Concepts

SWIFTNet is SWIFT's advanced IP-based messaging solution, which provides an alternate method for transferring information to SWIFT. It consists of a portfolio of products and services enabling the secure and reliable communication of financial information and transactional data.

SWIFTNet Link (SNL) is an application programming interface that offers access to all SWIFTNet services. Business applications can use SNL with SWIFT FIN interface products such as SWIFT Alliance Access to connect to and use the SWIFTNet FIN services. Applications can use SNL directly, or with an interface product such as the SWIFT Alliance Gateway (SAG), to enable application-to-application communication over the SWIFTNet services.

SNL functionality includes messaging, security, and service management. The security and service management functions are beyond the scope of this guide and are not discussed here.

SWIFTNet InterAct allows the exchange of messages between parties in synchronous mode, using the Exchange Request function, or asynchronous mode, using the Send/Wait Request function.

• In synchronous mode, the Exchange Request function sends data to the Responder application. This function blocks the Requester application until the response is returned from the Responder and delivered to the Requester.

  The Responder SAG sends a Handle Request primitive to the Responder application, which processes it and returns a Handle Response primitive. The Responder SAG then sends the Exchange Response primitive back to the Requester application.

• In asynchronous mode, the Send/Wait Requests function sends data. The Requester application initiates a send request to SNL. SNL accepts or rejects the request immediately, and simultaneously unblocks the Requester application so that it can perform other tasks. The message is forwarded to the destination SNL and delivered to the Responder application. The subsequent response is returned to the Requester SNL where the Requester collects it through a Wait Request.
• The requests and responses for both Exchange and Send/Wait requests are coded in XML and passed between the communicating SNL instances over SIPN.

SWIFTNet FileAct allows the automated exchange of files, supporting both synchronous and asynchronous modes. SWIFTNet FileAct is oriented toward transferring data larger than the SWIFTNet InterAct payload can accommodate.

• The Exchange File Request function transfers files to server applications.
• The Handle File Request function requests that the server application receive the file transfer and send a response.
• Both requests have an optional delivery notification primitive that acknowledges that a file has been received and transferred to a reliable storage environment.

SWIFTNet FIN allows the use of the standard SNL APIs with the SWIFTNet FIN interface to do the following:

• Sign SWIFTNet FIN messages using SWIFTNet PKI security profiles.
• Send SWIFTNet InterAct requests that contain input messages and user acknowledgments of previously received output messages.
• Handle SWIFTNet InterAct requests that contain output messages and SWIFTNet FIN acknowledgments of previously sent input messages.

SWIFTNet Browse enables secure communication between standard browsers and web servers. SWIFTNet Browse supports the messaging functions of SWIFTNet InterAct and SWIFTNet FileAct, and request/response interactions with a web server. The message flow path in SWIFTNet Browse is identical for both SWIFTNet InterAct and SWIFTNet FileAct messages/files.

For more information, see the documentation provided by SWIFT or go to

http://www.swift.com

IBM webMethods Module for SWIFT uses services and other elements included in packages that you install on Integration Server. Some of those packages contain services that are common to both the SWIFT FIN component and the SWIFTNet component, while other packages contain services that are specific to each component. The following table describes the contents of each package and the functionality that it supports.

For detailed information about the contents of each package, see Configuring SWIFT Interfaces and the appendices. For information about the samples see webMethods SWIFT Module Samples Guide.

SWIFT FIN messages transmit financial information from one financial institution to another. These messages are classified into different message categories. There are 10 categories of FIN messages (Category 0 through Category 9), and each category relates to a particular topic. For example, Category 5 contains messages related to Securities.

Each SWIFT message is represented by a three-digit number (for example, MT 541). The MT represents SWIFT's “Message Type.” The first number (5) identifies the category to which the message belongs; the second and third numbers (41) identify the message type.

SWIFT updates the MT specifications every year. webMethods Module for SWIFT maintains these specification changes in the swiftMT and dfdMT XML files. Based on the specified version, webMethods Module for SWIFT uses the corresponding swiftMT or dfdMT files to define the IS document that is created.

For details about SWIFT specifications, see http://www.swift.com. For details about the SWIFT specification versions that webMethods Module for SWIFT supports, see IBM webMethods eStandards Modules System Requirements .

The following parts compose and support the SWIFT FIN component:

• The WmFIN Package

  This package contains services, mappings, and records for using webMethods Module for SWIFT with Integration Server. For a complete list of packages, see IBM webMethods Module for SWIFT Packages.

• SWIFT Interfaces

  You can connect to SWIFT using one of the following interfaces:

  • MQHA (MQ Host Adapter)

    To communicate with SWIFT using MQHA, use the IBM webMethods Adapter for MQ. For more information about using the Adapter for MQ with webMethods Module for SWIFT, see Using Adapter for MQ to Communicate with SWIFT.

