Managed file transfer capabilities are expanding and helping organizations become more secure and efficient. This video introduces Axway Managed File Transfer solution. A product demonstration oriented around common use case is exhibited. The use case that is shown involves an external partner uploading a PGP encrypted file into the Axway MFT gateway, which is de-crypted and routed to a backend application. This video also delves into the MFT rules engine that automates data transmissions and offers a basic primer on Operations Visibility & Tracking.
Hello, I'm Venket Venkipuram, Senior Pre-Sales Consultant with Axway, and I'm here to talk about Axway's Axway MFT (Managed File Transfer) solution.
What is Managed File Transfer? It is a software or a service that automates the exchange of data files between and within organizations. Today, we will be going over some of the common MFT flow patterns. Then, we shall review a typical deployment architecture. We shall then pivot to a demo which is oriented around a common use case wherein an external partner uploads a PGP encrypted file into the Axway MFT gateway, which is then decrypted and routed conditionally to the correct backend system. We shall then round this off by going over what we have seen.
Common MFT Flow Patterns
Let's hone in on common MFT flow patterns. We can look at it from three different dynamics:
- You have your partner ecosystem with whom you're exchanging files through the firewall. This forms the basis of your B2B flows.
- Then we move on to the internal ecosystem wherein you have your various systems and applications running on different platforms. Altogether, they need to exchange data files as well. This forms the basis of your app-to-app transfers or system-to-system transfers.
- Then you move on to the third dynamic, the ad hoc or the human dynamic, where you need to be able to collaborate, share content in an easy and self-consuming way, either internally or externally with your colleagues or individuals outside of your enterprise. This could be a combination of different things wherein the exchanges between systems and humans or humans and humans.
Let's take a brief look at a typical Axway MFT deployment architecture. Your external partners, at the right side of this image, are transmitting data files to Axway MFT data exchange hub via the DMZ. The data exchange hub brokers the exchange of data files between your internal applications and your external partners. The DMZ is where Axway Edge Proxy solution is installed. This is a zone that contains no data, hence securing the backend data hub from any security threats. The data itself is secure in transit and at rest. The footprint behind the firewall where the MFT data exchange hub is installed becomes the reverse proxy to the external world. This is a secure zone and this is where your external partners and your internal applications will be logging in to exchange data files. The data exchange hub also holds the rules engine that automates all of the workflow processing. As your data traffic and partners grow, you would need to scale this installation as well. This installation can be scaled easily with multi-node clustering. Moreover, most of the MFT actions that can be performed via the web-based portal or file-based clients can be achieved by use of Axway APIs. Axway APIs can easily integrate with your ITSM applications and your core technical team doesn't have to learn the inner workings of Axway MFT in order to use it. Axway MFT has a customizable role-based administrative tool that enables self-service, and you can easily extend this to be used across various teams, making it a shared service.
Demo Overview
We shall now transition to the demo. This demo will be oriented around a common use case: we have a partner who is uploading a PGP encrypted file into the Axway MFT gateway using SFTP protocol. This file will then be decrypted by the Axway MFT gateway and routed to the backend application.
Agenda
I'm going to show you the demo from three different perspectives. I'm going to begin by onboarding this new customer. This will be executed through the eyes of an end user in self-service fashion. I shall then pivot to explaining the rules engine, how we do the automation not just to ingest the file but automatically PGP decrypt the file and route the file to where they need to go. We shall then take a look at the runtime dynamics of operational visibility and tracking. Some of the key themes that we will be seeing are how we can eliminate the scripting and the execution of the workflows and processes in a much more streamlined, simplified, and automated manner. We will look at self-service concepts, how we can put these capabilities into the hands of the end users. We will see how this platform can be made flexible and extensible. We will also look at how operational efficiency can be realized.
