SMP - Service Metadata Publisher

describes a protocol for publishing service metadata within a 4-corner network. In a 4-corner network, entities are exchanging business documents through intermediary gateway services (sometimes called Access Points). To successfully send a business document in a 4-corner network, an entity must be able to discover critical metadata about the recipient (endpoint) of the business document, such as types of documents the endpoint is capable of receiving and methods of transport supported. The recipient makes this metadata available to other entities in the network through a Service Metadata Publisher service. This specification describes the request/response exchanges between a Service Metadata Publisher and a client wishing to discover endpoint information. A client can either be an end-user business application or a gateway/access point in the 4-corner network. It also defines the request processing that must happen at the client.