XMLdation SaaS for test file generation: Keeping costs low and sensitive data in-house

While financial institutions have to keep sensitive data on site, software-as-a-service (SaaS) is often associated with the idea of moving entire processes into the cloud. The XMLdation test file generation service combines the best of both worlds—offering a powerful and versatile SaaS for managing file creation rules and a deployable software component that generates the test files within the bank’s closed environment.

XMLdation offers comprehensive features to generate test data used for platform testing with a range of requirements: the creation of valid or erroneous test files, or a realistic mix of both, with up-to-date timestamps, sensitive data and running IDs. The file generation engine handles various versions of specifications, easily multiplied and modified. A few dozen or several millions: test data creation is fully automated, once the required rules have been set up.

Since realistic test data in financial transactions require the inclusion of sensitive, real-world values, test data commonly cannot be created in the cloud, but has to be generated locally. Still, using a centralised message management SaaS yields numerous benefits in day-to-day operations. The ability to import a test file generation component into the local environment brings the power of the cloud service straight into bank premises.

Feature-rich backend, no maintenance overhead

Using the XMLdation cloud service ensures access to always the latest and most feature-rich code base without worries over maintenance schedules and update tasks. Hosted software does not bind personnel resources to attend to hardware maintenance, software versions or feature updates. And since development efforts are leveraged over all service users, the pace of innovation is higher than with each client running their own system, providing a broad range of innovative and fast-developing features.

Test file generation rules (internally referred to as “actions”) are organised in libraries. Pre-existing libraries provide general test cases for general standards such as ISO 20022 XML or upcoming requirements induced by XS2A. Customer-specific libraries, designed and maintained by XMLdation, serve as a baseline for common use cases. In addition, an unlimited amount of rule sets can be set up, either by XMLdation experts or trained users on the client side. Rules are written in the easily acquired OCL language; after initial training, in-house users can design their own action libraries or modify singular commands. The service is accessible 24/7 through a web-based, easy-to-use interface.

After setting up the required test file generation routines, XMLdation users can download the generator as a software component (Java Archive, .jar) to be deployed in the local testing environment. This way, internal data never leaves the house; data security, bandwidth and other concerns are eliminated.

And since a generator component can be exported for each test file generation routine set up in the cloud service, the XMLdation test file creation can be applied for various processes at once. Load testing and similar procedures can be carried out with test files based on the production specifications, a future set-up can be used for configuration testing, tailored batches can be generated for experimental test cases, and more—all building on top of the same baseline SaaS setup.

Furthermore, once set up in the system, the specifications may also be used for other services offered by XMLdation. For instance, a validator component is available to locally validate transaction messages—based on the same principle of handling sensitive data solely on-premise.

XMLdation  is the leading SaaS service for the automated generation of test files. As digitalisation leads to increased complexity in payments and other transactions, test requirements are getting more complex as well. By using test data generator components driven by a holistic message management solution, the growing need for comprehensive test data turns from an increasingly expensive manual task into a fast, painless and instant operation.