides

a brief description of what the messages mean.



eSTELops EXPLODER TOOL (OPS_EXPLODE)

The OPS Exploder tool may sound like a dangerous utility to run, but it is actually just a simple OPS

transaction viewing tool. It breaks down each transmission that is received or sent and allows the person

to examine each element received, and see what data has been stored in each field.

The OPS Exploder is very handy when trying to establish a new trading partnership, or when trying to

figure out why a transaction is being rejected by the eSTELops or the trading partner’s EDI system.

When starting the OPS Exploder tool, the user is prompted whether they are interested in inspecting

inbound or outbound transmissions. Once that is decided, the selected transmissions can be further

filtered to those from a specific date. Finally, a list of transmissions for the selected period are displayed,

and the user must select one of the filenames listed.

Examine (I)nbound or (O)utbound OPS data? i

Enter date (MMDD): 0513

-rw-rw-r-- 1 972 May 13 11:19 opi0513111955

-rw-rw-r-- 1 972 May 13 11:19 opi0513111950

-rw-rw-r-- 1 405 May 13 10:18 opi0513101827

-rw-rw-r-- 1 810 May 13 08:57 opi0513085739

Enter filename: opi0513085739

Reviewing inbound transactions from May 13th (0513)

Each element is broken down and displayed, one screen per element. Each field in the element is

described in the order that they appear.

The size and type of field is listed in the brackets beside the field description. A code of ‘2N’ means that

the field is two digits long and numeric only. Fields denoted with an ‘A’ are alphanumeric, and those

designated as ‘MMDDYY’ are expecting a six-digit date field.

Some fields in the AISI OPS standards are considered mandatory, others are considered optional, and still

others are conditional based on the type of material being transferred. It is up to the eSTELPLAN

customer and the trading partner to discuss which fields are available and required between them.



Where fields are not implemented or not in use (*see note below), it is recommended that the fields

adhere to the type listed. A numeric field should always be zero-filled and a date field contain zeroes or a

valid date. Not doing so can result in a rejected transaction by eSTELops when it tries to insert a non-

numeric value into a numeric field.

===============================================================================

STELops Transaction Exploder

===============================================================================

Element ID..........( 2N): 54 (Material Identification #1)

Unique Sequence No..( 4N): 0004

Steel Producer Information:

- Material ID No....(12A): 537827AJ01

- Heat Number.......(10A): 801A03611

- Ship Order No.....(22A): JJ00916512A

- Release No........( 6A):

- Ship Item No......( 4A): 01

Processor Information:

Process Code........( 2A):

- Classification....( 2A): 01

- Date...........(MMDDYY): 000000

QA Status...........( 1A):

Commercial Status...( 1A):

- Status Date....(MMDDYY): 000000

Filler..............( 1A): N

Product Indicator...( 1A):

===============================================================================

Options: ENTER=Next, (P)revious, Enter line ##, or (Q)uit

Selection:

OPS Exploder Screen: Material Identification (Element 54)

*NOTE: Invera’s implementation of eSTELops provides all of the fields that are considered mandatory and conditional, but

only some of the fields considered optional are maintained where they have proven to be required by eSTELPLAN

customers.



VIEW OPS COMMUNICATION LOGS (OPS_LOG_VIEW)

The eSTELops software sends and receives its data transmissions using communication scripts. These

scripts produce a log each time they make an attempt to connect with a trading partner system or to a

VAN. A utility was developed to allow the system manager to examine logs to determine if the software

is working properly.

When running this utility, the user is shown a list of the most recent communication logs (found in

/$PL_MODE/$PL_GROUP/ops/log) and asks the user to specify the log they would like to examine.

Selecting any log will bring the user into a viewing program, identical to the ‘View Spooled Reports’

option (Menu Q-A, Option 4).

###### ##### # ##### # # # #####

# # # # # # # # #

# # # # # # # # # #

# # ####### ##### ####### ### # #######

Initial directory: /liv/abc

FTP RECV STARTING:

Verbose mode on.

Interactive mode on.

Local directory now /liv/abc/ops/GXSFTP

250 "receive" is current directory.

200 PORT command successful.

150 Data connection open for transfer of file EPHI1968.

Sender ILOG IC Control# Sent (CST) Mfile

226 Closing data connection. Requested file action successful.

200 PORT command successful.

150 Data connection open for transfer of file EPHI1968.

Sender ILOG IC Control# Sent (CST) Mfile

226 Closing data connection. Requested file action successful.

221 Goodbye.

F5 SrchFd ShF5 SrchBk Page 1 (LAST PAGE) Go to page

Sample RECEIVE attempt for GXS FTP site



RENAME OUTBOUND OPS JOBS (OPS_REN)

At times, communication may not be possible to the remote host for the VAN or trading partner. When

this happens, an outbound transmission will make an attempt to send seven (7) times. After the seventh

attempt, messages about the network being down may be broadcast to all users, and these outbound jobs

will no longer attempt to leave the system.

After any network outage or failure, or when a message “OPS NETWORK IS DOWN” is displayed on

several terminals, make sure that the network is operational again and then run the OPS Outbound

Rename utility (located on the eSTELPLAN menu). Any outbound files will be renamed, allowing them

to be transmitted to the trading partner or VAN again.

RESET OPS TRANSMISSIONS:

Use this utility to rename the opx files whenever an OPS network has gone down.

Make sure the original reason for the failure has been addressed or you will

soon get the same error again.

Things to check:

1) Verify the OPS logs to make sure the modems are responding.

2) Clean out the batch queue if old OPS jobs are still queued.

3) Remove any obsolete lock file in /usr/spool/uucp directory.

4) Verify that the modem tty is disabled.

Proceed (Y/N)? y

There are no files to be renamed...

Sample Run: OPS Rename Utility



eSTELops TEST TRANSMISSION TOOL (OPS_TESTER)

When establishing a new OPS trading partnership, or when Invera is doing testing and does not want data

to be transmitted to a trading partner or VAN, we use the OPS Test Transmission tool. The utility

produces a small log file that simply advises the technician that a transmission would have been

produced, and what the calling program would have used as its data parameters.

This utility is normally not required for use by eSTELops customers, but is available for testing if

necessary. In the OPS Network Identification record, enter ‘ops_tester’ in field 12, referred to as the

‘Script-To-Call’.

OPS STARTUP/SHUTDOWN (OPS_UP/OPS_DOWN)

The eSTELops Server process must be started as a daemon process. Two utilities are provided for

starting and stopping the OPS processes. The eSTELops processes are started in each database area based

on entries in a reference file (/stelscope/ref/ops.dirs).

To start OPS in ALL environments:

# ops_up

To start OPS in the /liv/abc environment:

# ops_up /liv/abc

To stop OPS in ALL environments:

# ops_down

To stop OPS in the /liv/phi environment:

# ops_down /liv/phi




5. eSTELops APPLICATION FUNCTIONS

TOLL RECEIVING

Toll receiving interfaces with the eSTELops software for two transactions: Advance Shipping Notices,

and Material Receipt Acknowledgements.

Advance Shipping Notification (ASN)

The Advance Shipping Notices are transmissions from producers to processors notifying them of the

impending arrival of material for processing. In the X12 world, these are often referred to as Material

Transfer transactions (EDI 856).

ASNs arrive from the producer on OPS 90 transactions and can be canceled by the producer with an OPS

80 transaction. The information that is sent by the producer is used by Toll Receiving to minimize the

entry of information and to reduce errors by using supplier information where possible.

Product Installation Option AZE=X <opx90> determines whether or not ASN chemistry with both the

Min and Max entries equal to 0 are stored in the Mill/Heat table.

ASN information is accessible in Toll receiving through the use of a Look-Up at both the BL and the Tag

levels.

Shipment and Carrier Information (Header Level)

If the Customer is an OPS trading partner, you can access a Bill of Lading number Look-Up. If you enter

part of the field, it assists the Look-Up to display all the matching Bills of Lading that have arrived

electronically as OPS 90 transactions and waiting for receipt confirmation.

Advance Shipping Notice Header Lookup

B/L No Ship Date Routing Load Items

OD0140727 1May09 DEMPSTER TRUCKING 2

OD0140730 1May09 BRETT STEEL CARRIERS 1

OD0140731 1May09 CHAMPION 3

1-Search

ASN BL Look-Up window

5. eSTELops Application Functions Page 30


Once the appropriate shipment is selected on the ASN display screen, the information for the shipment

and carrier defaults from the ASN. You can override this if necessary. If an Administrative message

(i.e., freeform element 102) arrived with the ASN, it is displayed for the benefit of the receiving operator.

Admin Message

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Administrative Message window

Customer Tag Number (Tag Level)

Press <F9> to call the OPS Tag Look-Up displaying the tags on the Shipment.

The following screen is presented showing only the tags that are part of the specific shipment being

received. The window is sized to show a maximum of four tags at a time. The cursor is positioned at the

first ‘un-received’ tag.

B/L Number: OD0140730 11May09

Customer Tag# Heat Pcs Weight Recd

3338444 H30982 1 22,770 Y

3338445 H30982 1 22,800

Tag Look-Up

You must position the cursor on the appropriate tag to be received and press <Enter> for automatic

insertion of the ASN information. Once received, the tag on the ASN is flagged to prevent re-entry.

Pending ASNs

ASN information for established trading partners is also available on the Pending ASN Inquiry and the

Pending ASN Report. These two functions offer the ability to view any ASN information that was

received from your toll customers.

The Pending ASN Inquiry and the Pending ASN Report will display any ASNs that have been received,

for which the material itself has not arrived or not been processed yet. When material is received from a

toll customer who is an OPS trading partner, using the ASN record will allow the receiving department to

receive the coil more quickly, since there is less data to be entered.



SEVERSTAL WHEEL Pending ASN's Brh PGH

Cus DUNS 00-138-1409 Transm Dt 6Apr09 Reqd Dt 6Apr09 Sndr Ctl 286

Shp Fm DUNS 00-138-1409 Shp Dt 6Apr09 13:12 18-985-5398

Wgt Load Items 1

Vcl ID WE 314136 Transp Mode 3 Chg 3

Crr WHEELING & LAKE ( )

Admin Msg

Tag No Met Gauge Width Length Cl Lgth Pcs Wgt Cl Sts Heat No

TMW Fctr/Cd ID OD Faults

545651 N .1220N 41.8600 1892 1 28860 01 H90210

Cus No 1000 B/L No 22SW2009 Cus Tag No

1-Ord Info

Sample Pending ASN Inquiry

ASN Cleanup

This program runs as part of the End of Day procedure. In order for the cleanup of an ASN to occur,

BOTH of the following conditions must apply:

The shipping date in the ASN header file is older than 30 days.

The transport mode on the header is 4 (Customer truck), D (Processor truck) or 1 (Truck).

If neither of these conditions is met, the ASN record remains on file.

The reasoning behind this is the following:

Trucks usually deliver material within thirty days of the shipment date. If not, it is assumed that the

material is not arriving and therefore the ASN is no longer required and should be deleted.

Other transport modes (such as by railroad car) might be slower and may not deliver the material within

thirty days. Since the material could still be en route, the ASN remains untouched.

An ASN would normally only be deleted through a mill cancellation, a manual deletion by a user, or

when the material is finally received.

There is no session log produced by this utility.



Material Receipt Acknowledgement

Once the receiver has been updated, the OPS system automatically transmits an acknowledgement

(COMPORD 91) to the producer that the material has arrived. An acknowledgement will only be

displayed in the OPS Monitor. It can be located by filtering the list by program name and entering

‘opb91’.

OPS Monitor

Date Time Pgm Nm

13 May 09 10:32 opb91

<opb91> ASN Ack. for Rcvr. No.: 262191

13 May 09 12:48 opb91


13 May 09 13:21 opb91


Dt 05/13/09 Tm 00:00 Pgm Nm opb91 Type ?

Sample List of Outbound Material Acknowledgements



HOLD/RELEASE REAPPLICATION

Received from Producer via OPS and Applied Automatically

Through the OPS system, trading partners are able to send Hold, Release, or Reapplication requests to

your system. These arrive as transaction type of 96 (hold/release) or 97 (re-app). The change is made

‘behind the scenes’ automatically by the computer. The mill can change the following information for

any unprocessed tag:

Material status

Material class

Customer purchase order number

Purchase order release number

Customer order number.

