Data Gateway Overview

Skills, Employment, and Partner Solutions (SEPS)

The Data Gateway In A Nutshell
  • The Data Gateway is a secured exchange web site which allows external partners (employers, provinces, territories and other organizations) to exchange files (upload-download) with the Government of Canada (GoC) stakeholders under an authorized information exchange agreement or program.
  • The Data Gateway public web site uses the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology in order to secure the file transfer.
  • The Data Gateway public web site has undergone a Threat and Risk Assessment (TRA) and has been accredited as a secure application for information up to Protected B level. A Security Assessment & Authorization (SA&A) is currently ongoing to certify the application with the download feature introduced in May 2018.
  • Each organization can designate multiple authorized users (employees) who will be given the responsibility to upload files on their behalf as part of the program.
  • Organization users upload their files using the Data Gateway public web site, known as the DGReceiver.
  • A web browser with SSL capabilities is the only software required to upload files.
File Upload (From External Users To GoC)
  • Files up to 100MB in size can be uploaded in the Data Gateway.
  • Users can upload up to 50 files at a time (Total size of all files must not be greater than 100MB).
  • Users have access to a history of files uploaded during the last 3 months (cannot view or download files already uploaded). Users can only view the history of files uploaded by them and/or by any other user of the same organization and uploading files for the same program.
  • Once a file is uploaded, the file cannot be viewed or downloaded by any user (except by the GoC recipients and/or the program administrators).
  • Files uploaded by organization users are stored in the Data Gateway database and are transferred to the GoC program client on a specific schedule (Example: Every hour, every day, etc). The files are transferred into either a network drive or a server, both defined by the information exchange or the program client.
  • Depending on the file transfer schedule, users have the ability to delete a file uploaded in error as long as the file has not been transferred to the GoC recipients.
  • The Data Gateway provides file transfer status update to the users uploading the files.
  • The Data Gateway does not read incoming files. It is only a file broker which receives files from an external stakeholder in order to transfer the files to the designated GoC recipients.
  • The Data Gateway cannot be used as a messaging system. Users cannot send files to specific recipients (people) internally.
  • GoC program clients will identify Administrators which will be responsible to manage organizations and user accounts associated with their program. This is done via another web site which is only available internally and can only be used by GoC program administrators.
  • The Data Gateway cannot notify the recipients that files were transferred to them since files are usually transferred to shared drives internally.
  • 2-3 working days is required to implement a new program into the Data Gateway.
  • An Upload Onboard Request Form (XSN, 18 KB) is required to initiate the implementation and must be completed by the program client.
File Download (From GoC To External Users)
  • An ESDC Active Directory (AD) account along with an Entrust eGrid is required for external users who need to download files shared with them.
  • AppGate connection with the AD Account and the eGrid will grant access to DGReceiver Secured web application to allow external users to download files.
  • External users must be added to the AppGate role NA-APPGATE-ESD-PDE-DGRECEIVER in order to be able to reach the intranet version of the Data Gateway web application (DGReceiver Secured) via AppGate - Shared Services Canada.
  • External users will be authenticated with the same AD Account credentials inside the DGReceiver Secured web application.
  • Multiple files for a total size of up to 100MB can be shared with external users in the Data Gateway.
  • GoC Data Gateway Administrators (and Managers) will share files with their external users for a specific data exchange program using the DGAdministration Web Application.
  • Files can be shared to one organization and to one program at a time.
  • Files can be shared to one or several users of a selected organization/program.
  • External users will be notified, if enabled, by the Data Gateway application that files are available for download once the users are logged into the application.
  • Expiry date is mandatory on shared files. At the expiry date, the files will no longer be available to external users.
  • An Download Onboard Request Form (XSN, 11 KB) is required to initiate the implementation and must be completed by the program client.