When you define a routing rule, you can optionally instruct the Partner Manager to execute a pre-processing service before routing a document to its destination. For example, you might use a pre-processing service to obtain a special timestamp or affix a digital signature to the document. Because the document exists in the pipeline when the Partner Manager invokes the pre-processing service, you can even use this service to extract information from, or write information to, the document itself.

When you specify the name of a pre-processing service in the routing rule, the Partner Manager executes that service before it invokes the transport—that is, in the routing service, the invocation step for the pre-processing service appears before the invocation step for the transport service.