Manually Initiated

Through the Hold/Release Reapplication function, you can manually make the same changes as are

available to the mill through OPS. After you have accepted your changes, an OPS 96 or 97 transaction is

sent to the trading partner to inform them of the changes that you made.

Automatic Generation of Re-Apps

There are two functions in the eSTELtoll package that automatically generate and send reapplications

through eSTELops.

Inventory Processing (IP) and eSTELtoll Production

When material is processed a reapplication (OPS 97) is generated (for each produced tag) if there is an

associated toll order containing order information (Customer PO number, Customer PO Release number,

Customer Order number) that is different from that on the parent tag. If there is no associated toll order,

no automatic reapplications are done.

Bill of Lading

When a Bill of Lading (shipment) is updated (printed), material reapplication transactions are generated

for each tag that contains Order Control Info (Cus PO No., Cus PO Rls No., Cus Order No.) that is

different from the Order Info on the Bill of Lading. These reapplication transactions are generated prior

to creating the 90 Material Transfer transaction.

User Menu Options – Restricting Access to Re-Apps

Two User Menu Options are used to separate access to the Hold/Release and Reapplication functions:



r This option is used to restrict access to the reapplication function only. When using

this option, you are able to make changes to the customer PO number, PO release

number and Customer Order number.

h Hold/Release function only. When using this option, you are given the ability to make

changes to material status and material class.

If a User Menu Option is not used, access to both functions is provided.

Hold/Release Function

The Hold/Release Reapplication function is split into two different screens.

Hold/Release - Reapplication Brh PHI

Cus No 1000

Tag No B672140C

--------- CURRENT --------- ----------- NEW -----------

Material Sts 1 2

Material Class 01 01

Comments Material held for inspection

Putting Material on Hold

On the Hold/Release screen you are able to change the material status and the material class of a tag. The

program validates the material status field against OPS table 70, and the material class against OPS table

67. (See Appendix C for AISI OPS tables)

The Comments field is not permanently stored in eSTELops but is included on the outbound OPS 96

transaction generated by the system.

Re-Application Function

The reapplication screen allows you to change the customer purchase order number, purchase order

release number, and customer order number. None of these fields are validated.

When performing a reapplication on reserved material that is for a customer account set up as an OPS



Trading Partner, the warning message “Tag Reserved, proceed with reapplication (Y/N)” is displayed.

The producer is informed of any changes made with the reapplication function through an OPS 97

transaction.

Hold/Release - Reapplication Brh PHI

Cus No 1000

Tag No B678844B

--------- CURRENT --------- ----------- NEW -----------

Cus PO No 704057A 802711B

PO Rel No

Cus Ord No 704057A -01 802711B -01

Sample Re-Application



INVENTORY PROCESSING (IP) AND eSTELtoll PRODUCTION

These two functions interface with the OPS system to report production/build-up and to report a

reapplication.

Production/Build-Up

The system generates OPS 92 transactions to report the production/build-up of material. The OPS

transmission is generated and sent when the IP job is updated.

The OPS system sends elements for all the production items including:

Finished items

Remaining material

Scrap

When generating the OPS 92 transactions for build-ups, records are generated for the consumed items as

well as the produced items.

For eSTELops sites, you can enter administrative messages at the tag level for OPS 92 if the customer is

an OPS trading partner. Some trading partners request that any fields changed be stated in administrative

messages (i.e., Weight Changed). These entries are made in a pop-up window during update, and will

appear if applicable.

OPS Administrative Message

Admin Msg

Administrative Message Pop-up

Process Codes

OPS Process Codes are based on the AISI OPS Table 66. The process code is entered on the IP Header

screen and can be overridden. The consumed items will always carry process code 29 (Charged into

Build-Up). The produced items will carry the process code from the header, such as 27 (Build-up) or 26

(Welding).

A list of commonly used process codes is available in Appendix C.



Material Status

For production, material will default with the following statuses:

Material Category Material Status

F 1 (Ready to Ship)

S, R 2 (Hold for Inspection)

W, U 7 (In Process)

A complete list of Material Status codes is available in Appendix C.

Fault Codes

Fault Codes are based on AISI OPS Table 72. The default fault code for production is ‘3’, indicating

‘Current Outside Processor’. A list of fault codes is available in Appendix C.

Damage Codes

Damage Codes are based on AISI OPS Table 73. The default fault code for production is ‘263’, which

indicates ‘Engineered Side Trim’. A list of commonly used damage codes is available in Appendix C.

Re-Application

Once the OPS 92 transaction is sent, material re-applications (OPS 97) are generated for each produced

tag if there is an associated toll order containing order information (Customer PO number, Customer PO

Release number, Customer Order number) that is different from that on the parent tag. If there is no

associated toll order, no automatic re-applications are done.

For build-ups, all items going into the build-up must carry the same order control information, if not, re-

application transactions are generated prior to generating the 92 transaction.



BILL OF LADING

The eSTELops system interfaces with the Bill of Lading function to transmit an OPS 90 transaction

(material shipment from processor) to the producer. The OPS 90 transactions are prepared and sent when

a shipping bill of lading is updated (printed).

PIO settings are available that will affect the Master Load and Combination Load shipments. For a

complete list of PIOs, see Appendix B. There are also OPS customer rules that will affect these values.

For shipments to outside processors, no OPS transactions are generated.

Material Reapplication (OPS97) transactions are generated for each tag that contains order control

information (Customer PO number, Customer PO Release number, Customer Order number) that is

different from the order information on the Bill of Lading. These reapplication transactions are generated

prior to creating the OPS 90 transaction.

Administrative messages can be entered at the header level if the customer is an OPS trading partner.

These messages are printed as well as transmitted through the OPS transaction.

To access the administrative message use the Rmks action bar. You will be presented with the following

prompt:

“Do you wish to enter OPS Administrative Message (Y/N)?”

A pop-up window will appear if you answered Y-Yes to the above prompt.


Admin Ms

Administrative Message Pop-up

Nature of Shipment

Nature of Shipment codes used for BOL transactions are based on AISI OPS table 63, listed in Appendix

C. This is a mandatory entry for eSTELops users.

Transport Mode

Transportation Mode codes are based on AISI OPS table 26, listed in Appendix C. For Master Loads,

this is defaulted from the Toll Order. If it is not a Master Load, this defaults from the Master Load

information.



Transport Charge

Transportation Charge codes are based on AISI OPS table 59, found in Appendix C. For Master Loads,

this is defaulted from the Toll Order. If it is not a Master Load, this defaults from the Master Load

information.

SCAC Code

Standard Carrier Alphabetical Code (SCAC) values are based on AISI OPS table 71, a sample of which is

listed in Appendix C. For Master Loads, this defaults from the Toll Order. If not a Master Load, this

defaults from the Master Load information.



INVENTORY HANDOFF GENERATION

The Inventory Handoff Generation allows you to send toll customers a snapshot of their inventory which

is at your location, as well as any material that has been listed as in transit to you (based on the Pending

ASNs), via a data transmission on the OPS system (COMPORD 89). In a way, it is like providing a

physical inventory report to the trading partner.

Inventory Handoff

Report Program: OPB089

1. Selection Entry No.. 614171

2. One-Time/Permanent.. [O]

3. Branch.............. [Y] PHI

4. Customer Number..... [Y] 1008 US STEEL

Item No:

1-Alter 2-Copy

Inventory Handoff Selection Entry screen

Inventory handoffs are generated for one customer at a time. When a report is generated (whether printed

or not), it immediately produces an outbound transaction (Type 89) equivalent to an Inventory Inquiry

(EDI 846).

The report generated and available in the Spooled Report Controller (Menu Q-A) confirms the

information that was sent to the trading partner. On the report, any ASNs will appear with ‘XXX’ in the

received date column.

NOTE: The Inventory Handoff accommodates only a total weight of eight digits long. If you have material for a customer

with a total weight over 99,999,999 LBs (or KGs in a metric system), the accuracy of the report will be in question.



RUN: 24Nov02 10:29 eSTELPLAN opr089000342 PAGE: 1 Inventory Handoff Group Gauge Width Length Grade Our Tag # Whs Cus Tag # Pcs B/L Wgt Rcvd Dt Ct Sts Brh: ( PHI ) eSTELPLAN PHILADELPHIA BRANCH Customer: ( 3020 ) LTV CLEVELAND PLANT 0.0350 48.0000" 77114 1 10,000 XXX U 7 CRC 0.0236 59.0551" C2 LC4 PCP 5658411 1 19,900 18Feb02 U 7 CRC 0.0299 29.0000" CQ LC2B PCP 44932018 1 17,500 23Nov02 F 1 CRC 0.0299 59.0157" C2 LC3 PCP 5195201 1 44,570 18Feb02 U 7 CRC 0.0350 72.0000" C2 LC17 PCP 6548521 1 30,275 23Jul02 U 7 CRC 0.0350 72.0000" C2 LC18 PCP 6548522 1 30,775 23Jul02 U 7 CRC 0.0350 72.0000" C2 LC19 PCP 6548523 1 30,575 23Jul02 U 7 CRC 0.0350 72.0000" C2 LC20 PCP 6548524 1 30,250 23Jul02 U 7 HRC 0.0748 52.8070" CQ LC1 PCP 7252170 1 30,600 08Feb02 U 7 Total: 244,445 *** End of Report ***

Sample Inventory Handoff Report



TAG OWNERSHIP TRANSFER

The Tag Ownership Transfer function is required when material has been received and the incorrect

customer number was recorded at the time of receipt. The function can also be used to record stock

transfers between various Toll Customers.

The upper area of the screen identifies the information required by the Tag Ownership Transfer function

to generate a valid shipping transaction against the old Customer. The lower area of the screen identifies

the information required by the Tag Ownership Transfer function to generate a valid receiving transaction

against the new Customer.

Tag Ownership Transfer Brh PHI

<< CURRENT >> << NEW >>

Customer 1000 Customer 1001

ARCELOR MITTAL BURNS HARBOR LLC

Ship To 100

GM NAO-METAL FAB DIV

Cus Inv Ref No

Tag No

B/L No

Carrier

Transp Mode

Group Grade

Width Gauge

Length Received Date

Eusr No Part No

Cus PO No Po Rel No

Cus Ord No - Eusr Po No

Sample Tag Ownership Transfer Screen

When a tag changes ownership, the OPS system sends out two OPS transactions. The first is to the

previous owner. This transaction (type 90) is equivalent to a shipment of goods from the processor. It

tells the producer that the material was shipped and is no longer under their ownership. The second

transaction goes to the new owner. This transaction (type 91) is equivalent to a material receipt. It

informs the new owner (producer) that they now have new customer-owned material at a trading partner

site. These two transactions are sent when the Update action bar option is taken.

Transport Information

Transp Mode 0 Transp Chg 0

SCAC SSSS

Vehicle Id

Carrier Stock Transfer - Chang



The OPS Administrative message windows are presented twice while completing the ownership transfer

screen. The first window appears after completing the top half of the screen. The message that is keyed

will be sent to the current owner along with the OPS 90 transaction. The window will only appear if the

current owner is an OPS trading partner. The second window appears after completing the bottom half of

the screen. The message that is keyed in will be sent to the new owner along with the OPS 91 transaction.

The window will only appear if the new owner is an OPS trading partner.

Transport Mode

Transportation Mode codes are based on AISI OPS table 26, listed in Appendix C.

Transport Charge

Transportation Charge codes are based on AISI OPS table 59, found in Appendix C.

SCAC Code

Standard Carrier Alphabetical Code (SCAC) values are based on AISI OPS table 71, a sample of which is

listed in Appendix C.



TEST RESULTS REPORTING

This function allows a toll processor to record and transmit a test result transaction to its customer, the

mill. Once the transaction is completed, it is transmitted as an OPS 98 – Test Results Transaction.

Entering Test Results

After the toll customer’s material has been tested, the results are entered into the Toll Test Results Entry

screen. To enter new test results, input the Customer number, Tag number and press <Enter> at the Test

No field. This positions the cursor in the Freq field and you can now enter test results.

