Automate your Path Switch from email to AS4

– for all or specific market partners only
switch effortlessly and easily maintain compliance

Automate your AS4 Path Switch processes

Let Z1 Energy MarketCommunication handle the entire Path Switch Management – the technical switch from email to AS4 for all communication relationships in market communication. Alternatively, you can use specific commands in your business application (B2B, ERP) to control the Path Switch settings in the Z1 solution for certain communication relationships.

How it works: Path Switch process with Z1 Energy MarketCommunication

Set up an automatic switch to AS4 either for each market partner relationship or use automation as the default setting everywhere: Here, Z1 Energy MarketCommunication can either initiate Path Switch requests on its own or reply to incoming ones only. Alternatively, you can ignore incoming Path Switch requests and manually trigger Path Switch requests for individual market partners.

When certificates are available, the Path Switch request will follow

With the automatic switch enabled, AS4 transition for any market partner connection happens automatically once both parties have valid AS4 certificate triples.

Fully automated querying and validation of certificates through sub-CAs

Z1 Energy MarketCommunication is connected to all approved sub-CAs, enabling us to verify certificate availability for all regular market partners based on their MP-ID or GLN. If the search is successful, an automatic Path Switch request is sent to the external market partner – this is the request to switch to AS4. Once the external partner confirms this request, you’ve successfully switched to AS4 for that particular communication connection.

If the Path Switch is not successfully completed

If there is an error or the external market partner ignores your request, new Path Switch requests will be sent every five days until the switch is successfully implemented. This process is in accordance with the German EDI@Energy regulation: Regelungen zum Übertragungsweg (only German source available).

Important note for balance responsible parties (BRP): The switch to AS4 in market communication does not affect schedule data. The switch to AS4 for schedules can be made on July 1, 2024, independent from market communication.

For more information on this topic read our blog post: AS4 switch in Market Communication: BRPs face unique challenges in future schedule management

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