RITS
Reserve Bank Information and Transfer System
RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
Welcome to the fifth RITS User Interface Project: Member Information Paper. This
edition describes the additional functionality that is provided in Phase 2 of the project
to be implemented in December 2006 and describes the plans for de-activation of
the old RITS screens, scheduled for February 2007. Implementation of phase 2 will
complete the migration of functionality used by Members. Significant development
work is still required to migrate remaining (RBA only) administration functionality.
Phase 2 contains Member reporting modules and also includes new functionality for
Member enquiries on areas such as SWIFT payments and AIF messages. The RBA will
endeavour to provide additional functionality and enhancements on an ongoing basis,
guided by operational experience and Member feedback, as dictated by development
priorities.
In this edition:
™
New functionality that is being introduced in Phase 2 of the project.
™
What you have to do to make the new functions available to your users.
™
Implementation into the Pre-Production environment.
™
Plans for shutting down of the old screens.
™
Phase 2 Implementation Timetable.
™
Supported user desktop platforms.
™
RITS User Group.
™
Contact details.
This
Information
Paper
is
available
on
the
RBA
website
(www.rba.gov.au/PaymentsSystem/RITSOperationalNotes/)
and
in
the
RITS
Information Facility, which is found on the internet (www.rba.gov.au/rits) and in the
RITS Production and Pre-Production environments.
The User Guides referred to in this paper are also available from the RITS Information
Facility.
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
1. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY INTRODUCED IN PHASE 2
This section describes the remaining Member reporting and enquiry functionality that
is being introduced in Phase 2 of the User Interface Project. In addition, the RBA is
also delivering in this Phase a new module to enable Members to enquire directly on
SWIFT messages (payments and AIF) that are exchanged with RITS. Currently much
of this information is only available by enquiry through their SWIFT CBT. This new
enquiry module will enable back office staff responsible for management of RTGS
payments to have complete visibility, through their RITS screens, of their institution’s
transactions and other automated RTGS message flows. Other new enquiries have
also been introduced, including one to track session extensions.
The following describes the functionality in Phase 2 and indicates the appropriate User
Guide where Members can obtain more detailed information.
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
New functions:
Functionality
SWIFT Payment
Message Enquiry
Description
This is a new function that has not been provided in RITS
before.
This enquiry permits members of the SWIFT
Payments Delivery System (APCA’s CS4) to track the
status of their SWIFT Payment messages (MT103 and
MT202) by enquiry on the resulting messages sent to RITS
(MT096) and the responses from RITS (MT097). There are
filters for receiving bank, original message type, status and
date, in addition to the TRN.
User Guide: ESA Management
From the menu the following screen is displayed. Enter a filtered search and view
individual message details by selecting a row.
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
Functionality
AIF Message Enquiry
Description
This is also a new function that has not been provided in
RITS before. This enquiry permits users of the Automated
Information Facility to track commands, enquiries and
unsolicited advices. It also covers batch feeder messages
(for the Batch Administrators).
User Guide: ESA Management
From the menu the following screen is displayed. Enter a filtered search and view
individual message details by selecting a row.
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
Functionality
Description
Session History
This is a new enquiry function which provides a history of
the RITS session opening and closing times throughout the
day. This will enable users to track details of session
extensions.
User Guide: Messages and Information
From the menu the following screen is displayed. View session openings and
extensions.
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
Functionality
Member Reports
Description
This function replaces the MEMREQ/PRTREQ functionality
for on-line reports (e.g. settled payments). The new
reporting capability permits the listing and printing of data
on-screen as well as access to data via PDF and Excel
downloads.
Three new reports have been introduced; namely the
Authorisations
Details
Report,
Batch
Administrator
Transactions Report and Batch Participant Transactions
Report.
The formats of the existing reports have been modified to
remove outdated data and to introduce additional relevant
data where possible.
Members that download data and automatically
process it (e.g. by the use of macros) will need to
check to ensure that their processes are still
appropriate. This testing should be undertaken on
the RITS Pre-Production environment.
User Guide: Reports
System Reports
This function permits access to the reports that are
currently available in SPRINT (such as the Cashlist). The
contents of the reports and data files have not changed but
the means of accessing them has. Reports for printing are
now downloaded from RITS in PDF format and saved, then
opened and printed in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Reports that
are available in data format are ‘downloaded’ from RITS
into Excel in CSV format as before.
User Guide: Reports
Evening Agreed
Members Enquiry
This is an enquiry on Evening Agreed RITS Members. It
replaces EVALISTQ.
User Guide: Messages and Information
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
Holiday Enquiry
This is an enquiry on the days on which RITS is closed. It
replaces HOLIDAYQ.
User Guide: Messages and Information
RITS Member
Enquiry
This is an enquiry on RITS Members. It replaces MEMLIST.
User Guide: Messages and Information
SWIFT BICs
This is an enquiry function that displays on a consolidated
basis the SWIFT BICs used by RITS Members. This is
currently found on a bank by bank basis through MEMLIST.