Toll Test Results Brh PHI

Cus No 3020 ARCELOR MITTAL

Tag No LC1 Active

Test No 1

Freq 15 1 PER COIL

Loc 8 TEST SMPL BODY/INTERIOR

Dirn 3 45 DEG TEST SPECMN

Test Rpts 15 CERT OF INSP

Test Type 039 A-C CORE LOSS

Test Rslt Test Passed

0-Update 1-Change 2-Tags 3-Delete

Toll Test Results Entry Screen

After completing the test result entry, the cursor is positioned on the Change action bar option. If no

change is required, then you have the following options:

If this is the only test being entered for the tag, choosing the Update action bar will generate and send

the OPS transaction (Type 98).

More tests may be added for the same tag by pressing <F12> to update the current test. The cursor is

then positioned in the Test No field and by pressing <Enter> at this field you can add a new test for

the same tag. You can enter up to a maximum of ten (10) tests per tag. Once the final test has been

entered, select the Update action bar option.

Tests for a different tag (for the same customer) can be added by selecting the Tags action bar option.

This option is provided so that you can enter tests for more than one tag in one entry session without

having to send a transmission for each tag. When you choose this action bar option, the cursor is



positioned in the Tag No field and you can input a new Tag number.

The following chart describes the fields available on the Test Results Entry screen.

Field Name Default Validation Description

Cus No Your internal customer number. This field is

mandatory.

Tag No Your tag number.

Inventory Status Display

only.

This field displays the words Active or Disposed

in white depending on the status of the tag at

the time the tag is entered on this screen.

Test No 1 to 10 Automatically generated by the system if no

number is entered.

Transmitted Status Display

only.

This field displays the transmission status of

the test. If the test has not been transmitted,

then nothing is displayed. If the test has been

transmitted, then the word Transmitted is

displayed in white in the area indicated.

NOTE: This status indicates that the test was

submitted for transmission. It does not

confirm that physical transmission was sent

to the customer.

Transmitted Date and Time Display

only.

These fields display the Transmission Date and

Time of the test in white.

Freq OPS Table

28

OPS code denoting frequency of sample. This

field can be left blank.

Loc OPS Table

29

OPS code denoting location of sample. This field

can be left blank.

Dirn OPS Table

30

OPS code denoting direction of sample. This


Test Rpts OPS Table

31

OPS code denoting type of test reports. This


Test Type OPS Table

32

OPS code denoting type of test. This field can

be left blank.

Test Rslt Free form area for entering the result of test

performed. This is a mandatory field and at

least one character must be entered.

The chart below describes the action bar options available on the Test Results Entry screen.

Action Bar Action

Update Once entry of the test is complete, you can use this action bar option to update the

test and transmit the OPS 98 transaction.

Change Allows you to modify all fields from the Frequency to the Test Result.

Tags Allows you to add test results for more than one tag in an entry session so that all

tests for a customer can be combined in one OPS 98 transaction.

Delete Allows you to delete a test result if it has never been transmitted.



Update Action Bar Option

If the current test on the screen is a new test, then the following occurs when you select the Update action

bar option:

The test number is assigned sequentially

The test is stored in the new file

The following prompt is displayed: “Do you wish to transmit an OPS 98 transaction (Y/N)?” The

default is Y-Yes. If you choose N-No, then no OPS transaction is transmitted, and the test result

addition is stored for the tag.

If the current test on the screen is one that was modified, then the following occurs when you choose the

Update action bar option:

The changes are saved

The user is prompted to transmit the OPS 98 transaction as before.

If future tests are conducted on a tag that has already had tests transmitted, you can enter and transmit the

results. All tests that are modified or added for a tag within an entry session are transmitted together.

OPS Administrative Message Window

After updating the test results, the standard OPS Administrative Message window is displayed allowing

you to send an OPS Administrative Message (i.e., Updated results for the test you requested for these

tags).


Admin Msg

Canceling Test Result Entry

If you want to cancel the entry of a Test Result, use <F4> before the Test number for the entered test is

generated. This cancels the addition of the test.



Changing Test Results

Once a test result is entered, you can modify it by using the Change action bar option. Enter the

appropriate Customer number, Tag number, and Test number. The update and transmission of the

modified Test Result is the same as for the original entry. Toll Test Result information can be changed at

any time regardless of whether it has been already transmitted to the trading partner.

When the initial transmission of the test result is done, the Transmission Date and Time are stored. When

test results are modified after an initial transmission, the Transmission Date and Time are moved to the

Original Transmission Date and Time fields in the file and the Transmission Date and Time fields are set

to blank.

When the second transmission is made, the new Transmission Date and Time are stored in the

Transmission Date and Time fields. If further changes are made after the second transmission, the

Transmission Date and Time are blanked out. However, the original Transmission Date and Time are

preserved regardless of how many more changes and re-transmissions are made.

If a transmission is sent two or more times for the same tag with the following information being

identical:

Tag

Frequency

Location

Direction

Test report

Type of test

The trading partner OPS system is supposed to recognize that a duplicate test is being sent. The trading

partner stores the subsequent test as the ‘good’ test and ignores the previous test sent for that tag.

Deleting a Test Result

If a test result has been entered erroneously, you can delete it by using the Delete action bar option. You

can only delete a test result if it has not been transmitted. The Delete option is dimmed if a Transmission

Date and Time or Original Transmission Date and Time exist, thereby preventing deletion.

You must input the Customer number, Tag number and Test number. The cursor is then positioned on the

action bar line and you can select the Delete action bar option. The following prompt is then displayed:

“Do you wish to delete this test result (Y/N)? N”

If the answer is Y-Yes, the test is deleted and the cursor is positioned in the Cus No field.



Viewing Test Results

You can view the test results entered for a tag by using this program. If you are not sure whether a test

exists for a given tag, you can enter the Customer number, Tag number and when the cursor is positioned

in the Test No field, press <F2>. The database is searched for an existing test for the tag and the first Test

number found for the tag is displayed.

The cursor is then positioned on the Change action bar option and the details of the test are displayed. If

the test that is displayed is not the desired test, press <F4> to return to the Test No field. The previously

displayed Test number remains in the field. You can then press <F2> to advance to the next test on file.

You can continue scrolling through the test results or you can use <Shift F2> to scroll back through the

test numbers. When you reach the first or last test, a message is displayed.

You can modify, view, and/or transmit Test Results for both active and disposed tags at any time.

Purging Test Results

Test results for a tag are stored separately. The existing eSTELtoll Disposed Tag Cleanup contains logic

to clean up any Test Results that exist for a disposed tag when that tag is purged.

OPS Monitor – Test Results

As with any process that produces an OPS transaction, the OPS Monitor will log an activity of the Test

Results when they are updated and the transaction is produced. Searching for a program name of ‘opb98’

will show any test results that are transmitted.

OPS Monitor

Date Time Pgm Nm

14 May 09 15:00 opb98

<opb98> Tag # LC1A Test Type 102 A-C EXCITING CURRENT

Test Result NEGATIVE

Sample Activity for Test Results



RESEND OUTBOUND TRANSMISSION

This function will attempt to resend a transmission that has been considered as already having been sent

to the trading partner. The need to resend a transmission would arise if data communication problems

prevented a previous transmission from reaching your customer in whole or in part, or if the trading

partner or the VAN somehow lost that transmission.

Missing transmissions are easily detectable by OPS trading partners, as each transmission has a unique

sequence number, known as the Sender Control Number (SCN).

To resend the transmission, the trading partner’s DUNS number and the Sender Control Number must be

supplied via the screen pictured below.

STELops - Resend Procedure

Transmit DUNS No. 2028801

Sender Control No. 617

Press any key to continue...

File not available in OPS archive

Requesting a Resend for a Transmission that does not exist



The customer requesting the resend will normally supply the Sender Control Number that they are

missing. A Sender Control Number represents one transmission, which may contain one or more OPS

transactions.

If the transmission to be resent is older than maximum days that are retained by the OPS Cleanup utility

(default: 30 days), the outbound file may no longer be on file in the archive.

In cases where the COMPORD data gets converted to EDI X12 by a third party (GXS, OpenTrac,

Acclimate), the SCN value may not be known. In those cases, the toll customer may provide you with a

bill of lading number, heat number, or customer tag number. In those cases, you may have to search the

outbound transmissions to determine which one contains the data that they are missing.



eSTELops INSERTION GATEWAYS

In certain cases, it may not be possible to obtain valid OPS transactions from a trading partner. Perhaps a

trading partnership was not established, or they do not have an agreed-upon standard to follow.

For whatever the reason, Invera offers several OPS and Toll insertion gateways that allow you to accept

ASNs, Hold/Release, and Re-Application requests using appropriately named and formatted flat files.

A Session Log is created when the insertion is run, listing all transactions that were processed, whether

they were updated successfully or rejected. All the key fields are printed on the log, along with the reason

the update could not occur (e.g., invalid toll customer, invalid chemistry, etc.). The Session Log is

created under eSTEL/SCOPE Print Controller according to the User ID under which the insertion

function runs.

It is recommended to print the Session Log and check for any data or update errors. Any update errors

noted in the log will require you to make corrections to the information in your flat file before running the

Insertion function again. Your revised flat file should contain only the corrected records for the update

errors.

Advance Shipping Notice Insertion Gateway (opnasn)

The ASN Insertion Gateway allows for insertion of ASN information through the use of flat files instead

of actual OPS transactions. It requires three (3) pre-existing flat files to process any ASN requests

properly. The flat files are:

Flat File Description

opiash Advance Shipping Notice Header Information

opiasd Advance Shipping Notice Detail Information

iniaht Inventory ASN Heat Information

Restrictions

ASN

Addition/Change/Deletion

The eSTELgateway function supports additions of new or deletions of

existing Advance Ship Notice transactions. Change mode is not

available.

Heat Information

This eSTELgateway function supports the creation of new Heat

information records. Existing Heat information records are not replaced.

Error Handling

For those Advance Ship Notice transactions containing any information

that cannot be processed successfully, either at the ASN Header, ASN

Detail or Heat level, the entire ASN transaction is rejected. See Session

Log for details.



File Definition: opiash

Column Description/Comments Type Size

1 Action Code

Value: A = Add, D = Deletion

Alphanumeric 1

2 ASN Sequence Number

This is a mandatory number, cannot be zero, and must be

unique for each ASN.

Numeric 6

3 eSTELPLAN Branch Alphanumeric 3

4 Toll Customer DUNS Number Numeric 9

5 Bill of Lading Number Alphanumeric 22

6 Shipment Date YYYYMMDD 8

7 Required Date YYYYMMDD 8

8 Administrative Message Alphanumeric 61

9 Ship-From DUNS Number Numeric 9

10 Ship-To DUNS Number Numeric 9

11 Route Information Alphanumeric 22

12 Vehicle ID Alphanumeric 12

13 Transport Mode

Must be a valid code from AISI OPS Table 26

Alphanumeric 1

14 Transport Charge Code


Alphanumeric 1

15 SCAC Identification


Alphanumeric 4

16 Ship Time HHMM 4

17 Load Weight Numeric 9

18 Number of Packages Numeric 4

TOTAL RECORD SIZE 193

There are no separators between each column, and each record must exist in the flat file on a separate

line.



File Definition: opiasd



This number is used to link the detail info to the right header.

It must match an entry in opiash file.

Numeric 6

2 ASN Item Number

A mandatory unique number identifying each item on the ASN.

Must be in range 0001 to 9999.

