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| Architecture | |
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| Technological Architecture | ||
 The Bantotal system runs on the following architectures:
The Bantotal system also maintains some earlier installations on the modality:
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Windows
Server / SQL Server| Applications Architecture | ||||
Bantotal is an application logically structured
in layers, component oriented that exploits the re-usability of the same. In
particular, the construction of a sub system is made through the interaction
of components such as the construction of a “Lego”. The following
figure represents graphically the construction of a loans system.
 The generic resources are modules shared by all the sub systems. Among them, there are the main functions of the system such as:
Those generic resources provide the functions for data registration and their processing. As an example, the accounting system allows a user to define the chart of accounts and the accounting templates for each transaction. It also provides the registration program that starting upon an accounting entry makes debits and credits on the accounts, and generic outputs such as balance sheet, general ledger and inventories. Generic processes The generic processes are programs, interactive queries, reports, batch programs that provide the handling of data for several sub systems included in Bantotal such as:
Based on the design principles, the same data structures are used to save the information of operations of different nature. For that reason, the same programs are also used to recover the information. In that way the same program to query a deposit contract is used to query the information on a loan. The same concept is used with programs providing functions no related to a particular product. For example, interest accrual on term transactions is a unique program. It only has to identify financial from non-financial operations, without taking into account if it is an asset or a liability operation. Specific processes and functions The specific processes and functions are programs, interactive queries, reports, batch programs, providing support for certain contracts or operations such as:
Those specific functions in particular are related to the loan system and are not used by the deposit system. Instances of the transactional meta-model To obtain a fully functional support for certain banking operation, the events of a business process can be parameterized as instances, i. e. different transactions, of the transactional meta-model provided by the system. A business analyst selects the right parameters and defines different transactions that are necessary to administer a banking product or service. As an example, in the loan system it is possible define transactions for:
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| Functional Architecture | |||||
All modules share the same processing structure,
hence the functional covering of the modules, except for those particular characteristics
of each product or service,
are the same. Client service Any module can access to the Client Integral Position to know those products and services that the client uses, balances and conditions (special prices), limits (granted, used, available) and guarantees. In addition, the financial products have included simulation features for new and existing operations. At this level, there can be defined products or product packages (“combos”) that make up the financial products offering of the financial institution. For a particular product, there have to be pre-parameterized a group of definitions such as:
Process of work The flow of operations work can be parameterized end-to-end using GXflow  , a process
design tool integrated in Bantotal. GXflow works with object states. Changes in states
are the output of one process and the input of another one. The jobs that perform
the activities within a process receive their assignments through an in-box that
filters by state. The in-box has associated the transactions that can be launched.Transaction Each step in a process can have associated one or more transactions to be performed. The transactions make a call to Bantotal´s bank transactional monitor that in turn launches de transaction underlying definition. During the process, the system can send the information obtained at flow level and request additional data. A monetary transaction performed delivers the corresponding accounting in real time, with control of the accounting entry in all currencies involved. If there is an exception, the same system launches the authorization process (An example is an overdraft waiver). Rationality of transactions performance is the same for interactive/real-time or batch processes. Documentation and messages Transactions can also perform documentations and messaging services such as:
The system provides tools for parameterize and design printing templates, including texts, system fields, with dates and amounts in English or Spanish. Bantotal has its exclusive template editor for validations and tickets, and use the word processor Microsoft Word to edit templates for high quality printing documents. The messaging services features support:
Accounting Accounting is real-time updated by monetary transactions. Bantotal classifies automatically all the balances as needed to comply with standards from regulatory authorities. Besides, the accounting function implements all those processes related to each operation underlying elements such as:
It also provides support for generally accepted accounting principles such as:
The chart of accounts and accounting entries associated with transactions are can be parameterized. There are also features to link the country’s mandatory chart of accounts with head office char of accounts. The system can also maintain balances valued at historical exchange rates to comply with FASB 52. There are information outputs, on screen or printed, such as balance sheet, inventories, ledgers, journals and others. Thanks to the system architecture (integrated accounting), there is no need of transit accounts. The transaction control is localized in the input, which means that there will not be differences due to non-compliance with the double entry method. Because the accounting entry is embedded in the transaction cycle, there are no differences between the product portfolio and its accounting. Reporting to regulatory authorities Bantotal makes easy the reporting to regulatory authorities. All products capture enough information to comply with the standards. All the features can be parameterized.  |
| Modular Integration Architecture | ||
The system has been planned and designed to conceive
a full integration among the different component features such as:
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| Data Architecture | |
A relational database maintains all the system
information. Due to the features of GeneXus and the design of Bantotal, the
tables are normalized at the third
normal
form, and there are redundancies to improve the performance of certain processes
(Example: through collection of data from the different system modules it creates
a support file for reporting to regulatory authorities). When the database is modified,
GeneXus builds up automatically data migration programs from old to new structures.
Data integrity is held by:
Database management features maintain journals and logs that allow the identification of the user, date and time when a transaction was performed. Top |
| Operating Architecture |
| The system can function on a 7x24 basis, allows the parallel
performance of interactive, and batch operations. The transactional integrity
is assured
through the features of commit and rollback. There is a unique journal provided
by Bantotal and by the data base manager at the table’s level. Data,
including accounting data, are updated on-line and in real time. There are
some batch processes needed such as incoming clearance checks, interest accrual,
allowance for credit losses calculation, and some others. The system supports
date value and accounting date value, and reconstructs in automatic form the
accounting balances from date value through process date value. The system
allows to certain users to reverse transactions including accounting entries. In batch processes, there is a control table that leads the performance, and that lets to define the sequence and timing or calendar of the execution. Those processes are designed for concurrent performance on several processors, and that allows a dramatically reduction of the critical path. That also depends on the nature of the process, such as groups of branches, modules, transactions. Batch processes are performed in automatic form thus requiring a minimum support to the operation. Top |