EXPERTISE
SwiftNet
CRI
CLS
SIT
Consultancy
System Integration

Documentation

> A Unique Position in C.R.I.
La Centrale des Règlements Interbancaires

C.R.I. is the organisation that provides the central system dedicated to the exchanges of high value banking transfers in France.

Over the past few years, there has been a sizeable increase in interbank settlements, linked to the development of international trade and financial operations ; From the need to efficiently handle the growing number of transfers and to limit the systemic risk inherent to exchanges of this type, while respecting the Lamfalussy norms.
The C.R.I. is the single entry point of two settlement systems which are accessible via the SWIFTNet network:

• TBF gross settlement system (Transfert Banque de France)
• PNS net settlement system (Paris Net Settlement)

PNS system is entirely hosted by the C.R.I., while TBF system is managed by the Banque de France. PNS is a net system, in other words a deferred irrevocability clearing system. At the end of the banking day, the PNS balances are transferred to the Banque de France. All banks can adhere to each of the two systems (and thus become TBF and/or PNS participants) and regulate their transfers according to their needs.

The other French interbank exchange systems, so called "ancillary systems", are linked to C.R.I. platform, through a SWIFT connection, which centralises the transfer of their balances to the Banque de France. These ancillary systems include:

• GSIT
• EUROCLEAR
• EURONEXT
• CLEARNET (France, Belgium, Holland, Portugal)

Since introduction of Euro, C.R.I. platform allows the processing of cross-border transfers via its link with the Banque de France which acts as a entry point to TARGET system (Trans European Automated Real Time Gross Settlement Express Transfer).

Since October 2001, C.R.I. platform is also connected to the Belgian National Bank, the Dutch National Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank) and the Portuguese National Bank (Banco de Portugal) to the transfer of liquidity funds coming from Euronext market (balanced by Clearnet).

Since May 19th, 2003, C.R.I. platform is also connected to SWIFTNet FIN network. Diamis realized, for the C.R.I. platform, the first phase of this international SWIFT project.

Since December 2005, C.R.I. platform is now connected with ancillary systems using FileAct, a SWIFT messaging service. Diamis successfully migrated C.R.I. from the CFT software to the SWIFT network.

Since April 2006, THE C.R.I. is pilot in the SWIFTNet FIN phase 2 regarding security mechanisms and relationship management tool. Diamis takes an active part in this testing period.
More...

The C.R.I. Project

Diamis was, and still is, the prime contractor of this large scale project which required several thousands man days. Initiated in September 1995 and live in February 1997, the C.R.I. project respected both the deadlines and the budget. Diamis is currently handling corrective and upgrade maintenance, and is also involved in the day-to-day running of the C.R.I. system.

C.R.I. platform is a high performance system: it processes more than 50.000 transfers a day, accounting for a total of more than 400 billion Euros, and it is directly linked to more than 200 financial establishments, a dozen ancillary systems and indirectly to almost 800 Participants and/or Client Banks..
Diamis' handling the C.R.I. project, proves its mission-critical systems integration capabilities and its ability to provide technical and functional solutions in the interbanking arena.

Main Features of the C.R.I. Platform

• Hosting the complete PNS system: management of client accounts and of the PNS clearing system (netting and charging operations);
• Transporting the gross TBF operations;
• Distributing and transferring the balances of ancillary systems to the Banque de France;
• Securing inter-bank exchanges;
• Managing the participants' directories along with those of the ancillary systems;
• Allowing real-time banking supervision with GUI;
• Management of the banking message service (synchronisation, closing balances, statements of operations);
• Generating billing elements at the end of each banking day;
• Linking between Clearnet-Euronext and the Belgian and Dutch National Banks;
• Resuming from a remote disaster recovery site in the event of an incident.

Technical Aspects of the C.R.I. Platform

• C.R.I. platform runs on a "high availability" UNIX platform (AIX clustered machines);
• The system is based on a client/server architecture and uses the TUXEDO transaction monitor (BEA);
• ORACLE is used as the database;
• Connection to the SWIFTNet network is made over the CBT SWIFTAlliance Access and via SWIFT Alliance Gateway;
• MQSeries software is used for the exchanges with the Banque de France;
• SWIFT CFT software is used for exchanges with the external systems;
• High tech solutions are used to assure the high level of security required (availability, integrity, confidentiality an non repudiation) : firewalls, VPN tunnels, eTrust Acces Control, RSA SecureId.