  • CASmf (Common Application Server message format)

    To communicate with SWIFT using CASmf, use the CASmf services provided in the WmFIN package. For more information about CASmf services, see Using the CASmf Services to Communicate with SWIFT

  • AFT (Automated File Transfer)

    To communicate with SWIFT using AFT, use the File Polling Listener and File Drop capabilities. For more information about using AFT with webMethods Module for SWIFT, see Using AFT to Communicate with SWIFT.

    For more information about these interfaces, see Configuring SWIFT Interfaces.

• IBM webMethods Integration Server

  This is the underlying server of the webMethods product suite. Use the web-based user interface, Integration Server Administrator, to manage, configure, and administer all aspects of Integration Server, such as users, security, packages, and services. For more information, see IBM webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide .

• IBM webMethods B2B Trading Networks

  IBM webMethods B2B Trading Networks enables your enterprise to link with other financial institutions and marketplaces to form a business-to-business trading network. For more information about using Trading Networks, see IBM webMethods Trading Networks Administrator’s Guide .

• IBM webMethods Designer

  IBM webMethods Designer is a design-time tool that you can use to create processes and easy-to-understand, visually-based process models. You can also use Designer to create, update, and execute services from the Package Navigator. For more information about Designer, see IBM webMethods Service Development Help .

• IBM webMethods Monitor

  IBM webMethods Monitor allows you to manage and monitor business processes. Access Monitor functionality through the My webMethods user interface. Monitor displays information about a business process by retrieving information from the Process Audit Log. For more information about Monitor, see IBM webMethods Monitor User’s Guide

The SWIFT FIN component uses either the publish and subscribe Process Engine functionality of webMethods Module for SWIFT or Trading Networks processing rules to send and receive SWIFT FIN messages. When used with Trading Networks, the SWIFT FIN component leverages the archiving, Trading Partner Agreement (TPA), and document type components of Trading Networks to work with your enterprise to exchange SWIFT FIN messages.

The following figure shows the SWIFT FIN component architecture.

When the SWIFT FIN component creates an outbound document, it formats, validates, and publishes the SWIFT message. When the SWIFT FIN component receives an inbound document, it parses, formats, validates, and publishes the message for a back-end application.

To communicate with SWIFT using SAA, there are three options:

• Use IBM webMethods Adapter for MQ to interface with MQHA.
• Use the CASmf services provided in the WmFIN package to interface with CASmf.
• Use the File Polling Listener and File Drop capabilities to interface with AFT.

The following diagram illustrates the end-to-end architecture of the SWIFT FIN component messaging solution.

The SWIFT FIN component runs on top of Integration Server and provides the following functionality:

• Current Messages

  The component supports the following SWIFT messages:

  • The latest release of SWIFT FIN messages.
  • The SWIFT Standards MX messages.
• Data Field Dictionary

  The SWIFT FIN component provides a data field dictionary (DFD) based on the ISO 15022 standards for SWIFT FIN messages. This DFD enables translation of a message tag number (for example, “22F::SFRE”) into a meaningful business name (for example, “Statement Frequency Indicator”). In addition, the SWIFT FIN component enables you to choose how you want to display each message in IBM webMethods Designer as follows:

  • Tag number only (for example, “22F::SFRE”)
  • Equivalent message business name only (for example, “Statement Frequency Indicator”)
  • Both the tag number and the equivalent message business name (for example, “22F::SFRE_Statement Frequency Indicator”)
  • XML data tag (for example, “22FSFRE”)
• Message Archival

  All SWIFT FIN messages can be archived in Trading Networks.

• SWIFT Interfaces

  The SWIFT FIN component provides out-of-box support to interface to SWIFT using MQHA, CASmf, and AFT. For more information, see Configuring SWIFT Interfaces.

• Bank Directory Plus Validation and Searching

  The SWIFT FIN component provides support for deriving or validating data against Bank Directory Plus. Bank Directory Plus is a SWIFT directory that contains identifiers recognized by financial institutions, such as Bank Identifier Codes (BICs), International Bank Account Numbers (IBANs), and national clearing codes. Bank Directory Plus serves two main purposes:

  • To provide or validate data in international payment messages, for example to translate the beneficiary bank's BIC into national (clearing, sort) code, or validate the banks' details (such as name and address).
  • To provide or validate data in SEPA (Single Euro Payment Area) payments, for example, to derive the BIC from the IBAN if the IBAN is missing, or to validate IBAN/BIC combinations.

  For more information about the directories, see Importing Bank Directory Plus and SEPA Plus.

• Syntax and Network Validation

  The SWIFT FIN component enables you to validate the message structure, field formats, and network rules of inbound and outbound SWIFT FIN messages. webMethods Module for SWIFT provides network validation rules for a few commonly used message types. In addition to these rules, the component enables you to create network, Market Practice, and usage validation rules for additional messages as well. For more information, see Creating Validation Rules and Working with Market Practices.

