Back Office Integration
Inforalgo offers a suite of integrated modules that addresses the interfacing requirements between Bloomberg AIM/POMS and Back Office or Downstream systems.
• A Single “Front Layer” handles all interfacing and communications to and from Bloomberg. This includes Real-time/Batch downloading of Trades, Securities, Positions, Prices etc. as well as Real-time interfacing to systems such as PORTIA or CAMRA.
• A Data Feed Repository that records all data to/from Bloomberg at the latest release levels and provides easy access to authorized users to view this data on a Web enabled, client configurable “Universal Viewer”.
• A Real-time Selection & Routing Engine that populates the required target systems with correctly mapped data. By holding a status of each record the routing engine can sequence records through multiple systems – only sending to the next system when successfully processed by the previous one.
• For downstream systems on a previous level of data feed there is a translation process, if required, to convert the data to the appropriate version level. This takes away the requirement to continuously upgrade legacy systems to the latest Bloomberg data feeds but allows other parts of the business to benefit from the latest available data and functionality.
• Any master data changes can be provided to the target systems by field.
• A User Interface & Control layer that populates each of the target systems with correctly mapped data. This process is monitored for successful completion and any transactions that are not successfully processed are placed in error queues for subsequent attention, adjustment and re-processing.
• A Monitor/Control Panel supervises all Inforalgo interface applications running on the user’s network. It contains all the necessary functionality to monitor and control the various tasks on the servers including start/stop and parameter driven settings of each interface. There are nine screens of information with each task and these are displayed in convenient “Tab” format. They cover every item of information ranging from Protocol Status and last heartbeat through to Timers and which screens are to be displayed with which tasks.
• Back Office Interface – Portia
This interface is designed to filter online trades and security masters. The information is restructured into the format required by the Portia Cross-reference tables, thereby mapping Bloomberg Fields to their Portia equivalents. This is particularly complex for Securities.
Standard data checks are carried out prior to loading to PORTIA. Any Trade or Security rejected by Portia’s Import Module or by these data checks is loaded, together with the reason for rejection, to the appropriate rejection queue. The rejected Trade or Security is then available for manual correction and resubmission to Portia.
When a Trade is entered on AIM/POMS for a new security then the required information will be sent ‘real-time’ before the Trade. The interface will recognize this and ensure that the new security is loaded to Portia before the Trade.
At the beginning of the day a master file of all securities held can be downloaded from AIM/POMS & copied to a database table, checked for errors and/or missing data and then uploaded to Portia. Alternatively a download of the securities file can be taken from Portia, if preferred. All transactions received throughout the day can then be checked against this table to ensure they already exist on Portia before uploading.
• Back Office Interface – CAMRA
One of the most complex parts of interfacing to CAMRA is the security mapping along with the data feed specification requirements. These include:
a) New Security
b) Edit Security
c) Factors
d) Attributes (Cash Flows etc.)
With each new or changed attribute a call is made to the Bloomberg Data Licence and an attribute upload file is created for sending to CAMRA. A factor file table is maintained (by CUSIP) in the same way based on new or changed mortgaged backed securities. At 6pm each day the system picks up the factors due for that day and sends them to CAMRA.
If a Trade is entered on Bloomberg for a new security then Bloomberg will send the required information before the Trade. The system will recognize this and ensure that the new security is loaded to CAMRA before processing the Trade.
Reconciliation: At the end of the day a trade file is downloaded from CAMRA and compared against the central database to ensure all data has been loaded correctly into CAMRA. Any errors or omissions are reported.
Cancellations: Any cancellations made during the day, prior to uploading to CAMRA are not sent. Cancellations made the following day are processed along with the replacement trade.
