Wholesale: Products & Services

Archived System CR SCR120612-1 Detail

When AT&T is the client and Qwest is the server, and Qwest sends transaction to AT&T, Qwest will attach Qwest certificates to that transaction for authentication. When Qwest is the client and AT&T is the server, and AT&T sends transaction to Qwest, AT&T will attach the AT&T certificate to that transaction for authentication. This procedure is compliant with Industry Standard SSL Authentication, as found at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v5r1/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.itim.infocenter.doc%2Fcpt%2Fcpt_ic_security_ssl_

authent2way.html.

REVISION REC'D 12/11/12

Additionally, CenturyLink (Legacy Qwest) sends an outbound message to AT&T via SSL and AT&T receives that message. CTL then keeps that connection open for subsequent messages. This is how they manage with all the companies they work with. AT&T, conversely, severs connections after every transaction. AT&T views this as an essential security measure, and has this same process with over 200 of the companies they work with.

At this time AT&T is not researching an option to change this security practice.

AT&T requests CenturyLink to also sever the connection after every transaction. This is compliant with AT&T’s security practice.

Proposed Implementation Date: February 2013

Status History

Project Meetings

Susan Lorence – CenturyLink said this is the CR discussed in February that we relayed we were able to implement early.

Carrie Bousfield - CenturyLink confirmed there were no issues with the CR.

Mark Coyne - CenturyLink asked if there were any objections. There were none.

2/20/2013 Monthly Systems CMP Meeting Mark Coyne – CenturyLink said that though the CR shows an implementation date of March 4, CenturyLink was able to install the release in production a little earlier than planned to facilitate some BETA testing with the customer.

12/12/2012 Monthly Systems CMP Meeting Mark Coyne – CenturyLink said a revision to this CR was received from AT&T on 12-11-12 and the update was available on the calendar. Mark said having AT&T present this CR in the monthly meeting would be taking the place of the normally scheduled clarification call for this CR so CenturyLink can move forward with this request.

Mark Van de Water - AT&T presented the CR. Mark said that AT&T started testing the MTG XML platform and identified some changes based on how they do things or industry standard. One change is to how digital certificates are exchanged. Mark said it is now standard but may not have been initially. Mark said the second change is to how the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) handshake occurs. Currently MTG allows the connection to remain open and but AT&T security measures requires the transaction to be stopped and then started again with each transaction. Mark said the request is for MTG to be modified for AT&T and that this is not a blanket change.

Carrie Bousfield - CenturyLink said CenturyLink is still investigating the best options but that it will not likely impact other customers that are on-boarding at this time.

Mark Van de Water - AT&T said that was true for the second half of the CR. The first portion of the CR was to be done specific to each company.

Carrie Bousfield - CenturyLink said that was correct. The first part of the CR was related to how the digital certificate was loaded. . Mark Coyne – CenturyLink asked if there were any additional questions. There were none.

CenturyLink Response