• Market Practices

  Market Practices are specific requirements for individual markets. Using Trading Partner Agreements (TPAs), the SWIFT FIN component supports customization of SWIFT FIN messages based on specific trading partner pairs. For more information about SWIFT-related Market Practices and TPAs, see Working with Market Practices and Customizing Trading Partner Agreements.

• Processing Rule Support

  You can use custom-created Trading Networks processing rules for each SWIFT message record. For information about creating processing rules, see IBM webMethods Trading Networks Administrator’s Guide .

• SWIFT Error Codes

  The component supports SWIFT error codes for field level and network validation. It also supplies resource bundles so that all error codes can be localized.

• Integration Server Clustering

  The SWIFT FIN component can be used in a clustered Integration Server environment. For more information about clustering, see Administering IBM webMethods Module for SWIFT in a Cluster.

• Subfield Parsing

  The SWIFT FIN component automatically parses messages into blocks and fields. You can configure further parsing into subfields with the subfieldFlag variable, which is included in the following services:

  • wm.fin.dev:importFINItems
  • wm.fin.dfd:convertTagFormat
  • wm.fin.dfd:convertBizNameFormat

The following figure illustrates how the SWIFT FIN component interacts with other components. For further explanation, see the table that follows the figure.

The WmSWIFTNetClient libraries (that is, WmSWIFTNetClient.dll or WmSWIFTNetClient.so) invoke functionality for a client, which sends a request to, and receives a response from, a server in real-time or store-and-forward mode. When using webMethods Module for SWIFT with a client, you can do the following:

• Send an InterAct request message and receive a response in real-time or store-and-forward mode.
• Put a file using FileAct service in real-time or store-and-forward mode.
• Get a file using FileAct service in real-time mode only.
• Pull messages from a queue in store-and-forward mode only.
• Fetch a file from the SnF queue in store-and-forward mode only.

The WmSWIFTNetServer libraries (that is, WmSWIFTNetServer.dll or WmSWIFTNetServer.so) invoke functionality for a server, which receives a request from, and sends a response to, a client. When using webMethods Module for SWIFT with a server, you can do the following:

• Receive an InterAct request message and send a response in real-time or store-and-forward mode.
• Accept a put file request from the client application in real-time mode only.
• Accept a get file request from the client application in real-time mode only.
• Receive the pushed messages from the SnF queue in store-and-forward mode only.

For more information about the architecture of the module, see SWIFTNet Component Architecture.

The SWIFTNet component supports all of the SNL request and response primitives involved in communication between the client, the server, and SWIFTNet. For a complete list of the supported primitives, see Services and the SNL Request and Response Primitives.

The following diagram illustrates the architecture of systems and processes that enable the SWIFTNet component to exchange messages and files. See the table below the diagram for additional information.

The following table describes the elements of the SWIFTNet component architecture:

Real-time InterAct message services are typically used when the receiver and the sender are both online at the time of message or file transmission. When real-time mode is used, the responder’s server application generates the response and interprets the message sent.

In store-and-forward (SnF) mode, messages and files are stored within SWIFTNet in a queue and delivered to the receiver at a future time. Therefore, the requester and responder do not need to be online at the same time. The requester receives a notification if a message cannot be delivered.

SnF queues contain the requester’s undelivered messages and the files and delivery notifications generated by SWIFTNet SnF. Messages and files in SnF mode can be routed into queues with the same flexibility available for message routing in real-time mode.

The Message Reception Registry function (MRR) specifies the message routing details. The responder defines and configures the available queues. Then the requester specifies which of these queues to use for the messages or files that the responder sends. (This information is not visible to the responder.)

In store-and-forward mode, the response comes from the SWIFTNet SnF queue and does not contain any feedback from the responder. (When real-time mode is used, the responder's server sends the response and interprets the message sent.)

Only the messages or files that are flagged for store-and-forward delivery mode are added to the queue. Flagging can be done within the RequestControl for store-and-forward delivery mode for SWIFTNet InterAct and for SWIFTNet FileAct.

The following diagram illustrates the store-and-forward flow on the requester’s side for an InterAct send or FileAct put session.

The following diagram illustrates how the server application processes the SNL primitives when a client application sends a request. See the table below the diagram for additional information.

The SWIFTNet component of webMethods Module for SWIFT provides integration support for the File Transfer Adapter (FTA) provided by SWIFT. You can use FTA to automate file transfer between parties over SWIFTNet.

webMethods Module for SWIFT makes the file available on the SWIFT Alliance Gateway (SAG) host. Then the File Transfer interface (FT-interface) provided by SWIFT automatically transfers the file over SWIFTNet using FTA configuration data.

With webMethods Module for SWIFT, you can also create a companion file with custom parameters to override the FTA configuration data, for example, local authentication information, override values, and header information. You can also monitor the SAG input directory for reports that FTA generates about the processing status of data files. For information about how to transfer files using FTA, see Using FTA to Transfer Files over SWIFTNet.