iso8583.info Financial messages (ISO 8583) host simulators, web-form message validation, guide with example

Introduce of iso8583.info on-site host simulators for financial messages processing via "web-form".

Our site services can simulate test hosts to process financial messages based on ISO8583 and non-ISO8583 standards like APACS.

On site you can select these host tools using the search with labels "host".
Or choose direct link from the list of supported on-site hosts.
Also here you may see the Test Plans and known test card profiles used by our Test Host System for all on-site host simulators.
At the moment we support card brand's ISO8583 host simulators for Amex, Diners, JCB, MasterCard, UnionPay and APACS 40 for UK market.
The host simulators implemented with minimum functionality required to support Test Plans from these brands.

As an example let's have a look to AMEX Global Credit Authorization Guide specification and test host web simulator.
For this specification we have two tools:
- "msg" - AMEX ISO8583-1993 online message, and
- "host" wich is host simulator for this message.

Let's imagine your test terminal or development environment can generate Authorisation message.
Hexadecimal dump:
"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"
FYI: AMEX GCAG used EBCDIC encoding that's why you may see a lot of "F" in the hexadecimal dump.

At first we will parse message and check message content. In "msg" tool you need to submit the message data into text-box and execute process.
You can see that all fields looks fine. At least no parsing issue.

When you can post same message into "host" tool and see the processing info and reply message.
Our Test Host System follow the same flows for all online transactions.
For cards:
- we can detect and authenticate cards using our known test cards profiles.
- for EMV transactions our HSM can validate ARQC cryptogram using chip data/Tags from the message.
- our HSM can generate ARPC cryptogram for reply message.
For the message:
- Test Host System detect known message types and extract all required fields.
- It can generate Authorisation code and Action code depending of detected card, message data, test case.
- Test Host System generate reply message.
For test cases:
- Test Host System detect test cases using our known test plans. (tests)
- It can set reply parameters, like specific Action codes, presence or ansence of EMV data.
- For some test cases Test Host System can generate Issuer Scripts and sign them correctly with MAC cryptogram calculated by our HSM.
- If Test case have host side validations they can be applied.

Our virtual HSM environment allow to detect card Platform, Key methods, used Cryptography methods.
For supported card Platforms it can generate and validate cryptograms for different EMV cases.

Say, here was executed Amex EMV AEIPS test "AXP EMV 001" and used AEIPS GLOBAL Card 20.
- We can see matched test card profile.
- The detected card platform is AMEX AEIPS.
- The cryptography methods detected. We validate ARQC and calculate ARPC cryptograms.
- The host message reply parameters filled.
- Few host side checks for this test case was validated.

Our "web-form" host simulators allow to quickly check request messages and see expected transaction processing.
As with all other on-site parsers the results in same tree-like style for you data analysis.

In case you'd like to use Test Host System for transaction processing and online authorisation for your test devices
you can create HTTPS or TCP/IP host connection. TCP/IP channels require port allocation.

FYI: We also implemented the HTTPS channel similar to AMEX Global Web Services Payments Gateway used by Amex Test System (ATS).
Let us know if you'd like to use it. (support@iso8583.info)

That's all for quick introduction of on-site "web-form" host simulators tools.
The introduction how to use HTTPS or TCP/IP hosts will be in one of the next guides.

For clarifications, please contact support. (support@iso8583.info)

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