1. MPCC Architecture Review
January 2008

2. Background
This review is being driven on behalf of the market to ensure that the MPCC architecture is maintained at the highest possible level.
The Goals for this exercise are to:
Help suppliers understand the current MPCC systems / technical architecture
Highlight the limitations of this architecture
Get feedback from Market Participants
Identify business requirements
Agree on the next steps

3. End to end view from Market Hub to MPCC
The architecture can be broken into 3 Sections
ESB Back End systems and Hub – out of scope
Communications Link
MPCC

4. Current Architecture – Communications Link
Technical Architecture
Communications protocol stack is in line with industry standards
TCP/IP is the standard comms stack for communication over the internet
SMIME and SSL (transport encryption) provide secure encryption of the Message and its contents as it travels over the internet
PKI is used for vetting 3rd Parties
XML used for packaging data
Minor Limitations
Need to upgrade version of SSL
Need to investigate the usefulness of PKI as MODSSL is performing a similar function
Data is encrypted
Message is encrypted
Summary
Good communications architecture very much in line with Industry standards
Very High Level of security
No immediate change is required
PKI is used to verify both ends of a conversation. This is known as mutual authentication and requires a public key infrastructure deployed to clients.

5. Current Architecture - Suppliers MPCC
Technical Architecture
CGI is used for interfacing to external applications
OnRamp is used for unwrapping and date time stamping messages
Webforms is used to create and amend market messages
Limitations
Access 97 is not a suitable database (not secure and unsupported)
Windows 2000 is not secure enough
IE 5.0 is not suitable for new encryption technologies
CGI is inefficient at processing data
Software upgrades involves distribution of CDs.
On Ramp consists of Access 97, CGI, OS Windows 2000, Batch
SeeBeyond On Ramp is used to:
Log Messages
Verify that the message is legitimate
Translate data where necessary
Contains business process rules
Sends the message to the appropriate back end system
Sends acknowledgement / rejection message to sender
Ability to audit the movement of data through the system and pinpoint any errors or problems
Upgrade to EV (Extended Validation) SSL certificates (3rd Q 2008)
This will enable the revocation of SSL certificates
Explorer 7 (IE7) includes EV support by using colour coding as part of its verification process
Verifies the legitimacy of the businesses you are dealing with

6. Business Issues Market Participants MPCC provides no new functionality
Message logs need to be regularly maintained
Limited visibility of message throughput
ESB Networks
ESBN have recently adopted SAP’s application integration platform and more specifically SAP XI (an XML based message broker) for their SEM and future internal needs.
SeeBeyond OnRamp expertise will gradually become more limitedwithin ESBN
Regulatory
New design could facilitate new market entrants
Opportunity to design a single market gateway.
Opportunity for one supplier to provide IT services for another.

7. Technical Issues
Current software has a maximum shelf life of 3 to 5 years
Significant parts of the technical architecture are unsupported
Access 97 is not a suitable database (not secure and unsupported)
Windows 2000 is not secure enough
IE 5.0 is not suitable for new encryption technologies
CGI is inefficient at processing data
Software upgrades involve the distribution installation of CDs.
There is a licensing overhead which may be removed through the use of open source software

8. Other Business Issues ?

9. Business Requirements ?

10. Assumptions
Any new MP messaging component to be developed via a third party contract i.e. not directly by ESB Networks resources.
The favoured option should be that of a common MP messaging component as it would facilitate:
Testing
Integration
Open source software should be used

11. Provide a migration path Get feedback from Market Participants on:
Next Steps
Provide a migration path
Get feedback from Market Participants on:
Business needs based on evidence from their experience of the current MPCC
Their preferences for development strategy