Numeric 4

3 Producer Tag Number Alphanumeric 12

4 Heat Number Alphanumeric 10

5 Ship Order Number Alphanumeric 22

6 Processing Code Alphanumeric 2

7 Material Class Alphanumeric 2

8 Metric Code

Values: Y = Yes, N = No

Alphanumeric 1

9 Coil/Sheet Flag

Values: C = Coil, S = Sheet

Alphanumeric 1

10 Gauge

Last four digits are considered decimal positions

(i.e. 99v9999)

Numeric 6

11 Gauge Description

Values: M = Minimum, N = Nominal

Alphanumeric 1

12 Width


(i.e. 9999999v9999)

Numeric 11

13 Length


(i.e. 99999999v9999)

Numeric 12

14 Coil Inside Diameter Numeric 4

15 Coil Outside Diameter Numeric 4

16 TMW Code Numeric 1

17 TMW Factor


(i.e. 999v9999)

Numeric 7

18 Pieces Per Lift Numeric 7

19 Coil Length Numeric 7

20 Item Weight Numeric 9

21 Fault Code 1

Must be valid codes from AISI OPS Table 72

Alphanumeric 1

22 Fault Type 1

Must be valid damage codes from AISI OPS Table 73

Alphanumeric 3

23 Fault Code 2 Alphanumeric 1

24 Fault Type 2 Alphanumeric 3







31 Previous Processor ID Alphanumeric 15




32 Activity Date YYYYMMDD 8

33 Ship Order Item Alphanumeric 4

34 Theoretical Weight Numeric 7

35 Theoretical Weight Unit of Measure

Valid codes obtained from AISI OPS Table 24

Numeric 2

36 Processing Purchase Order Number Alphanumeric 22

37 Release Number Alphanumeric 16

38 End User Order Number Alphanumeric 22

39 End User Order Item Alphanumeric 4

40 End User Order Release Number Alphanumeric 6

41 End User DUNS Number Numeric 9

42 End User Part Number Alphanumeric 30

43 Remarks Alphanumeric 50


File Definition: iniaht



This value must match a valid entry in the opiash flat file.

Numeric 6

2 ASN Item Number

This value must match a valid entry in the opiasd flat file and

is used to link heat info to that item.

Numeric 4

3 Chemical Element ID # 1

This value corresponds to the standard chemical symbol for

the elements from AISI OPS Table 53.

Alphanumeric 7

4 Chemical Element Minimum # 1

The last four digits are considered decimal values.

(i.e. 99v9999)

Numeric 6

* Chemical Element set (2 through 20) * *


NOTE: In order to save space and avoid repetition, only the first of the chemical element sets are

shown in the definition above. It is important to note that there are actually a total of forty-

two (42) fields, counting the ASN number, Item number, and twenty (20) sets of Chemical

Element IDs and Element Minimums.



Hold/Release Insertion Gateway (tpnhld)

The Hold/Release Gateway inserts data into the eSTELops system to put existing tags on hold or release

them. This gateway only requires one flat file containing the hold/release details:


tpihld Toll Processing Hold/Release Information

Restrictions

Hold/Release Addition For eSTEL/EDI transactions, this eSTELgateway function supports

additions of new Hold/Release transactions. Change and Delete modes are

not available.

Disposed Tags The hold/release of eSTELtoll disposed tags is not supported by this

eSTELgateway function.

Non-Existent Tags

The hold/release of tags which are not in the eSTELtoll database is not

supported by this eSTELgateway function.

Error Handling

For those Hold/Release transactions containing any information that

cannot be processed successfully, the transaction is rejected at the tag

level. See Session Log for details.

File Definition: tpihld


1 Hold/Release Sequence Number

This value must be non-zero and unique

Numeric 6

2 Hold/Release Item Number

This value must be non-zero and unique within the

Hold/Release transaction set.

Numeric 4

3 eSTELPLAN Branch



Alphanumeric 3

4 Customer DUNS Number Numeric 9


6 Processor Tag Number Alphanumeric 15

7 Material Status Alphanumeric 1




Re-Application Insertion Gateway (tpnrap)

The Re-Application Gateway inserts data into the eSTELops system regarding any re-application requests

for existing tagged material. This gateway only requires one flat file containing the re-app information to

process properly:


tpirap Toll Processing Re-Application Information

Restrictions

Re-App Addition The gateway function supports additions of new Re-App transactions.

Change and Delete modes are not available.

Disposed Tags The reapplication of eSTELtoll disposed tags is not supported by this

eSTELgateway function.

Non-Existent Tags

The reapplication of tags which are not in the eSTELtoll database is not

supported by this eSTELgateway function.

Error Handling

For those Reapplication transactions containing any information that

cannot be processed successfully, the transaction is rejected at the tag

level. See Session Log for details.

File Definition: tpirap


1 Re-Application Sequence Number

This value must be non-zero and unique

Numeric 6

2 Re-Application Item Number

This value must be non-zero and unique within the

Hold/Release transaction set.

Numeric 4

3 eSTELPLAN Branch



Alphanumeric 3

4 Customer DUNS Number Numeric 9


6 Processor Tag Number Alphanumeric 15

7 Heat Number Alphanumeric 10

8 Ship Order Number Alphanumeric 22

9 Material Class


Alphanumeric 2

10 Material Status


Alphanumeric 1

11 Activity Date YYYYMMDD 8

12 Ship Order Item Alphanumeric 4

13 Processing Purchase Order Number Alphanumeric 22

14 Release Number Alphanumeric 16

15 End-User Order Number Alphanumeric 22

16 End-User Order Item Number Alphanumeric 4

17 End-User Order Release Number Alphanumeric 6

18 End-User DUNS Number Numeric 9




19 End-User Part Number Alphanumeric 30

20 Requested Action

Valid options are:

E = Acknowledge request

K = Acknowledge REJECTED request only

N = Do not acknowledge request

U = Acknowledge ACCEPTED request only

Alphanumeric 1




eSTELops CODES TABLE MAINTENANCE (opacds)

In order for eSTELops to send the proper values and codes back to a trading partner, Invera maintains a

list of the AISI OPS tables in a reference table within the eSTELPLAN database. The table is broken into

three sections:

1) OPS Table Delimiter

2) OPS Code Number

3) OPS Code Description

Not every table contains all the possible values that are valid for that table. Invera supplies the most

commonly used values, and any that are known to have been required by any existing eSTELops

customer.

OPS Codes

1. Code Table Desc..... 73

2. Code................ 102

3. Lkp Desc............ CRK EDGE

4. Description......... Cracked Edges


Item No :

1-Alter 2-Copy

Sample: Table 73 used for Damage Codes

Use the OPS Codes Table Maintenance program to add or modify any codes for the tables that you find

are missing or incorrect.

If you find that a code is missing that will be in use in your OPS transactions, it is suggested that you

inform Invera of the missing code so it can be added to the default reference tables released. Otherwise,

you may have to re-add the missing code after every eSTELPLAN upgrade.


6. OPS TROUBLESHOOTING

As with most products in use that must rely on communications links and interface with other systems,

problems can and will arise from time to time. It is important to periodically check the OPS Monitor to

try and spot problems before they develop, as many trading partners rely heavily on data transferred

between the producer and the processors to meet just-in-time inventory situations and complete time-

sensitive operations.

It is important to note that the three most common situations that cause disruption within the OPS

software are software upgrades, network changes or failures, and the setup of a new trading partner. It is

strongly recommended to monitor your inbound and outbound traffic for OPS after:

any eSTELPLAN or AIX upgrade, or after changing to a new CPU.

anyone makes changes to the firewall, routers, gateway, or if access to the internet was down due to

ISP issues.

adding a new trading partner, or changing value-added networks.

The sections in this chapter focus on a series of common problems that have been reported to the Invera

Customer Support Center in the past, and attempts to guide you through what to check and how to try and

resolve the issues.

6. OPS Troubleshooting Page 60


NO OPS DATA HAS COME IN OR GONE OUT FOR SEVERAL HOURS

Because OPS traffic (to a trading partner) is generated every time material is received, production is done,

and material is shipped, it is usually unlikely to see no data going out for hours or days unless your

company does not do much business with that trading partner.

Likewise, if you expect to see ASN’s coming in but have not received any, even though material arrived

for a trading partner, this should start to make you wonder why there has been no data going back and

forth.

Have you not seen data for ANY trading partner? Perhaps the OPS Controller is not running. Check the

status of the OPS Controller and make sure it indicates that it is ACTIVE and operational in the data

directories that you expect it to be.

Status of OPS Controller: ACTIVE

OPS Controller detected in the following directories:

USER PID PPID ELAPSED COMMAND

root 1044620 1 1-05:07:47 ?????? /tmp/plan.v6YiMb /liv/abc mfx optctl

root 1102000 1 1-05:07:47 ?????? /tmp/plan.v5Qlab /liv/def mfx optctl

informix 1159286 1044620 1-05:07:47 rts32 optctl

informix 1187956 1102000 1-05:07:47 rts32 optctl

Two OPS Controllers active, one in ABC and one in DEF company

If the controller is not up (or not up in a specific data directory), you should try to start it, or figure out

why it was not running. Was the system recently rebooted? Did you perform EOM processing?

Sometimes OPS does not get started automatically during a reboot or after the EOM backup or the EOM

close.



OPS WON’T START OR DOES NOT SEEM TO STAY RUNNING

Did you receive an eSTELPLAN upgrade recently?

The scripts in use by eSTELops had been released as part of the eSTELPLAN software in some revisions.

However, the scripts were migrated from the eSTELPLAN release to the eSTEL/SCOPE release, which is

where we store software used for data communication and server daemons.

Because of this release in two different software packages, it is possible to have received some obsolete

versions of the software located in the wrong software directory. Make sure that the OPS scripts that are

in use are located in /stelscope/bin directory, and remove any older copies with the same name in the

/$PL_MODE/bin directory.



TRADING PARTNER CALLED TO REPORT A MISSING TRANSACTION

In the days where COMPORD standards were used exclusively, when a trading partner would call about a

missing sequence number, it was extremely easy to resolve. They would tell you the five-digit sender

control number (SCN), the system manager would immediately go into the program ‘Resend OPS

Outbound Transmission’ (optrxm), enter the customer DUNS number, enter the SCN, and the missing

transaction would be sent out a second time.

Unfortunately, it is no longer that simple. The eSTELops software only sends out COMPORD data, but

many of the trading partners use X12 standards, and the sequence numbers may not be the same. X12

uses a nine-digit sequence number generated by the Value-Added Network (VAN) doing your EDI

translation.

To find out what transmission contains the transaction that the trading partner needs (if it is converted

from COMPORD to X12), you must do one of two things:

Contact the VAN and find out the nine-digit sequence number they used when they converted the

eSTELops five-digit SCN for the particular trading partner.

Ask the trading partner for details of the previous (or next) transaction they received. Ask them for

the Heat number, BOL number, Material ID (tag number), anything that would allow you to trace

what transactions they DID receive, so you can figure out which one they DID NOT receive.

You can try to figure out the date/time that the missing transaction is from, and then use the OPS

Exploder tool to examine the transmission files to figure out which one has to go out again.



WE SEE MESSAGES: OPS NETWORK [XXXXX] IS DOWN

The OPS Controller decides when a transmission has to go out by looking in the current eSTELPLAN

directory (/$PL_MODE/$PL_GROUP) for any files that start with the ‘opx’ prefix. If it finds one, it will

proceed to rename the file (it adds an underscore at the end) to indicate an attempt to send the file out. If

the attempt fails, it leaves the file there and adds a period (.) at the end to indicate that a resend will be

attempted.

The OPS Controller will only try to send these opx files out so many times. Usually after seven (7)

attempts, the controller gives up and assumes that there is a problem with that communications network.

Once this happens, no further jobs will go out on that OPS network. Depending on how the PIOs are set,

every user may get the “OPS NETWORK IS DOWN” message broadcast on their screens, or this message

may only appear on the master console.

To correct the problem, find out why the outbound OPS transmissions were not able to leave the system

and make it to the trading partner. Usually, this happens as a result of a temporary failure of the network

or the VPN tunnel has come down.

Examine the OPS communication logs for the affected network. Do they show any problems connecting

to the trading partner? When FTP fails to establish a login on the remote host, it will often leave

messages in the log stating “Not Connected” for each command issued until the “QUIT” command.

Testing the Network

Try the network connection manually. The OPS network names are usually entered in a special network

remote communications (.netrc) file found in /$PL_MODE/$PL_GROUP/ops directory. While logged on

as root user, issue the following commands:

access /$PL_MODE/$PL_GROUP

cd ops

export HOME=.

cat .rhosts

The name following the word ‘machine’ is the hostname used to reach the trading partner system or the

VAN.

To simulate a connection, simply type in that name using the FTP service at the shell prompt, as shown in

the following window.



# ftp gxsftp

Connected to ftp.gxs.com.