User Guide: Messages and Information
Evening Agreement
Maintenance
This function permits Members to establish or extinguish
agreements with the RBA to operate in the Evening
Session.
Evening Agreement
Maintenance Enquiry
A view only version of the function has also been provided.
The new functions replace AGREE and AGREEQ.
User Guide: Member Administration
Invoice Enquiry
This function displays a Member’s billing statement for the
previous 6 months and details of billed transactions over
the previous 2 months. It replaces BSINVQ.
User Guide: Member Administration
Unsolicited Advices
Maintenance
Unsolicited Advices
Enquiry
This function is used to manage the receipt of unsolicited
advices in the Automated Information Facility. It replaces
UNSOLAD. A view only version has also been provided.
User Guide: Member Administration
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
Enhancements to existing UI functions:
Functionality
SWIFT Message Type
filters in Queue
Management
functions and the
Settled Payments
enquiry
Description
It is now possible to filter on the SWIFT message type
(MT103 and MT202) used to enter a payment into RITS.
This feature should assist Members in managing customer
payments that must be settled before the end of the
Settlement Close Session.
The SWIFT message type filter is provided in Queue
Management functions accessed from the menu ESA
Management / ESA/Credit / Queue Mgt and ESA
Management/ Cash Account / Queue Mgt, and in the
Settled Payments and Transaction Enquiries.
User Guide: ESA Management
Ability to filter on
more than one status
at a time in Cash
Transfers / Enquiry
It is now possible to filter on more than cash transfer
status at a time in the Cash Transfers / Enquiry. For
example, cash transfers in status unmatched and payer or
receiver to authorise can be found in the one enquiry.
User Guide: Cash Transfers
Ability to apply
session time-out
periods of different
length to users
according to need
After 15 minutes (the default setting) of inactivity, a user’s
session is automatically terminated and the user must
login again to re-gain access to RITS. For some users this
period may be too short.
The ability to extend this to 30 or 60 minutes has now
been provided to administrators.
Note that there are
security implications in extending the session time-out
period. Any decision to do so should be taken by Members
in the context of their internal security arrangements,
which should provide, for example, for a “screen lock” or
other additional security when a user leaves their PC
unattended.
User Guide: Member Administration
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
New Pre-Settlement
Advice for use by
participants in batch
feeder streams
The Pre-Settlement Advice (Pending Credit) MT198
SMT041 has been introduced to alert participants in a
batch that their batch transaction, where they are a
receiver, has arrived on the RITS System Queue. (All other
pre-settlement advices apply only to payments). The
advice can be selected in the function Unsolicited Advices
Maintenance.
More information will be available
RITS/SWIFT Interface User Guide
Time Received (by
the System Queue)
shortly
in
the
The time that a transaction is received by the RITS System
Queue is now displayed in the Settled Payments Enquiry on
both the main list screen and in the Transaction Details
screen. Time Received continues to be displayed in the
Queue Management functions.
User Guide: ESA Management
2. ALLOCATING THE NEW FUNCTIONS TO YOUR USERS
All but two of the new functions described above have been added to existing roles.
This means that you do not need to do anything to make these functions available to
the users that already have been allocated these roles.
However, other users may benefit from the new functions so you should review your
users requirements with this in mind.
The existing roles in which the functions have been included are shown in the
following table.
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
Existing roles:
Role
Functions added to the role
All Users
Evening Agreed Members Enquiry
Holiday Enquiry
Invoice Enquiry
RITS Member Enquiry
Member Reports
Session History
SWIFT BICs
System Reports
Member Enquiries
AIF Message Enquiry
Evening Agreement Maintenance Enquiry
SWIFT Payment Message Enquiry
Unsolicited Advices Enquiry
New roles have been created for the Evening Agreement Maintenance and
Unsolicited Advices Maintenance update functions. You will need to allocate
these roles to your users as appropriate.
New Roles:
Role
Functions in the role
Evening Agreement
Evening Agreement Maintenance
Unsolicited Advices
Unsolicited Advices Maintenance
In Pre-Production:
You will need to allocate the new roles to users in the Pre-Production environment
to enable users to familiarise themselves with the new functions before the Production
implementation.
In Production:
After the new functions have been implemented into Production you will need to
again allocate these new roles to your users as required.
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
Please direct queries on the new functions or the allocation of roles to the RITS Help
Desk.
3. IMPLEMENTATION IN PRE-PRODUCTION
The new functions will be implemented into Pre-Production on Monday 27 November.
During that week the RBA will be conducting post-implementation verifications.
Members will be able to login to the Pre-Production environment during that week, but
it is possible that some aspects of the system may not be available all of the time.
