iso8583.info Financial messages host simulators, HTTPS_MSG stream, guide with example

Introduce of iso8583.info on-site HTTPS host simulators for test financial messages processing.

Last time I introduced host simulator service via web-form.
They are good for quick request message validation and to see expected host replies.

Today I will show how to use our host simulators as HTTPS like services to send messages as standard POST or GET requests and get message responses.

In you user's area go to "hosts" profiles configuration. (https://iso8583.info/uid/hosts/)
Here you may see two sections: the list of hosts (HTTPS or TCP/IP) which is your virtual host profiles and ports.
TCP/IP Ports are the option for the site members. Ports required for TCP/IP socket streams which I will introduce in some next video guides.

At the beginning you have no any host configured we need to create the first profile. You can enable one free HTTPS service for your test needs.

When "add host" you will see the new host profile record with warning. You need to configure it.

In the host profile you can set host profile name, choose stream, host specification from available on-site hosts.

There are few TCP/IP streams which will require port and only one HTTPS stream HTTPS_MSG we will use today.
In the host option in the drop down list we may choose host specification for this host profile.
Let's select the same AMEX GCAG as we used in the past demo.
Don't forget to save your settings. Now you may see the start/stop switch.

Then host service stopped or misconfigured you will see the broken icon. Let's start our demo host service.
HTTPS services started and stopped right after your press start/stop button.
You may see that link icon changed. Clicking on it you may open URL of your HTTPS host simulator.

Without any requests the URL should show info message with Stream type (HTTP POST/GET), Host specification (AMEX GCAG).
This meant the the service is ready to use.

The HTTPS URL for test host looks like "https://iso8583.info/ths/E62DED45-4B97-4896-9B5A-9FB44897F0A6/"
where "E62DED45-4B97-4896-9B5A-9FB44897F0A6" is GUID of your host profile. When you create your host profile you will get own GUID value.

HTTP POST/GET stream expect to receive host request message in ASCII or in case it is not ASCII format as Hexadecimal string,
without delimiters as they recognized as a part of request message. In other words it should be the same format of request message you parse
on site parsers or sent via web-form host.

For this demo we will use same Authorisation request as used in web-form demo last time.

As quick test of HTTP GET request just add question mark character '?' to the host service's URL and request message:
"https://iso8583.info/ths/E62DED45-4B97-4896-9B5A-9FB44897F0A6/?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"

If you use linux CURL the same GET request will look like:
"# curl https://iso8583.info/ths/E62DED45-4B97-4896-9B5A-9FB44897F0A6/?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"

To check same message request with POST method - send it using curl:
"# curl -d 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 https://iso8583.info/ths/E62DED45-4B97-4896-9B5A-9FB44897F0A6/"

In the HTTP Response you should get the GCAG response message in same Hexadecimal encoding. No mater request was sent as POST or GET HTTP method.

When we go back to our host profile we may see our test requests.
At the moment these transaction traces stored only in memory and can be cleaned without notifications.
Anyway right after execution you may see transaction details and messages parsings with all sub-fields.
As it was with web-form host demo the known test cards and test cases can be detected and validated.

Feel free to test your terminals or switch solutions sending test authorisation messages via this HTTPS stream.

That's all for quick introduction of on-site HTTPS host profile configuration and simulators tools.
The introduction how to use TCP/IP hosts via Ports will be in one of the next guides.

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

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