Recommended approach for receiving EDIFACT PO messages via AS2 in Mendix

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Hi everyone,We have a requirement where a client will send Purchase Orders (POs) to our Mendix application via AS2, and the PO content will be in EDIFACT format.The expected flow is:Client ↓AS2 ↓Azure Logic App ↓EDIFACT Decode ↓MendixCurrently, I only have the EDIFACT text/sample message from the client. I don't have the complete AS2 message or AS2 certificates yet.I would like to understand the recommended architecture and integration approach.My questions are:Should AS2 communication and EDIFACT decoding be completely handled in Azure Logic Apps, with Mendix receiving the decoded data?Once the EDIFACT message is decoded in Logic Apps, what is the recommended way to send the data to Mendix?Can Azure Logic Apps call a Mendix REST API and pass the decoded EDIFACT/XML/JSON data?Is there any recommended Mendix module/connector for handling AS2 or EDIFACT directly in Mendix?If AS2 and EDIFACT processing is handled outside Mendix, what would be the recommended data format to send from Logic Apps to Mendix?At this stage, I mainly need guidance on the AS2 → EDIFACT → Mendix architecture, as I currently have only the EDIFACT sample available for testing.Any recommendations or examples of similar implementations would be greatly appreciated.
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1 answers
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Hi Arasamani,

For this type of integration, I would keep AS2 and EDIFACT processing completely outside Mendix.

My recommended architecture would be:

Trading Partner
     ↓
     AS2
     ↓
Azure Logic Apps
     ↓
EDIFACT Decode
     ↓
Mapping to Canonical JSON
     ↓
Mendix REST API
     ↓
Task Queue Processing

To answer your questions:

1. Should AS2 and EDIFACT be handled in Azure?

Yes. Azure Logic Apps already provides mature support for AS2 partner agreements, certificates, message validation, acknowledgements, and EDIFACT decoding. Keeping this responsibility outside Mendix simplifies the application considerably.

2 & 3. How should data be sent to Mendix?

Publish a REST endpoint in Mendix and let Logic Apps call it after decoding and transforming the message.

4. Is there a Mendix AS2/EDIFACT module?

Not that I would recommend for a production EDI solution. Building AS2, certificate handling, MDNs, partner agreements, and EDIFACT version management inside Mendix usually creates more maintenance effort than value.

5. What format should Logic Apps send to Mendix?

JSON.

Rather than passing raw EDIFACT or the decoded EDIFACT XML structure into Mendix, create a business-friendly JSON contract containing fields such as:

  • Purchase Order Number
  • Order Date
  • Buyer
  • Supplier
  • Delivery Information
  • Order Lines
  • Quantities
  • Pricing
  • Message Reference IDs

That keeps the Mendix domain model independent from EDIFACT versions and trading-partner-specific variations.

One additional recommendation: introduce a queue (for example Azure Service Bus) between Logic Apps and Mendix if the volume is expected to grow. This prevents PO processing from being dependent on Mendix availability and makes retries much easier to manage.

If you only have an EDIFACT sample today, you can already start developing the Mendix side by defining the target JSON structure, building the import mapping, and exposing the REST endpoint. When the AS2 certificates and partner details arrive, only the Azure side needs to be completed.

Hope this helps.


answered