Siebel Financial Services Connector for IFX XML Guide > Overview of Siebel Connector for IFX XML > Using the Siebel Connector for IFX XML >

Siebel Connector for IFX XML Architecture

The Siebel Connector for IFX XML is a configurable set of components that allow data to be exchanged between your Siebel application and external IFX-based applications and databases. As shown in Figure 1, the Siebel Connector for IFX XML is built on top of the Siebel Financial Services Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) Architecture, which in turn is built on top of Siebel Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) Architecture. The Siebel Financial Services EAI framework has been built to support an XML messaging-based communication infrastructure.

Generally speaking, users of Siebel Financial Services must integrate with many different applications through messaging mechanisms. In order to fulfill this requirement, many connectors have to be built in order to support various industry standards. Siebel Financial Services is in a position to quickly and easily build and deploy multiple connectors based on the flexible Siebel EAI Architecture.

To demonstrate such flexibility, Oracle has built two connectors, ACORD P&C Connector and Siebel Connector for IFX XML, both based on the Siebel Financial Services EAI framework. Please refer to Siebel Financial Services Enterprise Application Integration Guide for more information about the flexible Siebel Financial Services architecture.

Figure 1. High-Level Architecture of Siebel Financial Services EAI

Financial Services architecture provides the functions required for XML processing, such as:

• Handling the XML message header
• Handling heterogeneous commands in the body section of an XML message
• Data type formatting and conversions
• Data model mapping through the various connector modules

These Siebel Connector for IFX XML modules include the FINS IFX Wizard, the FINS IFX XML Dispatcher, the FINS IFX XML Converter, the FINS IFX XML DTE, and the FINS IFX XML Transaction Manager.

The Siebel Connector for IFX XML is based on the IFX XML standard for financial industry data exchange. Siebel Connector for IFX XML was built using the IFX XML standard. The IFX XML standard is designed to address financial institutions' real-time requirement by defining banking transactions that include both a request and a response message. The IFX specification with this connector allows financial institutions to support customers using a broad range of channels, including, but not limited to:

• World Wide Web access using any standard web browser software
• Personal computers with personal financial manager (PFM) software
• Voice response units (VRUs) that provide bank by phone services
• Automated teller machines (ATMs)
• Consumer handheld devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs)
• Mobile telephones with data capabilities

The Siebel Connector for IFX XML supports all data types in the IFX specification that are used to represent all data passed between clients and servers using the messages defined.