PilotFish Interface Exchange (PIE)

PilotFish Technology is proud to offer the XCS eiConsole for DTCC. Whether your organization is sending or receiving DTCC's supported data formats, the XCS eiConsole for DTCC provides a rich suite of tools to facilitate implementation and reduce project timelines.

The two major components of the PilotFish Technology integration solution are the XCS eiConsole and XCS eiPlatform:

• The XCS eiConsole is a graphical configuration tool to enable the creation, deployment, management and maintenance of interfaces on the XCS eiPlatform framework. Configurable stages that comprise an interface include the Listener, Processor, File Specification Editor, Data Mapper, Router, Transaction Monitor, and Transport.

• The XCS eiPlatform is a Java framework (typically) deployed to an application server to support the run-time deployment of the interfaces.

The XCS eiConsole for DTCC bundle provides substantial enhancements to enable unparalleled support for DTCC-specific capabilities including support for both IPS flat file layouts and the ACORD Standard DTCC TXLife Transactions:

Support for the DTCC IPS flat file layouts

For years, carriers, distributors, and others in the insurance value chain have turned to DTCC's Insurance Processing Services to mediate business-critical data exchange. Firms have become increasingly reliant on these files, making assurance of data quality and ease of implementation high-priority items. PilotFish has now made the development and management these feeds easier than ever before.

The following NSCC file layouts are supported by the XCS eiConsole for DTCC:

• Positions and Values (POV, PVF, PNF, PFF

• Financial Activity Reporting (FAR)

• Commissions (COM)

• Application and Subsequent Premium (APP/SUB)

• Asset Pricing (AAPW)

• Licensing and Appointment (LNA)

• In-force Transactions (IFT)

The XCS eiConsole is bundled with two interface templates for each of the supported file layouts listed above. One template is for creating an IPS feed while the other is for consuming an IPS feed. These templates provide a paint-by-numbers approach. When generating an IPS file, the developer defines and maps the proprietary source data to the pre-loaded target IPS format using the XCS eiConsole Data Mapper. When consuming an IPS file, the source IPS file is pre-configured, and the proprietary target is mapped.

The XCS File Specification Editor has been enhanced with a DTCC File Spec Importer which directly consumes the Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (.XLS) that are used by DTCC to publish the IPS fixed-width file layouts. Using this tool, developers and business analysts effortlessly convert any DTCC IPS feed to an XML format. The same tool also generates any IPS file layout from an XML document. This eliminates tedious, hand-coded, file parsing routines and reduces the effort associated with upgrading to a new release.

The XCS Data Mapper includes a DTCC Format Reader which consumes the IPS layout definition spreadsheets. This tool features drag and drop mapping from the IPS file formats, simplifying data transformations. The DTCC Format Reader provides in-line access to the records and fields in the IPS file layouts, as well as the documentation and code lists associated with each format.

The bundle also includes a DTCC IPS Validator. This Processor component automatically detects whether or not a given feed meets the basic criteria defined in the file layouts. The validation module is extensible to allow further definition of trading-partner and/or system-specific data requirements. Validating feeds closer to their source results in better data quality, fewer errors in downstream target systems, and an improved customer experience for the party on the receiving end of the transmission.

Support for the ACORD Standard DTCC TXLife Transactions

DTCC and PilotFish have demonstrated a commitment to supporting the ACORD XML standards. For years, PilotFish has included best-of-breed, ACORD-native functionality in the XCS eiConsole. As the community begins to adopt DTCC's new, ACORD-formatted transactions, they can rely on the XCS eiConsole for DTCC to make implementation painless.

PilotFish has extended the ACORD-specific capabilities of the XCS eiConsole to include powerful support for DTCC transaction definitions and transmission requirements.

The XCS eiConsole includes interface templates for each ACORD TXLife transaction currently supported by or in development at DTCC. Each interface template provides the basic structure for a TXLife transaction as documented by DTCC implementation guidelines. These skeletal interface definitions ensure that implementers get a running start in the right direction. The growing library of supported transactions currently includes:

• Attachments

• Financial Activity

• Replacements

The XCS eiConsole also provides a fully constructed sample interface, demonstrating the modular definition of a DTCC Attachments transaction.

Many of DTCC's ACORD XML transactions leverage ACORD's attachment mechanism. A pair of DTCC-compliant MTOM Processors is included to simplify end-user implementation of the SOAP message transmission optimization mechanism selected by DTCC. With these modules, complex coding is replaced with simple component selection and configuration saving countless hours of development and debugging.

DTCC has elected to implement ACORD transmission via SOAP. This requirement is supported through a pre-developed SOAP transformation which seamlessly wraps and unwraps a DTCC ACORD transaction in the SOAP envelope.

Finally, the XCS eiConsole for DTCC offers a customized DTCC Web Service Transport. This component is verified against DTCC's secure web services stack. After some basic configuration, connectivity is as simple as 'plug and play'.

Pre-developed ACORD interface components dramatically reduce the learning curve required to take advantage of the DTCC's current and emerging ACORD capabilities. Months of implementation effort are eliminated, reducing budget and resource constraints that have may have previously prevented valuable projects from moving forward.