Integration Adapter is used by Parcel to connect with the customer application for processing shipments.

The process that is used to connect Parcel with the customer application and make shipments is described below:

•A shared folder is used to share the shipping information among the customer application and Parcel. This shared folder can be either on the customer server machine or the Parcel machine.

•Integration Adapter as well as the customer application have Read and Write privileges on the shared folder.

•The customer application saves a connect input file in the shared folder. The connect input file contains shipping information required to process the shipment by Parcel.

•Integration Adapter scans the shared folder for connect input file(s) at a regular time interval. It can scan and process multiple shared folders simultaneously. However, it allows only one shared folder per Delivery Contract (DC).

•The scan interval can be configured for each DC by using the General tab of the Connect Configuration screen.

•Integration Adapter uses the Domain/Login user name and password to connect to the shared folder. This is also configurable using the General tab of the Connect Configuration screen. Integration Adapter checks the connection to the shared folder at every scan interval. If the connection is severed, it tries to re-establish the connection.

•After the connection is established and input file(s) are found in the shared folder, Integration Adapter initiates the processing of the input file(s). It reads and parses the shipping information records from the input file.

•After processing the shipping records, the processed shipments and the status of the shipping process (success or failure) is returned in a connect output file to the shared folder.

•Integration Adapter maintains a connect log file for each DC to store the information regarding the imported, exported and processed connect files.

For more information on how the Integration Adapter (Connect) works with the Parcel system, open this IData - Example.

Note: The data type for certain IA server fields is updated. The following fields in the didb.iafields table are now alphanumeric: "billtoacctnumber", "bill_to", and "to_cust_num".