Status as of Wednesday November 19th, 2008

Testing Status Issues:

• Issue 1:

New environment with Telus is a shared MS Exchange 2007 server. Current standards for security require SMTP authentication. This authentication was never deployed within the current Bell connection model and can not be disengaged in a shared environment. All companies and vendors would be required to make coding changes to their programs in order to support SMTP authentication, and then distribute these changes, therefore this is not an option for the community.

Status:

Telus ordered a new MS Exchange server for CSIOnet making the server private and not shared with any other customers of Telus. This has an added cost to the solution because a non-shared environment was not quoted. The new server is on order to Calgary for installation. In the mean time, a spare server is being installed the week of November 17th. This private server will allow SMTP authentication to be "turned off".


• Issue 2:

CSIO Standards allow for only one attachment within an email. That attachment is in fact policy data to be processed by the receiver. MS Exchange 2007 is adding plain text attachments to these emails. Although these attachments pose no risk to processing of data, some systems of the companies and vendors will see these attachments as either more policy data or "SPAM", and therefore need to be removed. This removal will require special changes to the Exchange server with help from Microsoft directly.

Status:

With the new server, Telus is more able to make changes to the Exchange for CSIOnet with no impact or testing required for their other customers. Telus believes this will be rectified with MS on our private server.


• Issue 3:

Currently most parties connect to CSIOnet with a MS VPN connection that is installed with all MS Windows O/S. Although this configuration is standard on a workstation connecting to Bell, the configuration at Bell is not standard. Through testing we have learned that Bell's configuration is proprietary and custom built for CSIO and their other customers. That configuration, due to privacy and security, will not be shared with CSIO or Telus by Bell. We were also able to learn that some of the connection models use technology no longer available or supported, and therefore needed to find another solution.

Status:

With the mandate of providing CSIOnet via a VPN connection, and not providing an internet connection, the next and better option was to move to a browser based SSL VPN connection. What this means is that all parties using CSIOnet have the task of getting to the internet in what ever means they choose. This could be via a dial-up modem, high speed connection, T1....after which, that party will need to go to a URL for CSIONET.COM and login there. This login will then create the more secure VPN connection to Telus. What ever software is being used currently will need to look for the SMTP and POP servers to exchange policy data. Most, if not all, software currently performs this today and does not have a custom coded connection to Bell.


• Issue 4:

During testing we found that the Exchange server was requiring authentication for the id and the domain. i.e. be0001a@broker.edi.csio.com. Currently under the Bell solution, only the id is authenticated and it has been found that most parties have coded to send only that information. Random surveys with those currently using CSIOnet have found that this is easily changed by the end user, however, our goal is make as few changes as possible.

Status:

With the new server and configuration, Telus believes they can accommodate this change.


• Issue 5:

Currently when emails are sent, the subject line is all on one line. Global communication standards mandate that this can "wrap" or "fold" to a second line.

Status:

CSIO believes in supporting global communication standards and the CSIO Standards do not stipulate that the subject line should be all one line. The CSIO Standards define what should appear in the subject line. Further testing will reveal if parties are coding for a single line and they will need to make a change if they are unable to accommodate a "folded" subject line.


• Issue 6:

Approximately eight insurance companies require a direct connection to Telus. This would be an IPSec firewall to firewall connection. Under the Bell connection this was a frame relay connection and a costly connection, approximately $1800.00 monthly and monitored by Bell. The Telus solution is a current supported technology, and if managed by Telus, approximately $670.00 a month. Getting connection requirements from both sides of the connection model has been difficult.

Status:

The firewalls at Telus were delayed in shipping and installing. Attaining a number of parties wishing to connect in this model has been difficult and placed a delay in setting up the protocols and configurations to accommodate an unknown number of connections. The number has now been attained and the firewalls have been built and connectivity testing was started with 4 companies. That testing has been postponed to allow for the install of the new Exchange server.