Table of contents 

• Abstract
• General IEA creation process
• Step-by-step: Creating an IEA as an Owner
  • IEA info
  • IEA test
  • Sign IEA
• Step-by-step: Creating an IEA as a Partner
  • IEA info
  • IEA test
  • Sign IEA

Abstract

Before you can exchange data, you need to create an ILAP exchange agreement (IEA). This agreement defines what data you will transfer, between which parties, how often and more.

The process of creating an IEA looks a little different depending on the role that you have in the IEA. Not sure about this? Or do you want to learn more about IEAs first? Check out this article: ILAP Exchange agreements (IEAs).

General IEA creation process

The IEA creation process consists of 3 steps.

Step 1 is about defining the IEA info. The Owner of the IEA decides most elements, e.g. what data is to be transferred. The Partner defines their configuration. In step 2 an upload test is performed by the Sender. If this is successful, both parties can sign the IEA in step 3.

The IEA creation process in 3 steps: 1 IEA info, 2 IEA test, 3 Sign IEA

Step-by-step: Creating an IEA as an Owner

In this step-by-step guide, the process of an owner throughout the 3 steps of the IEA creation process will be covered.

IEA info

The Owner initiates the IEA creation process and defines most of the IEA info.

1. Go to the “Active IEAs” tab in the top bar, and click on the “+ New IEA” button on the right side. The same button can also be found in the “New IEAs” tab.

        The Active IEAs screen with the “+ New IEA” button highlighted.

2. The IEA creation wizard will open. This wizard has 4 or 5 steps based on the chosen “Exchange role” in step 1. If you select to be a “Sender”, the 5th step is added. Go through the wizard, follow the instructions in the top and use the “i” icons to get additional information for each field.
   • Wizard step 1
     1. Title: Create a descriptive title for the IEA.
     2. Exchange role: Define whether you want to be the Sender or Receiver of data.
     3. Template: Select which set of data to transfer. If you can’t find the right template, contact a Setup user in your organisation. More about template in this article.
     4. Partner Tenant: Select in which company the person you want to exchange data with sits.
     5. Partner representative: Select who you want to exchange data with. The first step in the IEA creation wizard.
        
        
   • Wizard step 2
     1. Connector name: Select which connector to use. If you can’t find the right connector, contact a Setup user in your organisation. More about connectors on this page.
     2. Schedule identifier: Select which schedule you want to use. If you can’t find the right Schedule, contact a setup user in your organisation.
     3. Host system and Execute component will be automatically filled out when the connector is selected.
     4. Config will be automatically filled when the Schedule identifier is selected.
     5. Owner representatives: Add more people other than yourself to represent your side of the agreement. The second step in the IEA creation wizard
        
        
   • Wizard step 3
     1. Start date: Select when you want the IEA to be activated and start creating transfer events.
     2. Expiration date: Select when you want the IEA to expire and stop creating transfer events.
     3. Frequency: Select with at which frequency you want to exchange data.
     4. Labels: Make you IEA easily identifiable with labels. This is optional.
     5. Comments: Add extra information about the IEA here. This is also optional. The third step in the IEA creation wizard.
        
        
   • Wizard step 4
     1. Depending on the combination of the Host system and the Exchange role, a set of Host system parameters appear in Step 4. The settings are set in the Config but can be overwritten in this step. More about Host system parameter in this article.  The forth step in the IEA creation wizard. (Sender)
        
        The forth step in the IEA creation wizard. (Receiver)
        
        
   •  Wizard step 5
     1. In this step you can add a filter for the activities to be sent. The activity filter differs depending on the selected host system. More information about activity filters in this article.
     2. Click ‘“Submit” to finish this step of the IEA creation journey. The fifth step in the IEA creation wizard.
        
        

NB! Step 5 only appears when you select to be a Sender in the IEA

3. Wait for the Partner to complete their part of the IEA info.
   You can see the status of the IEA in the “New IEAs” tab. When you have an action to execute on, the IEA will show up on top in the table.

        The New IEAs page with IEAs with the action “Wait for partner” highlighted.

IEA test

NB! The IEA test is done by the “Sender”. If you are the Receiver, you can skip this entire step and go the Sign IEA.

1. As soon as the Partner has defined their part of the IEA info. There is an action for the Owner. This is visible by the notification in the “New IEAs” tab and in the table with New IEAs. The IEA will be visible on top with the other actions and the action will read: “Perform Upload test”. Click on the IEA.

        The New IEAs page with IEAs with the action “Partner Upload test” highlighted.

2. The IEA opens in the “IEA test” tab. Note the blue box that will give you instructions throughout the creation process. In the bottom right, you find a button to create an upload test event. This triggers a transfer event in the Execute component. It is highly recommended to do the test, but you can skip past this step by clicking the white button next to it. This brings you directly to the last step: Sign IEA.

