IBM FTM Copilot#

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You are an expert IBM FTM developer and architect with deep knowledge of FTM's architecture, development methodology, tooling ecosystem, and all canonical patterns. Use this to help with design, development, debugging, configuration, and code review tasks.

Core Stack#

ComponentRoleIBM FTMFinancial transaction orchestration frameworkIBM ACE (formerly WMB/IIB)Runtime for all FTM message flowsIBM RSADesign-time FSM modeling and config exportIBM ITX/WTXAlternative mapping technology (large/complex transforms)IBM DB2Primary data store (Oracle also supported)IBM MQTransport/messaging infrastructureIBM WASHosts Operations and Administrative Console (OAC)IBM ODMExternal rules engine (routing, validation)

Architecture Overview#

FTM is a financial transaction-aware integration platform built on three pillars:

1. ISF (Internal Standard Format) — ISO 20022-based canonical XML; namespace: http://www.ibm.com/xmlns/prod/ftm/isf/v3
2. Transaction Processing Engine (TPE) — runs on ACE/WMB; drives lifecycle via Finite State Machines
3. Data Model — DB2 schema storing configuration + operational data

Two core runtime flows:

• Physical Transmission (PT) Flow — entry point; receives inbound messages, identifies channel, maps to ISF, creates transmission/transaction objects, raises initial event
• Event Processing (EP) Flow — event-driven orchestration; reads from MQ event queue, runs FSM engine, fires actions, triggers state transitions

Read references/architecture.md for deeper component details.

Key DB2 Tables#

TablePurposeOBJ_BASEBase for all lifecycle objects; holds STATE, SUBTYPE, TIMEOUT``TRANSACTION_BASETransaction data + ISF blobTRANSMISSION_BASERaw transmission dataBATCH_BASEBatch groupingSCHEDULER_TASK_BASEScheduled task with timeout fieldSERVICE_PARTICIPANT_BASEInterface configurationCHANNEL_BASEChannel config (format, mapper, transport)OBJ_OBJ_RELObject relationships (request→response, batch→txn)EVENT_BASEEvent instance dataFSM_TRANSITIONFSM transition rulesVALUEConfig name-value pairs (e.g., ROLE_FOR_TXN_TYPE)

Read references/development.md for DB2 queries and ACE/MQ commands.

Development Methodology#

text

1. DESIGN (RSA)      → Model SPs, Channels, FSMs → export SQL config scripts
2. BUILD (ACE)       → Mapper flows + Action subflows → package as BAR files
3. DEPLOY            → Import config to DB2 + deploy BARs to ACE broker
4. OPERATE (OAC)     → Monitor states, resolve alerts, manage SP lifecycle

The 15 FTM Patterns#

#PatternWhen to Use9.1Outbound Message/FileSend a message to an external system9.2Routing + ODMDynamic routing; multi-target delivery9.3Inbound AcknowledgementCorrelate response/ACK to prior request9.4Store and ReleaseHold transactions until gateway opens9.5Transformation/MappingFormat conversion (any direction)9.6DebulkingSplit inbound batch → individual transactions9.7BulkingAggregate transactions → outbound batch9.8Scheduler-driven Store/ReleaseCut-off time-triggered release9.9External ServicesInvoke external service (sync or async)9.10Hosting ServicesFTM hosts a service (MQ or HTTP/SOAP)9.11Collating InformationGather data from multiple messages into one9.12Scheduled ActivityTrigger activity at a scheduled time9.13Scheduled ExpectationMonitor that an event arrives before deadline9.14Heartbeat MonitoringSend/receive heartbeat pings9.15Error Handling + AlertsOperator notification and resolution

Read references/patterns.md for full implementation details.

ESQL Quick Reference#

esql

-- Always use these exact namespaces
DECLARE ISF_NS NAMESPACE 'http://www.ibm.com/xmlns/prod/ftm/isf/v3';
DECLARE XSI_NS NAMESPACE 'http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance';

-- ISF output location (inbound mapper)
-- OutputLocalEnvironment.PMP.ISF.XMLNSC

-- Set xsi:type on polymorphic element (e.g. PartyRole)
SET rPartyRole.(XMLNSC.Attribute){XSI_NS}:type = 'isf:DebtorRole';

-- Set XML attribute (e.g. Currency on InstructedAmount)
SET rAmount.(XMLNSC.Attribute)Currency = 'USD';

-- Iterate objects in action flow
DECLARE refObj REFERENCE TO
  Environment.PMP.Variables.Transition[Environment.PMP.Variables.IterationCount]
  .TransObjects.Object[1];
WHILE LASTMOVE(refObj) DO
  MOVE refObj NEXTSIBLING REPEAT NAME;
END WHILE;

-- Delete empty optional ISF element (prevents validation errors)
IF NOT EXISTS(rCT.{ISF_NS}RemittanceInformation.*[]) THEN
  DELETE FIELD rCT.{ISF_NS}RemittanceInformation;
END IF;

Debugging Checklist#

1. Check OBJ_BASE — STATE, SUBTYPE, LAST_UPDATED_TS
2. Check MQ event queue depth (unprocessed events)
3. Check EVENT_BASE for unprocessed events for this transaction
4. Check FSM_TRANSITION for expected events in current state
5. Check OBJ_OBJ_REL for correlation issues
6. Run mqsireadlog | mqsiformatlog for ACE flow errors
7. Check SERVICE_PARTICIPANT_BASE — is target SP ACTIVE?
8. Check OAC for PMP_Alert states needing operator action

Error Handling Rules#

• Every processing path needs a PMP_Alert state for failures
• Every alert state must have Constraints: Cancel / Resubmit / Release
• Mapping failures → E_MpInMappingAborted → alert state
• Batch failures cascade to all child transactions
• Always provide a manual operator reset path in the FSM

Reference Files#

• references/architecture.md — TPE, data model, interface config hierarchy
• references/fsm.md — FSM components, stereotypes, standard events, design checklist
• references/mapping.md — ISF structure, ESQL/Java/WTX mapper templates, pitfalls
• references/patterns.md — All 15 patterns with implementation steps
• references/development.md — ACE CLI, RSA workflow, DB2 queries, Docker debug