220 Mark III FTP server (Version 1.7 Tue Mar 14 10:10:00 GMT 2000) ready.

331 Password required for AIV90210

230 User logged in, proceed.

ftp> QUIT

221 Goodbye.

Testing the Connection to GXS FTP Service

If the remote system responds immediately when using the FTP service and you get the message “230

User logged in”, that means that the network is working, that you were able to reach the remote server,

and that the username and password were accepted. Typing QUIT and pressing <Enter> disconnects

from the server.

If the screen appears to hang after typing in the FTP command, and it eventually returns with some sort of

timeout message, that usually indicates that the VPN tunnel is not working, that the network connection

out of your office is down, or that the remote server network is not operational.

If the remote system does respond quickly, but the messages in the FTP connection suggest that the

username or password was not accepted, you may want to contact the trading partner to see if they made

any changes to your account. It is possible that the account expired, or that the password was changed

and is no longer valid.

Restarting the OPS Network

If everything appears to be operating normally now, perhaps there was just a network ‘hiccup’ that caused

a connection failure, but it has since corrected itself. To get the affected OPS Network up and running

again, you must do the following:

Shut down the OPS Controller (ops_down)

Rename the Outbound Transmissions (ops_ren)

Clean out any jobs in the OPS Batch Queues. If they are backlogged, it could cause a failure again.

Remove them manually as root, or use Queue Management

Start the OPS Controller (ops_up)

Once the OPS system is restarted, monitor the transmissions for the next 30-60 minutes and make sure it

looks like data is now going out for that network.



DATA IS MISSING FROM THE TRANSACTIONS

Data in the various columns and fields has to be correct for the eSTELops system to accept a transaction.

If information is missing, it may refuse to process or process but then fail to produce the expected ASN or

other transaction.

Data problems can arise from many different sources, and can be a bit difficult to track down. Here are

some examples of what can happen and how you may need to resolve it:

Trading partner did not supply the information

This generally only happens if their data entry people made a mistake, or if you are first setting up a

partnership. Sometimes it can be resolved by asking them to check the data and send it again, or you may

have to manually enter the data this time and just wait to see what happens in the future.

VAN did not translate the data properly

The value-added network will sometimes have to translate X12 data into COMPORD or vice versa.

Since the fields are not exactly the same, they use mapping files to decide where to take data from and

where to place it in the conversion. If they do not handle this right, data may be wrong or missing.

Sometimes there is no place to read or store the data in a COMPORD format that the trading partner

wants to send you or is expecting from you. In those cases, the VAN may be using some sort of ODBC

look-up to read the missing field info, or to store the extra required data. If the ODBC connection stops

working for whatever reason, you may end up with failing transactions, or transactions coming in/going

out without that required field.

Outbound transactions missing info

Just like an inbound transaction may have a field that was incorrect due to user error, a data entry person

who enters the wrong info in eSTELtoll or eSTELops will produce incorrect outbound transactions. The

software and computers are not always intelligent, and you will sometimes end up with the system:

Garbage-In, Garbage-Out.



TRADING PARTNER REPORTS OLD DATA RECEIVED

Receiving duplicate transactions can happen sometimes. You expect in any system that, every once in a

while, it may try to resend a transaction that already went out. That is why you have the sender control

numbers (SCNs) to figure out that tells your trading partner if they already received that data.

But every once in a while, you may have a case where the trading partners calls you up and says they are

missing some recent data, and are receiving some rather old data (perhaps days or weeks old!).

When this happens, check and see if the OPS Controller has somehow been started in the QC area, and is

broadcasting as if the data was live production info. eSTELops has options to prevent the QC area from

interfering with normal OPS operations during testing or training. The problem is that sometimes Invera

or the eSTELPLAN customer will refresh their QC data area.

When data is taken from the live area and copied into QC (or copied from an EOM backup into QC), the

OPS Networks, Network Assignments, and Toll Customers are all set up as they were when the data was

in the live area. If eSTELops is then started in QC, data will go out as if it were from the live

environment unless something has been done in the QC area to tell the system that this is TEST data only.

Make sure that any OPS Networks are disabled after refreshing QC data. Adjust the OPS communication

script reference files so that data coming from a QC area always ends up in a test environment at the VAN

or trading partner website. Doing so will prevent the QC area from sending obsolete data out as if it were

real details. It will also prevent the system from letting QC try to pick up any new data from the trading

partner and processing it into the QC area instead of a live one.



THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF BATCH JOBS IN THE OPS QUEUE

Every once in a while, when the OPS system is running perfectly, the FTP system decides to “throw a

wrench into the gears” and stop working for no apparent reason. What happens is this: a normal FTP

session starts and is trying to send data out or pick up any files at the remote host. It gets to a point in the

script where it should start a transfer or quit. Instead, it just sits there…forever. Meanwhile, the batch

queue starts to get backlogged because more OPS jobs show up and are waiting for the current one to

finish.

There is currently no solution for this, as the FTP service does not have a timeout feature, except when it

first tries to connect. To avoid this behavior, eSTELops has a monitoring tool (ops_qtime) that calculates

how long an OPS batch job has been active in the queue. If it exceeds a specific time, the job is

immediately cancelled so the next one will go through.

If there are too many jobs, you may want to shut down the OPS Controller, clean out the batch queue,

restart the controller, and monitor to make sure things are returning to normal.

ASNS ARE ON MY REPORT BUT ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A TOLL CUSTOMER

Sometimes data will come in for a valid DUNS number, but because the DUNS number used on the Hello

(20) element was not the same as the one on the Customer (02) element, it may get processed into the

wrong account.

It is especially important to make sure all the Toll Customer accounts have correct Customer and

Transmission DUNS numbers assigned. When setting up a new partnership, verify that the right numbers

are being used in the right place before going live.

To correct this problem, Invera or a system manager can use an SQL statement to access the data and

remove the incorrect entries. The entries will be located in two tables:

OPTASH_REC OPS Advance Shipping Notice Headers

OPTASD_REC OPS Advance Shipping Notice Details

Example:

DELETE FROM OPTASD_REC

WHERE asd_cus_dun_no = 999999999

AND asd_t_bl_no = ‘XXXXXX’;

DELETE FROM OPTASH_REC

WHERE ash_cus_dun_no = 999999999

AND ash_t_bl_no = ‘XXXXXX’;



ALL MY TRANSMISSIONS ARE SHOWING DUPLICATE SCN RECEIVED

The OPS standards allow for only a five-digit sequence number that is used to figure out which

transmissions have already been received and which are new ones. The way the system works, the

numbers start at ‘00001’ and increment until they reach ‘99999’. Once at that limit, they cycle back

around to ‘00001’ again and start over again.

If the cycle starts over before the cleanup routines have had time to delete the old SCN values and make

them available for use again, new transmissions using the same SCN value may get rejected.

The list of SCNs that have been received for a particular trading partner are found in the Transmission

Control List (OPTXCL_REC). If you are sure that the data in the new transmissions are not duplicates

and should be processed, a cleanup can be done to remove the entries that are interfering. Use a deletion

SQL for a quick cleanup for a particular DUNS number. To avoid this happening again, you may want to

decrease the amount of SCNs that are retained by adjusting the appropriate PIO and making sure that the

OPS cleanups are active in the End of Day.

I WANT TO SET UP A NEW TRADING PARTNERSHIP

Adding a new trading partner generally means that you must agree upon an OPS standard (COMPORD or

X12). Depending on that decision, you may or may not need a VAN (like Acclimate, OpenTrac, or GXS)

to process the data and convert it.

You will need to agree on what transactions will be accepted. These must be valid transactions that

eSTELops supports otherwise you may need to use some sort of EDI gateway process.

Finally, you will need to test and confirm that the data being transmitted back and forth has the right

values in the right columns.

All of this should take place in a testing environment such as the QC area. It is also strongly

recommended that you have Invera involved, so we can assist with the setup of the communications

scripts and reference files.


APPENDIX A

FLOW DIAGRAMS

The diagrams in this section demonstrate graphically what is expected to happen when certain

transactions are received or sent using the eSTELops module. Please note that these are high level logic

flows, and do not necessarily detail every process that will occur when certain transactions take place.

It is important to use this section more as a guide to what to expect and to understand the way the OPS

works, not for detailed troubleshooting.

Appendix A Page 70


eSTELPLAN – INBOUND PROCESSING

The simplified logic flow below demonstrates the general routines involved when receiving OPS data

from a trading partner or VAN. The data is received via a communication script, processed to determine

OPS transaction validity, and then the correct OPS gateway program is called to process and insert the

data into the eSTELPLAN system.

Datacom ServerVan File Archival

OPS

Incoming File

OPS

Inbound Processor

OPS

Import

Transactions

opx94

Text Message

opx90

Material

Transfer

opx80

Transfer

Cancellation or

ASN Deletion

opx96

Hold/Release

Request

opx97

Reapplication

Request

eSTELtoll

Databases

OPS

Activity Log

eSTELPLAN

OPS Inbound Processing

Appendix A Page 71


eSTELPLAN – OUTBOUND PROCESSING

The logic flow below describes which eSTELPLAN processes will produce an OPS transaction, and

shows which gateway utility will produce the outbound data. These files are only generated if the OPS

Trading Partnership is listed as active, and will go out using a valid designated communication script.

Toll Shipping

Toll Inventory

Processing

Hold/Release/

Reapplication

opb07opb96opb92opb89 opb90 opb91

Hold/Release/

ReapplicationToll Inventory

ProcessingToll ReceivingToll Shipping

Inventory

Handoff

Tag Ownership

Transfer

Tag Ownership

Transfer

Toll Inventory

Adjustments

On-Line

Inventory

Deletion

OPS Export

Transactions

OPS Outbound

Processor

OPS Activity

Log

OPS Outbound

Transactions

Datacom ServerOPS Outbound

File Archival

Sender Control

File

OPS Controller

VAN

eSTELPLAN

OPS Outbound Processing

Appendix A Page 72


ASN PROCESSING

This logic flow diagram shows what happens when an ASN is received from the trading partner. A check

is performed to see if the material was already received. If the material is considered new (no ASN exists

and the tag is not in the database), it is placed in the Pending ASN list for the appropriate toll customer

account. When the material actually arrives and is received, a material acknowledgement is generated

and sent out.

DecisionTag already

exists?Request for ASN

del.from producer?

ASN Database

Toll Receiving

Receiving Update

OPS Outbound

Transmission

Processor

ASN Inbound

Transmission

Processor

VAN

OPS Activity

Log

Reject ASN

eSTELPLAN

ASN Processing

ASN Inquiry with

Deletion

VAN

No Yes

No

Yes


APPENDIX B

PIO SETTINGS

The Product Installation Option (PIO) settings are used to allow certain programs to operate slightly

differently at various customer sites. This is because not every eSTELPLAN customer has the same

needs, or conducts business the same way.

The sections in this appendix will help outline any PIO settings that apply to a site that is using

eSTELops. For a complete list of the latest PIO settings and their possible values, always consult the

Product Installation Options (PIO) Guide, provided and updated with every eSTELPLAN release.

OPS ACTIVITY LOG CLEANUP (OPCOLG)

The PIO for ‘DAY’ controls how many days’ worth of activities are retained in the OPS Monitor. The

default is five (5) days.

OPS SENDER CONTROL NUMBER EXPIRY (OPCXCL)

The PIO for ‘MTH’ controls how many months’ worth of Sender Control Numbers (SCNs) will be

retained. The default is twelve (12) months.

If the same SCN is received by eSTELops for a particular trading partner within that period, it is rejected

as having already been received (duplicate). If there are over 99,999 transmissions that will be received

from a trading partner in one year, the MTH value will have to be reduced accordingly so old SCNs are

automatically deleted from the database and can be re-used.

OPS CONTROLLER (OPTCTL)

The OPS Controller has a few PIO settings that are available for use.

The ‘MSG’ option determines whether messages will be broadcast to all consoles (MSG=ALL) or only to

the master console (MSG=NO). The default is to the master console only.

The ‘TIM’ option determines how much time should elapse between sending messages to the screen(s)

Appendix B Page 74


about a network being down. The default is thirty (30) minutes. Acceptable values are in the range of 1

to 999 minutes.

The ‘TRY’ option decides how many times an attempt will be made to send out an outbound (opx)

transmission. The default is seven (7) tries. If after the set amount of attempts, the outbound opx data file

was unable to be transmitted, this triggers the OPS network to be brought down, and activates the

“NETWORK DOWN” messages (based on the settings used for MSG and TIM options).