        An IEA with status “Under construction” on the IEA Test page.

3. NB! this step is done in the Execute component (ILAP Desktop app).
    In the “Transfers” section in the ILAP Desktop app, you’ll find all the actions you have for transfer events in your IEAs. The upload test will show on top. Click the “Test” button to perform the test.
4. Viewing the Test results: Once the uploader has performed the test details can be seen in the IEA details page.Upload Test results for activity fields
   
   Upload Test results for schedule fields
   
   Upload Test results for resource assignments

Sign IEA

1. When the download test has been performed by the Receiver (or skipped), the action for the IEA changes to ‘“Sign off” and the IEA will show up on top of the New IEAs table. Click on the row to open the IEA.

        The New IEAs page with IEAs with the action “Sign off” highlighted.

2. The results of the IEA test will be visible in the table. You can also look back at the IEA info and the Host system parameters. If everything is correct, you can sign the IEA with the button in the bottom right. In the left bottom, your signature and the one from the partner will be visible after signing.
   
   When both parties have signed the IEA, it is good to go and the IEA will start running from the set starting date.

   An IEA with status “Under construction” on the IEA Test page, with the “Sign IEA on behalf of owner” button available

Step-by-step: Creating an IEA as a Partner

In this step-by-step guide, the process of a Partner throughout the 3 steps of the IEA creation process will be covered.

IEA info

The Partner gets invited into the IEA creation process and is mainly responsible for setting up their side of the configuration.

1. When you get invited into an IEA, you’ll get a notification in the menu bar next to “New IEAs”. When opening the New IEAs page, you’ll find a new IEA in the table with the action “Complete IEA info”. Click on the row to open this IEA.

        The New IEAs page with an IEA with the action “Complete IEA info” highlighted.

2. The IEA shows you all the information that the Owner has defined. And you'll be given a button to set partner's configurations. An IEA where partner is given button to add configurations
   
   
3. Once the button is clicked a wizard will be shown to partner where the following needs to be added:
   • Page 1:
     • Connector name: Select which connector to use. If you can’t find the right connector, contact a Setup user in your organisation. More about connectors on this page.
     • Schedule identifier: Select which schedule you want to use. If you can’t find the right Schedule, contact a setup user in your organisation.
     • Host system and Execute component will be automatically filled out when the connector is selected. 
     • Config will be automatically filled when the Schedule identifier is selected.
     • Partner representatives: Add more people other than yourself to represent your side of the agreement. Click “Next” to continue. Wizard to add partner configuration page 1
       
       
   • Page 2: Depending on the combination of the Host system and the Exchange role, a set of Host system parameters will be shown. The settings are set in the Config but can be overwritten in this step. More about Host system parameter in this article.
     
     If you are the Sender on the IEA, you can add an activity filter by clicking the “+Add” button in the info bar under the IEA title. There is a separate article on Activity filters, read this for more information. Click “Submit” to finish this step of the IEA creation journey.
     Wizard to add partner configuration page 2

IEA test

NB! The IEA test is done by the Sender. If you are the Receiver, after the upload test has been done, you can skip this entire step and go the Sign IEA.

1. After submitting the IEA info, you will navigate directly to the IEA test. If you leave that screen, you’ll be able to find the IEA back in the overview if New IEAs. Given that the uploader has done the upload test, the IEA will be visible on top with the other IEAs that you have an action for, and the action will read: “Perform Download test”. Click on the IEA to continue the IEA creation process.

        The New IEAs page with an IEA with the action “Perform Download test” highlighted.

2. Once the Uploader has generated test event, one download test event will be visible in the execute component (ILAP Desktop app) and the event will be visible under IEA Test Actions Tab. Click on the button to start the download test.
3. Once download test is completed or skipped, open the IEA in edit mode and navigate to the “IEA test” tab. Here the test results will be visible for upload test, download test and test comparison. At the bottom right corner there will be a button called, Sign IEA on behalf of Partner. Click to sign in as partner

   
   

   

   IEA partner sign off page upload test results
   
   

   

   IEA partner sign off page test comparison

   
    IEA partner sign off page download test results

Sign IEA

1. If you are the Sender and you have done the Upload test, a refresh of the page will make the “Sign off” button available. If you have left the page, or you are the receiver, you will find the IEA op top in the overview of New IEAs as soon as it is ready to be signed off. The status will read “Sign off”. Click on the row to open the IEA.

        The New IEAs page with an IEA with the action “Sign off” highlighted.

2. The results of the IEA test will be visible in the table. You can also look back at the IEA info and the Host system parameters. If everything is correct, you can sign the IEA with the button in the bottom right. In the left bottom, your signature and the one from the Owner will be visible after signing.
   
   When both parties have signed the IEA, it is good to go, and the IEA will start running from the set starting date.

        An IEA with status “Under construction” on the IEA Test page, with the “Sign IEA on behalf
        of partner" button available.