B2B Integration Patterns with Azure Logic Apps

Business-to-business integration remains critical for enterprises. Azure Logic Apps provides powerful capabilities for EDI, AS2, and other B2B protocols. Here is how to implement common B2B integration patterns.

Enterprise Integration Pack

The Enterprise Integration Pack enables:

• EDI message processing - X12, EDIFACT
• AS2 messaging - Secure B2B communication
• XML transformations - XSLT maps
• Schemas and validation - XSD validation

Setting Up an Integration Account

# Create an integration account
az logic integration-account create \
    --resource-group rg-integration \
    --name integration-account-b2b \
    --location australiaeast \
    --sku Standard

Adding Trading Partners

In the Azure Portal or via ARM:

{
    "type": "Microsoft.Logic/integrationAccounts/partners",
    "name": "integration-account-b2b/ContosoCorp",
    "apiVersion": "2019-05-01",
    "properties": {
        "partnerType": "B2B",
        "content": {
            "b2b": {
                "businessIdentities": [
                    {
                        "qualifier": "AS2Identity",
                        "value": "CONTOSO"
                    },
                    {
                        "qualifier": "ZZ",
                        "value": "123456789"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

Creating an AS2 Agreement

{
    "type": "Microsoft.Logic/integrationAccounts/agreements",
    "name": "integration-account-b2b/AS2-Agreement-Contoso",
    "apiVersion": "2019-05-01",
    "properties": {
        "agreementType": "AS2",
        "hostPartner": "MyCompany",
        "guestPartner": "ContosoCorp",
        "hostIdentity": {
            "qualifier": "AS2Identity",
            "value": "MYCOMPANY"
        },
        "guestIdentity": {
            "qualifier": "AS2Identity",
            "value": "CONTOSO"
        },
        "content": {
            "aS2": {
                "receiveAgreement": {
                    "protocolSettings": {
                        "messageConnectionSettings": {
                            "ignoreCertificateNameMismatch": false,
                            "supportHttpStatusCodeContinue": true
                        },
                        "acknowledgementConnectionSettings": {
                            "ignoreCertificateNameMismatch": false
                        },
                        "mdnSettings": {
                            "needMDN": true,
                            "signMDN": true,
                            "sendMDNAsynchronously": false,
                            "micHashingAlgorithm": "SHA2256"
                        },
                        "securitySettings": {
                            "overrideGroupSigningCertificate": false,
                            "enableNRRForInboundEncodedMessages": false,
                            "enableNRRForInboundDecodedMessages": false,
                            "enableNRRForOutboundMDN": false
                        },
                        "validationSettings": {
                            "overrideMessageProperties": false,
                            "encryptMessage": true,
                            "signMessage": true
                        }
                    }
                },
                "sendAgreement": {
                    "protocolSettings": {
                        "messageConnectionSettings": {
                            "ignoreCertificateNameMismatch": false
                        },
                        "mdnSettings": {
                            "needMDN": true,
                            "signMDN": true,
                            "sendMDNAsynchronously": false
                        },
                        "securitySettings": {
                            "enableNRRForOutboundEncodedMessages": false,
                            "enableNRRForOutboundDecodedMessages": false
                        },
                        "validationSettings": {
                            "encryptMessage": true,
                            "signMessage": true
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Logic App for Receiving EDI Messages

{
    "definition": {
        "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/providers/Microsoft.Logic/schemas/2016-06-01/workflowdefinition.json#",
        "triggers": {
            "When_a_HTTP_request_is_received": {
                "type": "Request",
                "kind": "Http"
            }
        },
        "actions": {
            "Decode_X12_message": {
                "type": "ApiConnection",
                "inputs": {
                    "host": {
                        "connection": {
                            "name": "@parameters('$connections')['x12']['connectionId']"
                        }
                    },
                    "method": "post",
                    "path": "/decode",
                    "body": "@triggerBody()"
                }
            },
            "Parse_Purchase_Order": {
                "type": "ParseJson",
                "inputs": {
                    "content": "@body('Decode_X12_message')",
                    "schema": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                            "purchaseOrderNumber": { "type": "string" },
                            "orderDate": { "type": "string" },
                            "items": {
                                "type": "array",
                                "items": {
                                    "type": "object",
                                    "properties": {
                                        "itemNumber": { "type": "string" },
                                        "quantity": { "type": "integer" },
                                        "unitPrice": { "type": "number" }
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "runAfter": {
                    "Decode_X12_message": ["Succeeded"]
                }
            },
            "Insert_into_ERP": {
                "type": "ApiConnection",
                "inputs": {
                    "host": {
                        "connection": {
                            "name": "@parameters('$connections')['sql']['connectionId']"
                        }
                    },
                    "method": "post",
                    "path": "/datasets/default/tables/@{encodeURIComponent('[dbo].[PurchaseOrders]')}/items",
                    "body": {
                        "PONumber": "@body('Parse_Purchase_Order')?['purchaseOrderNumber']",
                        "OrderDate": "@body('Parse_Purchase_Order')?['orderDate']",
                        "Status": "Received"
                    }
                },
                "runAfter": {
                    "Parse_Purchase_Order": ["Succeeded"]
                }
            },
            "Generate_997_Acknowledgment": {
                "type": "ApiConnection",
                "inputs": {
                    "host": {
                        "connection": {
                            "name": "@parameters('$connections')['x12']['connectionId']"
                        }
                    },
                    "method": "post",
                    "path": "/encode997",
                    "body": "@body('Decode_X12_message')"
                },
                "runAfter": {
                    "Insert_into_ERP": ["Succeeded"]
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Sending EDI Messages