TOLL RECEIVING – COIL LENGTH (TPPRCG)

The PIO for ‘CCL’ controls access to the Coil Length field. If set to (N)o, and the Receiver Customer is

an OPS customer, the Coil Length must be entered manually. When set to (Y)es, if the Receiver

Customer is an OPS customer, then the Coil Length field can be bypassed and the Linear Footage is

automatically calculated. The default value is ‘N’.


APPENDIX C

AISI TABLES AND CHARTS

This section provides a list of the most commonly used codes, taken from the AISI Outside Processor

System manual. The values indicated are what Invera’s OPS standard reference files are based on, and

what eSTELops uses to determine inbound and outbound values.

TABLEe 26: MODE OF TRANSPORTATION CODES

OPS 26 Table

Transport Code Description

1 Truck

2 Rail

3 Barge

4 Customer Truck

5 Lake Vessel

6 Ocean Vessel

7 Piggyback

8 Air Freight

9 Air Express

A Parcel Post

B Express

C United Parcel

Appendix C Page 76


TABLE 59: TRANSPORTATION CHARGE CODES

OPS 59 Table

Charge Code Description

1 Collect

2 Customer Pick-Up

3 Prepaid

4 Prepaid by Processor

5 Prepaid by Producer

TABLE 63: NATURE OF SHIPMENT CODES

OPS 63 Table

Shipment Code Description

1 Part Lot

2 Stop Off

3 Part Lot, Stop Off

4 Combination

5 Complete

Appendix C Page 77


TABLE 66: PROCESS CODES

OPS 66 Table

Process Code Description

20 Annealing

27 Buildup

29 Charged into Buildup

88 Chemical Treatment

03 Cleaning

12 Cut to Length

14 Edge Trim

21 Inspection

09 Oil

01 Pickle

72 Polish

35 Recoil

24 Shearing

05 Slit

07 Temper

45 Tension Level

04 Warehouse

52 Unfinished

Appendix C Page 78


TABLE 67: MATERIAL CLASSIFICATION

OPS 67 Table

Material Class Description

12 Carrier scrap

07 Excess prime

08 Experimental/trial

06 Mill Scrap

01 Prime

11 Previous processor scrap

05 Processor scrap

02 Reject

10 Returned material (from customer to processor)

03 Secondary

09 Waste/Waste

Appendix C Page 79


TABLE 70: MATERIAL STATUS CODES

OPS 70 Table

Material Status Description

B Best disposition

2 Hold for inspection

3 Hold for release (processor is awaiting instructions)

4 Hold for test

7 In process (next operation is a planned process)

K OK for reapplication

8 Processing complete

1 Ready-to-Ship (all required processing completed)

R Released

6 Reprocess (next operation is an unplanned process)

9 Reprocess/Assort

5 Returned material (from customer to processor)

M Return material to mill

S Scrap material

O Stock transfer – change of ownership

Appendix C Page 80


TABLE 71: SCAC CODES (SAMPLE)

OPS 71 Table

SCAC Code Description

AETN AETNA Freight Lines

AETS American Transport

ALLW Allways Trucking

AMML American Motor Lines

ATML Arrow Transportation

BBBB Pre-Billed Shipment

BESL BESL Transportation

BGMC Big Mac Trucking Company

CCCC Customer Truck Shipment

CEPN Carrier’s Express

CUST Customer Pick-Up

EWME East-West Motor Express

FMTC Fairfield Motor Transport Company

JDLL JDL Express

LAID Laidlaw Carriers

MOAM Monarch Motor Freight

MWXE Midwest Express LLC

PGNE Paragon Express

PPPP Processor Truck Shipment

TSMT Tri-State Motor Transport

USXI US Express

Appendix C Page 81


TABLE 72: FAULT CODES

OPS 72 Table

Fault Code Description

2 Carrier

3 Current Outside Processor or Warehouse

6 Engineered

5 Previous Outside Processor or Warehouse

1 Steel Producer (Mill)

4 Undetermined

Appendix C Page 82


TABLE 73: DAMAGE CODES

OPS 73 Table

Damage Code Description

179 Abrasion

386 Acid Burn

181 Adhesion

184 Anneal Stain

187 Bad Edge

188 Band Mark

191 Bare Spots

197 Blisters

150 Broken Weld

203 Bruises

149 Burrs

205 Camber

573 Chalking

211 Chemical Stain

403 Cold Roll Marks

406 Cold Roll Stains

593 Creases

230 Creases/Wrinkling

595 Creep

104 Dents

239 Dimples/Dings

602 Dirt

243 Discoloration

Appendix C Page 83


OPS 73 Table


413 Edge – Raised

130 Edge – Torn

106 Edge Damage

268 Feathered Edge

271 Fish Scales

275 Fluting

108 Gauge – Over

109 Gauge – Under

282 Gouges

287 Hardness

291 Inclusions

437 Ink Stains

292 Kinks

653 Lapped Edge

539 Linear Rust

448 Lines – Stress

116 Marks

442 Marks – Leveler

671 Miscellaneous

305 Oil Missing

687 Oiled in Error

689 Orange Peel

120 Outer Lap Damage

Appendix C Page 84


OPS 73 Table


451 Pickle Line Processor Marks

318 Pinches

320 Pinholes

463 Pinholes in Weld

322 Pits

324 Powdering

413 Raised Edge

332 Reel Kinks

333 Ridges

334 Roll Marks

338 Rough Surface

121 Rusty Edge

122 Rust Patch

343 Rust Spots

340 Rust (Overall)

127 Scratches

455 Scuff Marks

757 Skid Marks

129 Stained

761 Stain from Water

448 Stress Lines

804 Weld Defective

813 Whiskers


APPENDIX D

OPS ACTIVITY MONITOR MESSAGES

The following is a list of the messages that are written to the OPS logging table (optolg_rec) and can be

viewed in the OPS monitor.

OPS APPLICATION EXPECTED MESSAGES

The following messages will appear in the OPS Monitor during normal business activities.

Program

Name

Message

Explanation

opb089 Handoff sent for: XX pending ASN tags and XX on-

hand tags

This provides a confirmation that an inventory handoff

has taken place.

opb090 Ship-To: 99-999-9999 BL No: 999999 Carrier:

XXXXXXXXXX

Confirmation to the producer of a shipment.

opb91 ASN Ack. for BL no. XXXXXXXXXXX Acknowledgment of the receipt of the ASN has been

sent to the producer.

opb92 Production transaction for Tag No.:

XXXXXXXXXXX, Process Code: XX

Confirmation of the production transaction was sent to

the producer.

opb96 XXXXXXXXXXX, Mat Class: 99, Mat Status: XX

applied

Hold/Release applied against a tag. Confirmation sent

to the producer.

opb97 Tag:LC2,PO-REL:999999 9999,ORD:999999999 Re-application applied against a tag. Confirmation

sent to the producer.

opb98 Tag # XXXXX Test Type XXXXXX

Test Result XXXXXXXXXX

Confirmation that test results were sent to the

producer.

opbexp SCN# 99999 for 99-999-9999 Transmission prepared for SCN# 99 to DUNS # 99-

999-9999.

Program

Name

Message

Explanation

opx80 Duns# 99-999-9999, SCN# 99999, ASN B/L No.

XXXXXXXXXXXX Canceled

As requested by the producer, the ASN has been

canceled.

opx90 DUN# 99-999-9999, SCN# 99999, ASN B/L no.

XXXXXXXXXX received”

“Customer: XXXXX, DUN#: 99-999-9999, Order No:

XXXXXXXXXX

Notice of material transfer incoming from producer.

opx94 DUN# 99-999-9999, SCN# 99999, Message as

follows

A message was received from the producer. Normally

the text message would be displayed on the OPS

monitor screen following the above message.

opx96 Hold/Release for Tag 99999, Accepted

Tag: 99999, Status X applied

The producer's hold/release request was accepted and

applied.

opx97 Reapp for Tag 999999, 999999, Accepted

CUS ORD NO from 99999, to 99999

The producer’s re-application request was accepted

and applied.

Appendix D Page 86


Program

Name

Message

Explanation

opximp SCN# 99999 from Dun# 99-999-9999 received. Confirmation of the receipt of a transmission with

sender control number 99999 from DUNS number

999999999.

Appendix D Page 87


OPS APPLICATION ERROR MESSAGES

The following messages may be displayed if a problem has occurred within the OPS transaction

generation. The messages are listed alphabetically.

Both 04, 05 elements received together

Explanation: Elements 04 and 05 were both received in this transmission. These elements are mutually

exclusive and should never be received together.

Action: The transaction has been rejected. Contact the sender and investigate.

Branch record does not exist or is inactive for XXX

Explanation: The Branch could not be found in the Branch/Duns number cross-reference file.

Action: The transmission has been aborted. Create the required record in the OPS branch/duns

cross-reference file if this branch will be used in the future. Call the producer to inform

them that there will be no confirmation for their material shipment.

Damage Code XXX not found in xref

Explanation: The damage code specified on the BL could not be found in the OPS Damage/Condition

code cross-reference file.

Action: The transaction has been sent but with a blank damage code. Create the required record in

the OPS damage/condition code cross-reference file if the condition code will be used in

the future.

Duplicate material shipment transaction

Explanation: The ASN that was sent already exists for this producer.

Action: The ASN was rejected. Contact the sender and investigate.

Duplicate material tag for Producer

Explanation: A tag on the ASN already exists in inventory.

Action: The ASN was accepted but the duplicate tag was rejected. Contact the sender and

investigate.

Appendix D Page 88


Duplicate Sender Ctrl No.

Explanation: The sender control number that appears on the transmission has already been sent by

that producer.

Action: The entire transmission was rejected. Call the sender and investigate.

Fault code XX not found in xref

Explanation: Fault code XX was not found in the cross-reference file.

Action: The transaction has been accepted but the fault code was ignored.

File does not end with 99 element

Explanation: The transmission did not end with the standard 99 element.


HELLO & GOODBYE elements mismatched

Explanation: Either the sender duns number, the receiver duns number or the sender control number

from the 20 element does not match the same information in the 99 element.


High Order in use (element 20)

Explanation: The number of elements in the transmission exceeds 9999.


Hold/Release for tag # 9999999999, rejected

Explanation: The producer’s hold/release request was rejected. The reason appears in a message

either before or after this one.

Action: The transaction was rejected. Contact the sender and investigate.

Invalid Customer Order item tag# 999999999999

Explanation: The Customer Order Item number sent on the OPS transaction does not correspond to

the item number already on the tag.


Appendix D Page 89


Invalid Element count in 20

Explanation: The number of elements or transactions actually transmitted does not equal the number

that the producer claimed would be sent (this is done through a counter in the OPS

element 02).


Invalid element count in transaction

Explanation: The number of elements or transactions actually transmitted does not equal the number

that the producer claimed would be sent (this is done through a counter in the OPS

element 02).


Invalid Field ID

Explanation: The field ID transmitted on the freeform element is not an AISI field ID.

Action: The 01 element in error is ignored.

Invalid Inbound Transaction Type

Explanation: The transaction that was received from the producer is not supported by eSTELops.


Invalid Matl Status, transaction ignored

Explanation: The material status transmitted by the producer is not in OPS table 70.


Invalid Order No format for tag# 999999999999

Explanation: The customer order number does not conform to either the ORN11N or the ORNHXN

rule.


Invalid P.O. format for tag# 999999999999

Explanation: The PON6 rule is on and the PO number for this tag is not 6 digits.


Appendix D Page 90


Invalid Release No format for tag# 999999999999

Explanation: The RLSN4 rule is on but the PO Release No. for this tag is not four digits.


Invalid Transaction count in 20

Explanation: The number of transaction specified by the producer in element 20 does not match the

number of transaction actually transmitted.


Invalid Transport mode

Explanation: The transport mode sent on the transmission could not be found in OPS table 26.


Missing mandatory elements in transaction

Explanation: The transaction from the producer did not contain elements that are standard and non-

optional.


Sender Ctrl No. is out of sequence

Explanation: The sender control number that appears on the transmission is less than the sender

control number on the previous transmission.


