Centralized storage

The storage component supports secure, highly available storage and retrieval of binary data that is identified by an ID.

The storage component differs from the databases of B2B Advanced Communications. The storage component stores transaction payload information in a file system of a server. Databases store metadata, including configuration information.

For example, when you configure storage after an installation of B2B Advanced Communications, the configuration information is stored in the database that is used by the data grid. But when you start running transactions, the payload information is stored in the storage component.

The following terms and concepts are basic to storage in B2B Advanced Communications:

• Blob – A sequence of bytes whose length is known (in contrast to a stream whose length is unknown). Optionally has some metadata such as its Content-Type (such as, image/jpeg, text/xml, or application/json)
  Important: The term BLOB might be familiar from its use with relational databases. A storage blob is similar but not identical to it.
• REST (Representational State Transfer) – A way of programmatically interacting with an HTTP server that uses the inherent strengths of the HTTP standard
• CDMI (Cloud Data Management Interface) – A standard protocol that is published by SNIA that is based on REST.
• Shared file system – Technology that allows a file server to share files with multiple clients. Shared file systems in B2B Advanced Communications include GPFS, CIFS, and NFS.

B2B Advanced Communications provides a software-only storage system, which requires only a shared file system mount.

The B2B Advanced Communications node images have a shared file system configured to meet availability needs.

The following B2B Advanced Communications components use the storage component:

• AS2
• AS4
• Sterling B2B Integrator