| A# |
5737 |
| P&S #: |
5307 |
| DATE: |
December 24, 2003 |
| TO: |
ALL PARTICIPANTS |
| ATTENTION: |
Managing Partner/Officer; P&S Manager; Cashier Data Processing Manager; Fund/SERV Participants |
| FROM: | Bruce Hin |
| SUBJECT: | DataTrak Thresholds |
Participants are reminded that DataTrak is an internal input file management system used by NSCC and its Facilities Manager, SIAC, to manage all incoming files of data from participating firms. Every Participant is defined to DATATRAK with respect to what files they may submit for processing. DATATRAK identifies each file by a specific 5-digit number called the “SYSID”. Based on this 5 digit SYSID, DataTrak accepts and controls the input of batch data files and, where appropriate, dispatches them to the application processing systems without the need for extensive manual intervention.
The function of the DataTrak system is to:
- Receive the incoming file transmission from the Participant
- Perform a basic structural validation of the file
- Transmit a confirmation of receipt message (which may contain error or warning/reject comments) back to the Participant
- Pass the incoming file to the appropriate processing application
- Create an audit trail of the transmission.
When participants begin using DataTrak for a specific Sysid, they are required to inform us what they believe the maximum and minimum number of records they will be submitting for that product during a processing day. NSCC uses this information to establish data transmission thresholds. The maximum number of records is known as the high threshold and the minimum record level is known as the low threshold. These thresholds are used to alert NSCC to the possibility of either missing (for a submission below the low threshold) or duplicate (for a submission above the high threshold) data files.
A confirmation is a message file transmitted back to the participant after each of their file transmissions and the structural validation of the file has been completed by DataTrak. The confirm provides the participant with three key pieces of information:
- The time that DataTrak received the file
- The number of records contained in the file
- One of the following indicators:
- ACCEPTED – the file will be passed to the appropriate application at the next scheduled cycle time.
- WARNED – the structural validation of the file has detected an error. Warned files WILL NOT be passed to the application for processing. You must contact SIAC’s Middleware Operations group on 212-383-2210 to discuss/resolve the error.
- REJECTED – the structural validation of the file has detected an error. Under no circumstances will a Rejected file be processed. You must contact SIAC’s Middleware Operations group on 212-383-2210 to receive instructions on how to resolve the error.
Once a participant exceeds its high threshold or is below its low threshold during a processing day, it will receive a warning message from the DataTrak system that will prevent its file from being processed without manual intervention. It is incumbent upon participants to review these thresholds and make such adjustments, as they deem necessary. Failure to do so may result in the transmission being rejected, or not being processed to the extent it exceeds, or is below, the established thresholds.
The number of warned files because of high thresholds being exceeded on a daily basis has increased proportionately with increased trading volumes. These warned files now require a significant manual effort at both the participant and SIAC, to ensure that they are successfully processed. Thus in order to increase efficiencies and alleviate this extensive manual effort, we will be increasing all participants’ high thresholds, across all sysids, by 100 % of their current high thresholds. This change will be effective on January 20, 2004.
Should you wish to know what your existing high or low thresholds are set at today or you would like to have your thresholds adjusted (including changing your high threshold by an amount other than 100% of its current level), please contact your relationship manager.
Bruce Hin
Vice President