Shipment info not on file, transaction ignored

Explanation: The ASN to be canceled was not found in the system.


Tag ref not on file for transaction

Explanation: The tag on the producer’s transmission is not in inventory.


Appendix D Page 91


Tag is not on HOLD, transaction ignored

Explanation: The producer attempted to take a tag off hold, but it was not on hold to begin with.


Tag is already HOLD, transaction ignored

Explanation: The producer attempted to put a tag on hold but the tag is already on hold.


Tag already processed, transaction ignored

Explanation: The tag has already been used for processing.


Invalid Matl Status, transaction ignored

Explanation: The material status transmitted by the producer is not in OPS table 70.


Tag already processed, transaction ignored

Explanation: The tag has already been used for processing.


Tag already reserved, transaction ignored

Explanation: The tag has already been assigned to a toll order.


Tag ref not on file for transaction

Explanation: The tag on the producer’s transmission is not in inventory.


Trading Partner not authorized

Explanation: The trading partner is not setup as a toll customer.

Appendix D Page 92



Unrecognizable Receiver DUNS number

Explanation: The receiver duns number received with the transmission cannot be found in the

‘Branch/Duns number xref’ file.


Unsupported elements in chemical elements

Explanation: Elements on the transmission are not defined in the ‘Chemical Elements’ reference file.

Action: The chemical in error is ignored and the transaction is accepted.

Unsupported elements in transaction

Explanation: The transmission from the producer contained elements that are not supported by

eSTELops.


Appendix D Page 93


OPS COMMUNICATIONS MESSAGES

The OPS communication scripts produce are designed to log messages into the OPS Monitor. These

messages report whether a transmission was sent or received, and if any valid OPS data was detected in

the transaction.

Some messages will also report if there are conflicts or issues within the setup of a communication script,

allowing the system administrator to determine why transactions are not reaching the trading partner or

VAN.

The following is a list of the possible messages that may be produced and logged to the OPS Monitor by

the communication scripts.

Configuration File – Invalid Field Contents

Explanation: The reference file for one of the communication scripts contains information that is not

recognizable by the software.

Action: Confirm that a valid reference file was created for the selected network, and that the

contents are valid for each trading partner.

Configuration File Missing or Inaccessible

Explanation: The reference file for one of the communication scripts is missing or does not have

correct permissions to allow it to be read by the software.

Action: Create a valid configuration file. A sample configuration file may have been generated

for use as a guide.

FTP – Invalid Network Login

Explanation: The FTP session was unable to establish a valid login and password to get connected to

the remote host.

Action: Verify the network’s login and password being used in the OPS .netrc file, and test the

connection using FTP. Contact the VAN or trading partner to confirm the login

requirements. Verify with your network administrator whether the connection requires

any special security. Perhaps a setting on the VPN tunnel is incorrect or has been

changed.

FTP – Missing Entry in Network Login File (.netrc)

Explanation: The name in the communication script’s reference file for the remote host does not

match a valid host listed in the OPS .netrc file.

Action: Verify the remote host name exists in the .netrc file.

Appendix D Page 94


Invalid Qbatch Name

Explanation: The OPS Network field for Qbatch Name does not contain a valid queue name for

submitting OPS batched jobs.

Action: Adjust the contents of the Qbatch Name field so it contains a valid queue.

No Details Defined in Configuration File for Trading Partner

Explanation: The reference file that is being read by the selected network contains no entries that are

valid for the selected trading partner DUNS number.

Action: Confirm that a valid entry exists for the affected DUNS number. If the DUNS number

is not listed, examine the communication log for more info.

No Files to Receive/Receive Complete

Explanation: A receive was attempted by the OPS system and data in the right format was either

detected or not detected. If an OPS transmission is detected in the inbound file, it is

immediately processed.

Action: This is a normal activity. The “Receive Complete” message is usually followed by the

processing of a transaction, such as an ASN.

OPS – Controller UP/DOWN

Explanation: The OPS Controller was either started or stopped in the selected environment.

Action: This is a normal activity. You may want to confirm that the OPS Controller is in the

desired state (up or down) by viewing the OPS Controller Status (ops_status).

OPS Network is DOWN. Please contact your System Manager

Explanation: The OPS Network indicated has been disabled because the maximum amount of retries

has been reached on an outbound transmission.

Action: Check the OPS communication logs for that network and determine if the failure still

exists. Once communication is re-established, rename the outbound OPS transmissions

and restart the OPS Controller, if necessary.

Appendix D Page 95


OPS Queued Job Exceeded Timeout Limit

Explanation: An OPS job was found in the batch queue that exceeded the amount of time that it was

expected to take for the job to process.

Action: The job is automatically aborted to allow jobs behind it to proceed. If jobs are hanging,

you may need to clear the batch queue and restart the OPS Controller.

Send Complete/Resend Complete

Explanation: A transmission was sent out from the local OPS system and appears to have reached the

remote host.

Action: None. This is normal operation.

Send or Resend Failure (opx)

Explanation: A transmission was sent out from the local OPS system and failed to reach the remote

host.

Action: Review the network’s communication logs to determine what happened. Rename and/or

resend the outbound transmission. Check with the trading partner or VAN to determine

if the transmission was actually received.

Timecycle – Receive cannot be zero

Explanation: In the OPS Network ID, the value for how many minutes to wait between receive

attempts cannot be zero.

Action: Adjust the Timecycle – Receive value to a more appropriate value. It is recommended

to avoid using values less than the value set for the Timecycle – Send.

Timecycle – Send cannot be zero

Explanation: In the OPS Network ID, the value for how many minutes to wait between send attempts

cannot be zero.

Action: Adjust the Timecycle – Send value to a more appropriate value. It is recommended to

avoid using values less than the 3, and not exceeding the value set for Timecycle –

Receive.

Appendix D Page 96



APPENDIX E

AISI OPS ELEMENTS & FIELDS CHART

The chart below outlines the fields that make up each OPS element. The table listed includes the

following information:

ELEMENT NUMBER

This value is listed in the first two columns of each line in an OPS transmission defines what type of

element it is for. eSTELops supported element values are as follows:

Element # Description

02 Toll Customer Information (one per transaction)

04 Item Dimension Information – Two Dimension – Cut Length

05 Item Dimension Information – Two Dimension – Coil

20 Hello Element (one per transmission)

41 Shipped Load Identification

43 Shipped Carrier Identification

45 Chemistry Reporting

51 Freight Calculations

53 Material Identification #2 – Format Specifics

54 Material Identification #1 – General Details

87 Miscellaneous Data

99 Goodbye Element (one per transmission)

01-102E Freeform – Administrative Message

01-677E Freeform – End-User Product Identification

01-901E Freeform – End-User Identification

ELEMENT STRUCTURE

Each element line has the following structure:

EELLLLXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

‘EE’ represents the element number.

‘LLLL’ represents a unique sequential number that starts with ‘0001’ and increments to a maximum

Appendix E Page 98


of ‘9999’.

‘XXXX…’ represents the remaining 74 columns which make up the fields for each element. Those

fields are listed in the chart on the next page.

OPS ELEMENT FIELD CHART

OPS eSTELPLAN

Element Field Column Length A/N Usage Initial Field Final Field

02 Transaction Code 7 2 N

02 PO Date (M/D/Y) 9 6 N 90 ASH-REQD-DT-YMD

02 Producer DUNS 15 23 N 90 ASH-CUS-DUN-NO

02 PO Number 24 22 A 90 ASD-PRS-PO-NO TIV-CUS-PO-NO

02 Release Number 46 6 A 90 ASD-T-REL TIV-PO-REL-NO

02 Processor DUNS 52 9 N BRD-DUN-NO TCS-DUN-NO

04 Item Number 7 4 A

04 Item Thickness 11 6 N 90 ASD-T-GA TIV-GA

04 Item Thickness UoM 17 1 A 90 ASD-T-GA-DESC TIV-T-GA-TYP

04 Item Width 18 7 N 90 ASD-T-WDTH TIV-WDTH

04 Item Width UoM 25 1 A 90 ASD-T-WDTH-DESC

04 Edge Designation Code 26 2 N 90 ASD-EDGE-DSGN TIV3-EDGE-DSGN

04 Item Length 28 8 N 90 ASD-T-LGTH TIV-LGTH

04 Item Length UoM 36 1 A 90 ASD-T-LGTH-DESC

04 Quantity (other than weight) 37 7 N 90 ASD-PCS-PER-LIFT TIV-PCS

04 Quantity UoM 44 2 N 90 ASD-T-UM

04 Item Weight / Mass 46 9 N 90 ASD-ITM-WGT TIV-RCV-WGT

05 Item Number 7 4 N

05 Coil Thickness 11 6 N 90 ASD-T-GA TIV-GA

05 Coil Thickness UoM 17 1 A 90 ASD-T-GA-DESC TIV-T-GA-TYP

05 Coil Width 18 7 N 90 ASD-T-WDTH TIV-WDTH

05 Coil Width UoM 25 1 A 90 ASD-T-WDTH-DESC

05 Edge Designation Code 26 2 N 90 ASD-EDGE-DSGN TIV3-EDGE-DSGN

05 Coil Dimension - Inside 28 4 N 90 ASD-T-COIL-ID TIV-ID

05 Coil Dimension - Outside 36 4 N 90 ASD-T-COIL-OD TIV-OD

05 Quantity (other than weight) 58 7 N 90 ASD-T-COIL-LGTH TIV-COIL-LGTH

05 Quantity UoM 65 2 N 90 ASD-T-UM

05 Item Weight / Mass 67 9 N 90 ASD-ITM-WGT TIV-RCV-WGT

20 Sender DUNS 8 9 N TOP-T-SNDR-DUN-NO

TOP-T-SNDR-DUN-NO

20 Receiver DUNS 17 9 N TOP-T-RCVR-DUN-NO

TOP-T-RCVR-DUN-NO

20 Transaction Quantity 26 4 N

20 Number of Elements 30 4 N

20 Transmission Date (MMDDYY) 34 6 N

20 Transmission Time (HHMM) 40 4 N

20 SCN 44 5 N TOP-T-SNDR-CTL-NO TOP-T-SNDR-CTL-NO

Appendix E Page 99


OPS eSTELPLAN


41 Load Weight/Mass 7 9 N 90 ASH-LOAD-WGT

41 Chargeable Dunnage 16 5 N N/A

41 Load Reference No. 21 22 A ASH-T-BL-NO TRR-TOLL-BL-NO

41 Master Reference No. 43 22 A b90 TBH-T-MST-BL-NO BLM-T-MST-BL-NO

41 Transport Charges 65 1 A 90 ASH-TRANSP-CHG-CD

41 Number of Packages 66 4 N 80 ASH-NBR-PKG TRH-TOT-ITM-RCVD

43 Shipping Date (M/D/Y) 7 6 N 90 ASH-SHPG-DT-YMD

43 Ship-From DUNS 13 9 N 90 ASH-SHF-DUN-NO

43 Ship-To DUNS 22 9 N 90 ASH-SHP-DUN-NO

43 Routing Info 31 22 A 90 ASH-RTE-INFO TRH-RTE-INFO

43 Vehicle Info 53 12 A 90 ASH-VCL-NO TRH-VCL-NO

43 Transport Mode 65 1 A 90 ASH-TRANSP-MODE TRH-TRANSP-MODE

43 Standard Carrier Code 66 4 A 90 ASH-SCA-CD

43 Appointment Number 70 6 A b90 TBH-APPT-NO TBH-APPT-NO

43 Shipping Time (military time) 76 4 N 90 ASH-SHP-TM

OPS eSTELPLAN


45 Heat Number 7 10 A HET-HET-NO HET-HET-NO

45 Chemistry Line ID 17 1 A

45 1-Carbon 18 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Nitrogen 18 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Tantalum 18 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Manganese 23 7 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Vanadium 23 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Zirconium 23 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Boron 28 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Selenium 28 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Phosphorous 30 4 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Titanium 33 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Tellurium 33 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Sulphur 34 4 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Silicon 38 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Oxygen 38 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Columbium 39 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Copper 44 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Hydrogen 44 4 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Niobium 45 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Germanium 48 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Nickle 50 7 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Cobalt 51 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Calcium 54 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Chromium 57 7 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Lead 57 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

