Jxfs

J/eXtensions for Financial Services (J/XFS) for the Java Platform

Conceptual Overview
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March 28, 2000

Developed by the members of the J/XFS Forum and agreed in the CEN J/XFS Workshop

J/XFS Conceptual Overview

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Preface
This document describes the concept of the J/XFS standard and is the result of a joint effort of leading system suppliers todefine an architecture for financial TM enterprise computing in Java . The intention of this document is to give a conceptual overview of a Java based I/O-subsystem for banking peripherals called J/eXtensions for Financial Services TM (J/XFS) for the Java platform. Utilizing the Java language, J/XFS provides a standard for a banking device subsystem with real platform and hardware independencewhich enables the access to banking peripherals for new Java banking applications. It also provides a migration path for current financial I/O subsystems and ensures co-existence between current Client/Server and new Java banking applications, so customer investments in banking device infrastructure are protected. J/XFS enables full transparency between the application and the device level whileproviding a flexible and extensible solution for the network computing paradigm.

The information provided in this document was contributed by members of the J/XFS Forum and represents its current views on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. It is furnished for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice. The J/XFS Forum and its members makes no warranty,expressed or implied, with respect to this document. The members of the J/XFS Forum encourage banks and other financial service companies, independent software vendors, and banking device manufacturers worldwide to get acquainted with the J/XFS standard. To submit questions and comments for the J/XFS specifications visit the J/XFS web site:

http://www.jxfs.com
Java and all Java-based trademarksand logos are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. The Java Trademark Guidelines are currently available on the web at http://java.sun.com/nav/business/trademark_guidelines.html. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.

J/XFS Forum

March 28, 2000

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Introduction
Recognizing the advantages of the Java language for developing financeindustry applications, representatives of Sun Microsystems, Siemens Nixdorf Retail and Banking Systems, NCR, DeLaRue and IBM have embarked on an effort to develop a set of standard Java interfaces in support of the unique input and output devices used in the finance industry at various access channels including Branch Teller and Platform, Self Service and Call Center. This new standard is called TMJ/eXtensions for Financial Services (J/XFS) for the Java platform.

J/XFS Forum Members

The mission of this initiative was to produce a finance industry standard for financial I/O devices that supports 100% pure Java applications while leveraging existing standards. It was and remains to be our intention to bring together representatives from hardware vendors (network computers and I/Odevices), software vendors and financial institutions (primarily banks) to help to develop and maintain the standard. The J/XFS specifications have been transferred to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and its Information Society Standardization System (ISSS) in Brussels. A workshop with several participants has been initiated in May 1999 and the J/XFS standard has been passed as a CENWorkshop Agreement in September 1999. The Workshop will continue its work on the future of the J/XFS standard and its APIs. For more information see the web at http://www.cenorm.be/isss/Workshop/J-XFS/default.htm.

J/XFS Forum

March 28, 2000

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Advantages
Applications written in the Java language execute by having a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) interpret...