Data Migration based on ACORD Insurance Standards

The Challenge: You want to move data into ALIS, but are worried by the risks?

FIS clients around the world want to take advantage of ALIS’ superior processing capabilities for their existing business held on older systems.

But migrating legacy data can be a resource intensive, complex and risky activity. Over-runs of schedule and budget are common.

The Solution: The FIS Data Migration Service

FIS clients can now move their legacy data to ALIS safely and predictably. Our Data Migration Service (DMS) has evolved over many such projects and uses a proven methodology. Powerful Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) tools, clearly defined processes and strict project controls mean that complex, high volume migration projects can now be undertaken with confidence.

The FIS DMS provides a blueprint by which the migration process can be closely controlled, while allowing project-specific customisation. Data can be migrated as part of a new ALIS implementation or into an operational ALIS installation.

Using the proven FIS DMS can bring significant benefits while minimising risk by providing:

• A framework for planning, development and execution of data migration
  
• A flexible, parameter-driven ETL process, reducing implementation time and effort
  
• Accurate, effective and rigorous testing, validation and reconciliation
  
• Effective integration with all related project work-streams.

• Documentation Asset Library
  A comprehensive suite of process assets includes document templates to ensure that all aspects of the migration are planned, controlled and executed with complete success.
  
  
• Data Mapping Templates & Process
  Source data is mapped to an intermediate database using a simple mapping process supported by data mapping templates. To simplify the mapping process, the intermediate database and mapping templates use business definitions to describe data, using ACORD naming conventions. A series of facilitated interactive workshops with business and technical domain experts completes the data mapping.
  
  
• Data Profiler
  The profiler is an automated tool used to understand and analyze the quality of the source data. It can be quickly configured to identify trends in data such as repeated character strings in specific fields or fields that have a high percentage of null values and generates reports of suspect data for investigation and data cleansing.
  
  
• Data Extract & Load Engine
  The main DMS component is the powerful data extract and load engine, providing a bridge between the source and target systems. This parameter driven tool allows rapid migration of data. The extract and load toolset is platform independent, and can be used in a Windows, Unix or Linux environment against Oracle, DB2 or SQL Server databases.
  
  Historically, migration clients have taken responsibility for extracting data from their legacy systems. FIS now offers the optional DMS extract service which maps data from the source to the intermediate data structure.
  
  The DMS load service transforms data from the intermediate data structure to be compatible with ALIS and loads the results to the target ALIS system. By using native ALIS functions, the volume of data items required to complete an ALIS migration is reduced and the migrated data can be guaranteed to be compatible with ALIS structures and data rules. The load engine is pre-developed to satisfy core ALIS requirements, so only client-specific enhancements may require customisation.
  
  Using the DMS Extract and Load Services in combination provides an end-to-end solution.
  
  
• Data Validation Engine
  The validation engine allows thorough and rapid verification of migrated data. Validation failures can be allocated failure actions (reject, report a warning etc) depending on severity. When a policy is being migrated, the complete physical dataset supporting the logical business entity is constructed for validation, thus allowing generation of a complete error report, including data dependencies.
  
  Validation references ALIS rules and metadata, such as acceptable age limits for a product. This guarantees that the resulting policies can be used operationally.
  
  The Validation Engine is used in the development and testing of the migration, as well as in the live run.
  
  
• Reconciliation Engine
  The DMS Reconciliation Engine provides dynamic reconciliation of source and target data to confirm the success of the migration process. The engine can be set to any required level of resolution (i.e. single object or totalled as a group). Parameters allow configuration to each client’s requirements. A base set of standard ‘off the shelf’ reconciliations is provided.
  
  
• Test Approach
  The FIS Data Migration methodology considers testing at every stage. As well as the validation and reconciliation already mentioned, tools and procedures exist to ensure that localised changes to the core migration configuration and tools are themselves proven before live deployment. Policies created by the migration are compared to those created through the ALIS front-end.
  
  Many migration projects use artificial test data until late in the project. Then they often discover that the real source data is more complex and less clean then they assumed. FIS recognises that the only real test of a migration is using real data. To ensure your clients’ confidentiality and your compliance with Data Protection legislation, The FIS Data Scrambler securely protects personally identified data. The records and fields to be treated in this manner can be configured to meet your requirements.