From Monday 4 December the Pre-Production environment will be available to
Members to familiarise themselves with the new functionality and to allocate roles to
users. The new functionality will be available for use in production from Monday
18 December 2006.
4. PLANS FOR SHUTTING DOWN THE OLD SCREENS
Members are encouraged to migrate users to full use of the new user interface
(phases 1 and 2) as soon as practicable given Pre-Production familiarisation
requirements and the holiday period. Towards the end of January 2007 the RBA will
contact Members to assess their continued need to continue to use the old screens
pending completion of user familiarisation etc.
To assist in managing the transition process, the RBA will review data on Members’
activities including logging-on through the new interface and the use of the key
update functions.
At this stage, it is expected that access to the old screens will be withdrawn during
February 2007.
It is important that Members ensure that all of their users begin making maximum
use of the new screens now, so that at the time of the withdrawal of the old screens
there will be no disruption to RITS. Please pay particular attention to activities
undertaken in critical periods such as the Morning Settlement Session (prior to the
running of the 9AM batch).
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
5. PHASE 2 TIMETABLE AND MEMBER ACTIVITIES
The following is the timetable for the implementation of the Phase 2 functions and for
the shutting down of the old interface screens. The activities that Members are
required to undertake are also shown.
Activity/Member Activity
Date
Implementation into Pre-Production
Monday 27 November
2006
Members will be able to login. The RBA will be performing
post implementation verifications.
Pre-Production environment available for Member
familiarisation and role allocations.
Monday
2006
4
December
Password Administrators allocate the new roles as
appropriate and ensure that their users familiarise
themselves with the new functions.
Implementation into Production
Monday 18 December
2006
Password Administrators again allocate the new roles to
users as appropriate.
Review of Members’ use of the new interface
assessment of continued need to use old screens.
and End January 2007
Shut down of the old screens
End February 2007
From the date advised the old screens will be permanently
de-activated.
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
5. SUPPORTED PLATFORMS
The new RITS user interface requires Members to maintain certain minimum hardware
and software standards to ensure that Members can achieve optimal access to RITS.
As new hardware and software becomes available, the RBA will test their compatibility
with all RITS functionality and make adjustments to the RITS environment as
appropriate. Until a new hardware or software component has been fully tested,
Members are advised not to install these in their environment as access to RITS
cannot be guaranteed. Details of current requirements are found in the Technical
Information Paper.
Members are encouraged to include RITS access in their planning and testing of future
PC (hardware or software) or network (ANNI, Internet or LAN) changes.
The current requirements for optimal access to RITS are listed below and updates of
these requirements will be available on the RITS Information Facility in due course:
Minimum PC Hardware Requirements
•
Pentium 4
•
Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4) OR Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
•
512MB RAM
•
Screen Resolution of 1021 X 768 pixels
•
Spare USB Port
Minimum Software Requirements
•
Internet Explorer Version 6 (IE7 to be supported in Q2 2007)
•
Sun’s Java Runtime Environment (JRE) v1.4.2_10. (can be supplied by RBA)
(JRE V5.0/1.5 to be supported in Q2 2007)
•
A Java Cryptographic Toolkit (supplied by RBA)
•
Safenet Driver for Hardware Security Token (supplied by RBA)
Recommended Software for Reports and Downloads
•
Adobe Reader 7.0 (supported in Phase 2 to generate RITS UI reports)
•
Microsoft Excel 2003 (export data from RITS)
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
6. RITS User Group
The Reserve Bank plans to establish a RITS User Group that will meet periodically to
discuss issues of interest for RITS Members.
The forum will be an opportunity for the Reserve Bank to provide Members with
updates on developments in RTGS operations and RITS functionality and operating
rules and procedures. The forum will also give Members an opportunity to provide
feedback on RITS functionality or other issues relevant to RITS operations.
The first RITS User Group session is planned to be held in December and sessions will
be hosted in Melbourne and Sydney. Members are requested to limit their attendance
to two users at these sessions. Details of the sessions will be emailed to RITS
contacts later this month.
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RITS USER INTERFACE PROJECT: MEMBER INFORMATION PAPER No. 5
RBA CONTACTS
If you have any questions about any of the material in this Information Paper, please
contact:
RITS User Interface Project Co-ordinator
Ben Debney
Senior Analyst (Planning & Client Relations),
Payments Settlements
Telephone: (02) 9551 8943, Email: debneyb@rba.gov.au
Fax: (02) 9551 8063
Business questions
Peter Gallagher Senior Manager (Planning & Client Relations), Payments Settlements
Telephone: (02) 9551 8941, Email: gallagherp@rba.gov.au
Bob Howe
Manager (New Projects), (Planning & Client Relations)
Payments Settlements
Telephone: (02) 9551 8921, Email: howeb@rba.gov.au
Technical questions
David Noble
Senior Manager (RTGS Systems), Payments Settlements
Telephone: (02) 9551 8981, Email: nobled@rba.gov.au.
RITS Help Desk
Telephone: 1800 659 360
Fax: 02 9551 8063
Email: rits@rba.gov.au
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