{
    "triggers": {
        "When_order_is_ready": {
            "type": "ApiConnection",
            "inputs": {
                "host": {
                    "connection": {
                        "name": "@parameters('$connections')['sql']['connectionId']"
                    }
                },
                "method": "get",
                "path": "/datasets/default/tables/@{encodeURIComponent('[dbo].[ShipmentNotices]')}/onnewitems"
            }
        }
    },
    "actions": {
        "Create_856_ASN": {
            "type": "Compose",
            "inputs": {
                "transactionSetId": "856",
                "shipmentId": "@triggerBody()?['ShipmentId']",
                "carrier": "@triggerBody()?['CarrierCode']",
                "trackingNumber": "@triggerBody()?['TrackingNumber']",
                "items": "@triggerBody()?['Items']"
            }
        },
        "Encode_X12_message": {
            "type": "ApiConnection",
            "inputs": {
                "host": {
                    "connection": {
                        "name": "@parameters('$connections')['x12']['connectionId']"
                    }
                },
                "method": "post",
                "path": "/encode",
                "body": "@outputs('Create_856_ASN')"
            },
            "runAfter": {
                "Create_856_ASN": ["Succeeded"]
            }
        },
        "Send_via_AS2": {
            "type": "ApiConnection",
            "inputs": {
                "host": {
                    "connection": {
                        "name": "@parameters('$connections')['as2']['connectionId']"
                    }
                },
                "method": "post",
                "path": "/send",
                "body": "@body('Encode_X12_message')"
            },
            "runAfter": {
                "Encode_X12_message": ["Succeeded"]
            }
        }
    }
}

XML Transformation with XSLT

Upload maps to the integration account and use them:

{
    "Transform_XML": {
        "type": "Xslt",
        "inputs": {
            "content": "@triggerBody()",
            "integrationAccount": {
                "map": {
                    "name": "PO-to-Internal-Format"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Error Handling and Monitoring

{
    "Handle_EDI_Errors": {
        "type": "Scope",
        "actions": {
            "Decode_Message": { }
        }
    },
    "On_Failure": {
        "type": "Scope",
        "actions": {
            "Log_to_Service_Bus": {
                "type": "ApiConnection",
                "inputs": {
                    "host": {
                        "connection": {
                            "name": "@parameters('$connections')['servicebus']['connectionId']"
                        }
                    },
                    "method": "post",
                    "path": "/messages",
                    "body": {
                        "ContentData": "@base64(concat('EDI Error: ', actions('Decode_Message')?['error']?['message']))"
                    }
                }
            },
            "Send_Alert_Email": {
                "type": "ApiConnection",
                "inputs": {
                    "host": {
                        "connection": {
                            "name": "@parameters('$connections')['office365']['connectionId']"
                        }
                    },
                    "method": "post",
                    "path": "/v2/Mail",
                    "body": {
                        "To": "edi-support@company.com",
                        "Subject": "EDI Processing Error",
                        "Body": "An error occurred processing an EDI message."
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "runAfter": {
            "Handle_EDI_Errors": ["Failed"]
        }
    }
}

Tracking and Audit

Enable B2B tracking for compliance:

# Enable diagnostic settings
az monitor diagnostic-settings create \
    --name b2b-tracking \
    --resource "/subscriptions/{sub}/resourceGroups/rg-integration/providers/Microsoft.Logic/integrationAccounts/integration-account-b2b" \
    --workspace "/subscriptions/{sub}/resourceGroups/rg-monitoring/providers/microsoft.operationalinsights/workspaces/la-b2b" \
    --logs '[{"category":"IntegrationAccountTrackingEvents","enabled":true}]'

Azure Logic Apps provides a comprehensive platform for B2B integration, enabling secure and compliant partner communication.