SOFiE Architecture
The architecture of SOFiE has been built according to modern software development principles.
It
isolates different levels of functionality in order to encapsulate and give the responsability of
the problem resolution to the different components.
Therefore GUI, business, securization,
communication and other tasks are assumed by dedicated components.
The SOFiE Infrastructure
-
The GUI and Batch level give useraccess to the functionalities of SOFiE.
-
The File treatment component is responsible for the
correct identification of files.
It serves also in automatic taks like file type detection,
destinator detection and file renaming (depending on emission, receiving).
-
The File securization level is responsible (in encryption
mode) for putting your original file into a standard S/MIME V2 format.
Therefore it has access
to your private key (using the password you use to login) and public certificates of the destinator.
In decryption mode it verifies the signature first. If the signature is valid, the file is
decrypted.
-
The File communication level is responsible for the file
exchange with the webserver.
It distinguishes wether you are in standalone or connected mode.
In connected mode it opens an HTTP/S connection to Sofie's central server, authentificates you with your
UserId and sends the file to the webserver.
If a communication problem occur, the file will
be sent again the next time you start the sending process.
In reception mode it fulfills an
acknowledge protocol with the webserver and executes the download of the files.
When an issue
occurs during the process, the protocol between the receiver and the webserver deals with
synchronization.
-
The Network level itself is based on TCP/IP and is therefore independent wether you use a
leased-line, DSL or a VPN connection to Sofie's central server.
At Six-Payment-Services
-
Sofie's central server deals with the communications established from a SOFiE client
installation.
It handles the incoming and outgoing files using its
syncronized protocol with the SOFiE participants.
The servlet produces a special log, giving Six-Payment-Services a trace of every action.
-
The SOFiE client installation at the participant side is always the initiator of a conneciton to Sofie's central server.
The
Servlet only responds to the requests of SOFiE client installations.