Appendix E Page 100


OPS eSTELPLAN


45 3-Magnesium 59 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Arsenic 62 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Molybdenum 64 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Bismuth 64 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Antimony 67 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Cerium 69 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Tin 70 5 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 2-Tungsten 73 4 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 3-Other (XX99999) 74 7 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

45 1-Aluminum 75 6 A HET-CHM-EL(#) HET-CHM-EL(#)

OPS eSTELPLAN


51 Shipment Nature 7 2 A b90 TBH-SHP-NAT TBH-SHP-NAT

51 Commodity Code 9 10 A N/A

51 Commodity Code ID 19 1 A N/A

51 Freight Rate 20 6 N N/A

51 Freight Rate UoM 26 2 N N/A

51 Contract No. 28 20 A b90 BLM-CRR-CNT BLM-CRR-CNT

53 Test ID 7 1 A

53 Processor Base/Parent ID 8 12 A 90 ASD-PREV-PROCR-ID TIV-PREV-PROCR-ID

53 Current Catalog ID (Format 2) 8 12 A N/A

53 Processor Slit ID 20 3 A

53 Processor Split ID 23 3 A N/A

53 Previous Base/Parent ID 27 12 A 90 ASD-PREV-PROCR-ID TIV-PREV-PROCR-ID

53 Previous Catalog ID (Format 2) 27 12 A N/A

53 Previous Slit ID 39 3 A

53 Previous Split ID 42 3 A N/A

53 OP Material Status 45 1 A 97 TIV-MAT-STS TIV-MAT-STS

53 OP Material Status Date 46 6 N 97 TIV-ORIG-REF-DT-YM TIV-ORIG-REF-DT-YM

53 Reshippable Platform ID 52 14 A N/A

53 Transfer From (Format 2) 66 1 N N/A

53 Transfer To (Format 2) 67 1 N N/A

54 Material ID 7 12 A 90 ASD-PRODR-TAG-NO

54 Heat Number 19 10 A 90 ASD-T-HET-NO HET-HET-NO

54 Intended Ship Order No. 29 22 A 90 ASD-T-SHP-ORD-NO TIV-CUS-ORD-NO

54 Release Number 51 6 A 90 ASD-T-REL-NO TIV-EUSR-NO

54 Intended Ship Item No. 57 4 A 90 ASD-T-SHP-ORD-ITM TIV-CUS-ORD-ITM

54 Process Code 61 2 A 90 ASD-T-PRS-CD

54 Material Classification 63 2 A 90 ASD-MAT-CL TIV-MAT-CL

54 Transaction Activity Date 65 6 N 90 ASD-ACT-DT-YMD

54 QA Status Code 71 1 A N/A

54 Commercial Status Code 72 1 A N/A

54 Commercial Status Date 73 6 N N/A

Appendix E Page 101


OPS eSTELPLAN


54 Product Reapplication Code 79 1 A N/A

54 Product Indicator 80 1 A N/A

OPS eSTELPLAN


87 Producer's Grade Code 8 8 A N/A

87 Quantity 16 7 N 90 ASD-TH-WGT TIV-TH-WGT

87 Quantity UoM 23 2 N 90 ASD-TH-WGT-UM

87 Fault Code 1 25 1 A 90 ASD-FAULT-CD(#)

87 Damage Code 1 26 3 A 90 ASD-FAULT-TYP(#)









87 Weight Variance 45 6 N b92 TPO-SCALE-WGT-DIFF

87 Gain or Loss (G/L) 51 1 A b92

87 Processing Code 2 52 2 A b92 TPO-T-PRS-CD




87 Next Processing Code 60 2 A b92 TPO-NXT-PRS-CD

87 Production Unit Code 62 3 A N/A

87 Scaled Weight (Y/N) 65 1 A N/A

87 Discharge Time 66 4 N N/A

87 OP Invoice Number 8 15 A b90 WS-TBH-SID2

87 OP Shipping Date (M/D/Y) 23 6 N b90 WS-DATE-MDY

01-102E Administrative Message 20 61 A AMG-ADM-MSG

01-677E Ultimate Customer Product ID 20 15 A 90 ASD-EUSR-PART-NO15

01-677E Ultimate Customer Part No. 35 30 A 90 ASD-EUSR-PART-NO EUP-PART-NO

01-677E Barcode Value 65 15 A 90 ASH-BARCD-SPC-LN

01-685E Supplier ID 20 11 A 90 ASD-EUSR-PRODR-ID

01-901E Ultimate Customer Order No. 20 22 A 90 ASD-EUSR-ORD-NO TIV-EUSR-PO-NO

01-901E Ultimate Customer Item No. 42 4 A 90 ASD-EUSR-ORD-ITM

01-901E Ultimate Customer Release No. 46 6 A 90 ASD-EUSR-ORD-RELNO

01-901E Ultimate Customer DUNS 52 9 N 90 ASD-EUSR-DUN-NO

01-901E Ultimate Customer DUNS Suffix 61 4 N N/A

01-901E Ultimate Customer Lookup Name 65 16 A 90 ASD-EUSR-LKP-NM

Appendix E Page 102



APPENDIX F

GLOSSARY

The following terms are used in relation to the eSTELops and eSTELtoll products, and with outside

processing systems in general. Knowing and understanding these terms will help anyone who has to

communicate to another company with which they plan to share electronic information.

TERM DESCRIPTION

ACK Acknowledgement.

This is a transaction that is sent as a reply to a trading partner so they are aware that

their material (or message) arrived at the destination and is being processed.

AISI American Iron and Steel Institute.

This organization established the rules and standards for data interchange between

steel producers and steel processors.

ASN Advance Shipping Notice.

This transaction alerts the trading partner that material is "on its way" and saves

them from having to re-enter all the data manually.

B/L, BOL Bill of Lading.

This shipping document is provided to the carrier (often a truck operator) who has

the details about what he is hauling, its weight, and any costs involved.

COMPORD This is the original name for the Outside Processing System (OPS) and is often still

used when referring to the transmission file standards. COMPORD standards have

been replaced by many organizations, which are using the newer EDI X12

standards.

DUNS Data Universal Numbering System.

Dun & Bradstreet is an organization that provides credit and financial information

about various businesses around the world. Customers who want to use OPS or EDI

products generally provide their unique nine-digit DUNS number to use as a means

of establishing who the data belongs to and who it is destined for. The numbers act

sort of like addresses on a letter, or like TO/FROM email addresses.

EDI Electronic Data Interchange.

This is a generic term for the sending of data between two companies who are using

a pre-arranged standard for communication. The two common standards used in the

metal industry are COMPORD and X12.

Appendix F Page 104


TERM DESCRIPTION

FTP File Transfer Protocol.

An established protocol for transferring data between two systems. Originally

designed and used on UNIX systems, most computer systems now offer a version of

FTP for data transfers.

OPS Outside Processor System.

This is the new name for the COMPORD system. It is also used to denote a trading

partnership between a metal producer and a metal processor.

SCAC Standard Carrier Alphabetic Code.

This is a unique code of letters that identifies a carrier company. Carriers are

companies that haul material from one location to another for a fee.

SCN Sender Control Number.

In COMPORD/OPS standards, this is a unique five-digit sequence number found in

the hello (20) and goodbye (99) elements. In X12 standards, this is a unique nine-

digit sequence number located in the start (ISA) and end (IEA) elements. The

numbers are used by trading partners so they know in what order to process data,

and can determine if any transmission may have gone missing.

TMW Theoretical Mill Weight.

Toll Processing Toll processing is when a company sends its material to third party for it to be

processed. The company who owns the material is the Toll Customer or the Steel

Producer, often a mill like US Steel or Mittal. The company that does the processing

for them is the Outside Processor (OP). Anyone running eSTELops or eSTELtoll is

usually the outside processor, although they may also act as a customer to another

OP.

UM, UoM Unit of Measure.

This generally refers to a valid Unit of Measure code obtained from AISI OPS

Table 24.

Appendix F Page 105


TERM DESCRIPTION

VAN Value-Added Network.

Companies that provide "data mailboxes" and EDI conversion services are known

as value-added networks. Company A drops off data in a mailbox for Company B

and vice versa. Each company is able to obtain their EDI data without having to

have a dedicated connection to each trading partner. The VAN provides the service

for a fee. Usually there is a set rate per month, plus costs based on total data

transmitted.

VPN Virtual Private Network.

A VPN is used to communicate sensitive data between two companies across public

networks. Each end point agrees upon data communication standards, compression

methods, encryption levels, and authorization codes. When done correctly, these are

very secure methods for sending and receiving personal data over the Internet.

X12 X12 is a standard used to communicate data between companies. It is not limited to

the metal industry, but is also being used by many other markets including grocery

stores, furniture manufacturers, and the health care industry. X12 has become the

de facto standard for EDI today as it offers more flexibility in how data is

transferred. Unfortunately, this also means many companies must produce unique

X12 maps to understand how each of their trading partners have decided to use the

standard.

Appendix F Page 106



INDEX

Activity ............................................... 48, 54, 56, 100

Activity Date ............................................. 54, 56, 100

Bill of Lading number ............................................. 29

Billing Type .............................................................. 7

Build-up .................................................................. 36

Canceled .................................................................. 85

Chemical Element ............................................. 54, 92

Coil Length ....................................................... 53, 74

Company Name .................................................. 7, 11

Condition code .................................................. 11, 87

Contact ................. 6, 10, 62, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93

Customer number ........................................ 44, 47, 48

Customer Order Item number ................................. 88

Customer Order number........................ 33, 34, 37, 38

Customer Rule ........................................................ 11

Cut to Length .......................................................... 77

Day .................................................................... 31, 68

Duns number ................................................. 5, 87, 92

Electronic Data Interchange .................................. 103

Element .................. 2, 24, 54, 89, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101

End Use ............................................................. 10, 54

Fault code ................................................................ 88

Freight Calculation .................................................. 97

Freight Rate ........................................................... 100

Heat .................. 24, 29, 30, 31, 51, 53, 56, 62, 99, 100

Heat Information ..................................................... 51

Heat number ............................................................ 62

In Process ................................................................ 37

Inside Diameter ....................................................... 53

Inside Salesperson ..................................................... 7

Item number ............................................................ 54

Level ........................................................... 29, 30, 77

Look-Up Name ....................................................... 10

Material Category ................................................... 37

Material Class ............................... 34, 53, 56, 78, 100

Material Identification................................. 11, 24, 97

Material Status ...........................4, 37, 55, 56, 79, 100

Monthly Scrap Credit ................................................ 7

Network8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 27, 62, 63, 64,

66, 93, 94, 95, 105

ODBC ..................................................................... 65

One-Time/Permanent .............................................. 40

Outside Diameter .................................................... 53

Outside Salesperson .................................................. 7

Ownership ............................................................... 42

Process .....................................20, 24, 36, 77, 85, 100

Received Date ......................................................... 42

Reference number ................................................... 11

Reports .................................................................... 25

Required Date ......................................................... 52

Route ....................................................................... 52

Rule ......................................................................... 11

Shearing .................................................................. 77

Shipment code ......................................................... 38

Shipment Date ......................................................... 52

Shipping Time ......................................................... 99

Status Date ...................................................... 24, 100

Stop ......................................................................... 76

Tag number ........................................... 44, 45, 47, 48

Tag Prefix ................................................................. 7

TCP/IP ...................................................................... 8

Theoretical Weight .................................................. 54

Timeout ................................................................... 95

TMM Report Grouping ............................................. 7

TMW Factor............................................................ 53

Toll Order ......................................................... 38, 39

Trading Partner ............................. 6, 7, 35, 71, 91, 94

Traffic Contact .................................................... 6, 10

Transaction Type .................................................... 89

Transportation Mode ......................................... 38, 43

Unit of Measure .............................................. 54, 104

Usage Status .............................................. 8, 9, 14, 58

User ID .................................................................... 51

User Identification .................................................. 97

User Menu Options ................................................. 33

X12 .............. 1, 3, 4, 29, 50, 62, 65, 68, 103, 104, 105

Index Page 108


Documents

eSTELops - Inveracnet.invera.com/estelplan/manuals/eSTELops/eSTELops-MD.pdf · Control Number’ (SCN) that provides the correct sequence in which to process transmissions as they