Overview of the sedex System

The sedex platform is a client-server messaging system of the Swiss Federal Government that enables distributed business and e-government applications (referred to as end-user applications) to exchange data via the Internet. The data transfer via sedex is secure, traceable and reliable.

Components of the sedex System

The sedex messaging system can be divided into the following top level components:

1. End-user applications

End-user applications that need to exchange business data (often in the form of XML documents) over the Internet.

2. sedex Client

The sedex platform’s decentralized component. A Java-based application that enables one or more end-user applications to exchange business data in the form of messages via the sedex platform. The sedex Client is installed, configured and run by the operator of the end-user application. You are reading the manual that describes how to do this on Docker.

3. sedex Server

The sedex platform’s central component via which all messages are exchanged. The sedex Server is technically operated by the Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication (FOITT).

Note: sedex messaging is asynchronous

A typical message may reach a recipient within about 1 minute, but that message transfer time is not guaranteed. For example, if the recipient’s sedex Client is down or offline, the message may never reach the receiver. In such a case, after 30 days of no delivery, the sender will be informed by a corresponding receipt generated by the system. Therefore, it is important that the sending end-user application processes the sedex receipts.