A#:	5654
P&S#:	5224
DATE:			July 31, 2003
TO:		All Participants
ATTENTION:			Managing Partner/Officer, Operations Partner / Officer, Manager Customer Account Transfer Department, Manager Margin Department, Manager Data Processing Department, Manager Mutual Funds Operations
FROM:					Bill J. Kapogiannis
SUBJECT:				ACATS Enhancements - Fall 2003 Participant Testing

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I.        ACATS Enhancements

NSCC’s Important Notice A5616, P&S 5186 dated May 20, 2003, described the ACATS enhancements scheduled for implementation in the 3^rd and 4^th quarter of 2003.  This Important Notice will provide participant testing details for the two separate releases.  The enhancements are as follows:

1.       September 22, 2003 Implementation

Add Accrual Amount and Accrual Amount Indicator data fields on Fund Registration (FR) record and ACATS output records to deliver accrual information.  Please refer to the ACATS enhancements Important Notice dated May 20, 2003 for specifications.

NSCC has added new fields to the existing ACATS Fund Registration (FR) record to accommodate the new Accrual Amount and Accrual Amount Indicator fields.  Participants can begin testing changes to NSCC’s ACATS system for the Accrual changes on the Fund Registration (FR) record and output records on Monday, August 25, 2003.

Please note the record length of the Fixed Output Position (P) File, Autoroute product 02090724, is being increased.  The increase of this record is mandatory for all fixed length file format users even though these fields are optional.  All ACATS participants who currently use the fixed length ACATS Position file must increase the record length.

2.       October 27, 2003 Implementation

Add Re-registration Date at Fund data field on Mutual Fund Clean-up record.  Please refer to the ACATS enhancements Important Notice dated May 20, 2003 for specifications.

NSCC added a new required field to the Mutual Fund Clean-up record to identify the Fund Re-registration Date at Fund.  This change requires modifications to both the fixed and variable length file layouts for input and output records.  Participants can begin testing the enhancements to the Mutual Fund Clean-up functionality on Tuesday, September 23, 2003. 

II.   Participating Testing & Setup  

Participants can test these changes in NSCC’s testing region, the Participant Services Environment (PSE).  NSCC has developed the PSE as a test environment to be used by participants to test certain applications. This environment contains the functionality of the production ACATS System and as enhancements are made to the system, participants will be able to test these changes prior to production implementation. Participants can submit transactions for the modified ACATS input files into the PSE and receive the modified ACATS output files from the PSE.  Participants can also use the ACATS PC Web Direct screens in PSE to test the modified fields.

Testing will be available in either the fixed or variable length file formats.  Prior to testing with the PSE, participants who wish to submit input via DataTrak or PCWeb Direct and/or receive output via AutoRoute or PCWeb Direct must contact NSCC’s Participant Test Group (PTG) at (212) 855-5630. The PTG will assist the participants in establishing connectivity to the PSE.  Please note that all ACATS DataTrak SYSIDs and AutoRoute Product IDs used for testing will have unique numbers.  Please refer to Attachment A for a list of the Production SYSIDs and Product IDs and their corresponding numbers to be used for test input and output.  When contacting NSCC’s PTG to setup ACATS testing in PSE, participants must indicate whether they will be using DataTrak and AutoRoute directly or will be using PCWeb Direct to submit and receive data from NSCC.

III.    Features of ACATS Testing within the PSE

Below are important points that NSCC Participants should be aware of when testing:

·        PSE testing is available Monday through Friday.

·        All functionality of the ACATS System will be available in PSE, including the ACATS enhancement functionality.

·        The environment will run with a production date minus one (–1).

·        The environment will run with the same number of cycles (5), with their respective input and output timeframes.  In addition, all other outputs will be generated consistent with production timeframes.

·        Participants should try to test with partners or with themselves.

·        Participants who do not have a partner to test with or who cannot test with themselves must contact NSCC’s PTG group to arrange testing with the pre-established NSCC test accounts.

·        The ACATS Fund/SERV link will also be available for testing within the PSE.  Participants should attempt to partner with Fund companies to test this functionality.  NSCC will make available the honest fund account for those participants wishing to test the ACATS Fund/SERV link and cannot find a Fund company to participate in the testing.  NSCC’s mutual fund group will also be distributing an Important Notice detailing all changes to Fund/SERV.  Please contact the PTG group for additional information on the honest fund account.

IV.     PC Web Direct

PCWeb Direct will be available for use by participants for ACATS testing.  NSCC participants will then be able to test ACATS by using PCWeb Direct to submit data to and/or receive testing information from the PSE.  To gain access to the PCWeb Direct PSE Test site, NSCC Participants will need to obtain a special user ID and password.  If your firm already has a password and ID for the test site obtained from previous testing, you will not have to make a new request.  Participants must also have a valid production Digital Certificate and be entitled to use PCWeb Direct for ACATS in order to test ACATS using PCWeb Direct within the PSE.

To obtain your PSE test user ID and Password or any questions on PCWeb Direct, Participants should contact the PCWeb Direct Hotline at (888) 382-2721.  Please send your requests as soon as possible if you intend to use the PCWeb Direct for ACATS testing.  Setup work must be completed prior to performing ACATS testing.  Participants using PCWeb Direct exclusively do not need to complete the connectivity test as mentioned earlier.  PCWeb Direct users are required to contact our PTG to schedule any and all ACATS testing as outlined above.

This is how participants should access test PCWeb Direct for the PSE:

1. Go to http://www.nscc.com/apps
2. Click on the link "Access PCWeb for PSE" on the left bar
3. On the preceding page, go to bottom of page click the button that reads "PCWeb Direct for Participant Service (PSE)" to access PSE test site.
4. On the "NSCC Participant Test" page, enter your PCWeb Direct testing ID and Password
5. Select ACATS from the list of NSCC products
6. After gaining entry, conduct ACATS testing via PCWeb Direct following the same procedures as you would in production.

V.           Additional Information

Any questions regarding PSE testing should be directed to NSCC’s PTG at (212) 855-5630.  Complete versions of all ACATS file formats can be obtained from NSCC’s ACATS web site http://acats.nscc.com and NSCC’s file formats web site http://formats.nscc.com in the appropriate ACATS section.  A copy of this Important Notice can be obtained from NSCC’s web site http://www.nscc.com in the Important Notice section.  ACATS Important Notices can also be obtained from NSCC’s ACATS web site http://acats.nscc.com in the Important Notice section.  If you have any questions regarding these ACATS modifications, please contact your DTCC Relationship Manager at (212) 855-4155, or the undersigned at (212) 855-5667.

Bill J. Kapogiannis

Product Manager

Product Marketing & Development

Attachment A