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DCS enables you to convert external data files into files that can be used by Prophet, Glean or other applications. It has its own programming language and functions that allow you to specify the conversion process, including validation and correction routines. The main DCS window appears similar to the following:
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You can program DCS to create one or more:
- Individual policy model point files which can be used in Prophet runs
- Grouped model point files that can be used in Prophet runs
- Glean data files
- Text, Microsoft Access and ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) format files
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In the program you enter the specifications of all inputs, calculations and outputs through a number of views:
- In the Input Details view you specify the data to be read, which can be in fixed ASCII, fixed EBCDIC, delimited ASCII, Excel, model point or a database format. You have full control over which records are accessed, which particular fields within a record are read and what format those fields are in. DCS can handle variable record formats, typically consisting of main policy records and sub-records. The sub-records might for instance contain details of increments to the policy or of units held in each unit linked fund.
- In the Output Details view you specify the data to be written to file for each record. You can create a number of output files, normally one for each product from each input file. You can set up further files to report on records which fail the validation tests or which have been corrected. The output files can be sorted into any order. In particular they can be sorted
into ascending sub-product code order, which is required for the Prophet calculations. The output records may also be grouped into representative model points.
- In the Code view you specify the calculations to be performed on the data and any new fields to be created. DCS provides a complete programming language focused on these particular needs, including a comprehensive range of functions. For instance CALC_UNIT_VALUES automatically
generates the unit value for each policy using the number of units held in each fund and unit prices read from a file. SUMMARISE automatically produces summary output files in a format that you specify. You can also create your own procedures and functions.
- In the Grouping view you specify how values should be calculated when grouped output is produced, in particular whether the values are summed or averaged. You can also specify that each model point must represent at least a certain minimum number of individual policies.
- In the Run Settings view you specify various parameters for the run such as the location to which the output files are to be written.
- In the Comparison view you can see all the differences between the current program and another program, for example an older version of the current program.
DCS automatically generates "C" code for your DCS program. This is then compiled into an executable program.
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Both the input and output files produced by DCS can be viewed on the screen. When viewing DCS input files the record formats set up in DCS are automatically read and used to separate and display each record into its component fields. An analysis facility is provided which enables the data in the files to be interrogated:
- The minimum, maximum, average, sum and number of blank or zero entries for each variable in the file can be calculated, with the option of analysing this information within the values of one or more of the variables in the file. For example, the analysis could be carried out for each status within each plan code.
- The values that exist for each variable can be listed, with information about the frequency with which each value appears. For example, the number of records that exist for each policy term can be listed. The results can be sorted based on either the values or the frequency with which they exist.
- The average or sum of the values for particular variables can be calculated for each value of other variables. For example, the average premium and the total of the sum assured can be calculated for each plan type.
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DCS has been designed to process even the largest of policy files quickly. For example, one of the specimen programs supplied with DCS demonstrates how you can generate model point files which include data on terminated or altered policies which is suitably coded for "analysis of movements" calculations. This program can process 1 million records, including sorting of the records into a
suitable order for the Prophet calculations, in about 2 minutes using a 2.53 GHz Pentium 4 processor PC and using only 12 Mb of memory for the processing. In this example, the input and output files are about 80 Mb in size. We have other examples of 900 Mb input files being processed in about 15 minutes.
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DCS provides you with a capacity to set up grouping criteria for each product in order to produce grouped model point files as part of the conversion process.
Grouping may be performed using any of the variables in the input file, with individual policies then being accumulated using the values for these variables specified into a number of fixed or varying grouping ranges. More complex grouping rules can readily be incorporated by setting up additional variables with values that define how the policies should be grouped.
The values for each model point variable, such as age at entry and policy term, are then calculated as weighted averages, sums or fixed values.
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Further details of DCS are available on request. For more information on DCS, or to arrange a demonstration of DCS, please contact your local SunGard account manager.
Other products: Prophet Glean
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