Appendix H: Using the Ginnie Mae BBS

I. Accessing BBS
II. System Overview
III. Naming Conventions
IV. Transmitting EDI Files
V. Receiving EDI Files

The Ginnie Mae Bulletin Board System (BBS) is an electronic file depository that enables users to upload and download files. This appendix of the implementation guide contains instructions for using the BBS to upload and download EDI files.

The Ginnie Mae BBS is used for sending both Monthly and EDI Loan Level file transfers. If you are currently using the BBS to transmit monthly, this does not mean you are in compliance with the Ginnie Mae EDI program. Compliance with the Ginnie Mae EDI program can only be achieved through the EDI testing and transition process.

If you decide to use the BBS as your telecommunications method to implement EDI or have any other questions about the Ginnie Mae EDI program, call the Ginnie Mae EDI Hotline at 1-888-GINNIE4, Option 1. The Ginnie Mae EDI Team will configure your account on the BBS to accept and submit EDI transmissions and will provide you with a user code, user id, and password.

The rest of this appendix provides step-by-step directions for using the Ginnie Mae BBS for EDI. Please note that discrepancies between what appears in this guide and what is displayed on your screen may be a result of differences in your particular software package.

I. ACCESSING BBS

Ginnie Mae’s BBS is named the "Ginnie Mae Data Exchange." To access the Ginnie Mae Data Exchange you must:

1. Select the drive, directory, or Windows shortcut for your telecommunications package.
2. Run your telecommunications software following the instructions provided with the package.
3. Verify that the appropriate modem settings have been selected by comparing your software configuration against Table H-1, Communication Parameters, of this appendix. Examine your software documentation to see where the modem settings are listed for your particular telecommunications package. With the exception of your COM port, the other settings are typically the defaults in modem software packages.
4. Dial in to the BBS using the number (301) 548-2341 and log on to the Ginnie Mae BBS following the instructions provided below.

Table H-1 Communication Parameters

Communication Parameter Description Terminal Mode The terminal mode should be ANSI. COM Port Communication port is a point of access to a computer, network, or other electronic device. There are four conventional ports that can be accessed: COM1, COM2, COM3 and COM4. The most common ports used for the BBS setup are COM1 or COM2. Baud Rate A measure of transmission speed. Baud rates include 1200, 2400, 3600, 4800, 7200, 9600, 14,400 19200, 28,800 and higher. A common baud rate setting is 28,800. Check your modem and manual to see what baud rates are supported and use the highest possible setting. Parity The addition of one or more redundant bits used as information to verify its accuracy. Parity bits include NONE, ODD, EVEN, MARK, SPACE. Parity bits setting must be NONE. Word Length The size of a word that is sent to the modem when transmitting data. Word lengths include 5, 6, 7 or 8. Word length setting must be 8. Stop Bits A stop bit indicates the end of a character (a character is usually 8 bits). The stop bit setting must be 1.

If you are having trouble accessing the BBS, first make sure that your modem is configured correctly.

Once your PC and the Ginnie Mae Data Exchange system connect, a welcome screen appears asking for your user code and user id as shown below. Type your assigned user code and user id; then type your password when prompted.

Note: You may also type first name, last name, and password on the same line. (For example, at the screen prompt "What is your first name?" You may type " is 1234 [password]")

After verifying the password, the system checks the current user information on file and asks you if it is correct. If the information it is correct, you may access the system. If it is not correct, you will be requested to re-enter the information.

II. SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The Ginnie Mae Bulletin Board System is menu-driven, meaning the screen will provide you with options for your next action. The Main Menu (displayed above) consists of the following options:

III. NAMING CONVENTIONS

Before uploading your loan level EDI files to the BBS, you should name the files according to Ginnie Mae’s EDI file naming convention. You will be using the Bulletin Board System to exchange electronic data with Ginnie Mae. You will be submitting the 203 Secondary Mortgage Market Investor Report, and receiving the 997 Functional Acknowledgement. In order to make it clear which transaction sets are being sent by which trading partners, your loan level EDI files should be named using the following convention:

[Ginnie Mae issuer number][two-digit submission month][two-digit submission day].203

For example, if issuer 1234 were to send a file on July 10, the file would be named:

12340710.203

Note: While your loan level EDI files should always have a .203 extension, if you choose to compress the file before sending it the actual file being submitted will have a .zip extension.

Your 997 Functional Acknowledgements will be named using the same convention, with the exception of the twelve-(12) numbers of the file name (the file extension) that indicates the time and date including seconds. For example, if Issuer 1234's Functional Acknowledgment were created on July 10, the 997 file would be named as follows:

o.1234.030710050005

Using these names for your EDI files allows the Ginnie Mae EDI Team to retrieve and process them more easily.

IV. TRANSMITTING EDI FILES

This section describes how to upload and transmit EDI files to the Ginnie Mae EDI Team over the BBS. Depending on whether you use the BBS to just submit EDI files, or use it to submit other files as well (such as IIS files, pool level submissions and SSCRA), the particular options on each screen will vary slightly. This section is structured as follows: If you use the BBS just to submit EDI files, begin with section IV(a) below, and then skip to section IV(c). If you use the BBS to submit other types of files in addition to EDI files, skip to section IV(b), and then continue with section IV(c).

IV(a). Users Who Use the BBS to Transmit Only EDI Files

From the main menu:

1. Press F to select Files Upload/Download.
2. Press U to select Upload a File.

If you use the BBS only to submit EDI files, after you type "U" to upload a file the BBS may display the following prompt:

Please select a protocol:

[X] X-modem [Z] Z-modem

Select [X Z] ? [ ]

In most cases, you should press Z to select Z-modem for all modem speeds. If you already designated a default protocol this step will be skipped. Otherwise, select a protocol from the options listed above and press [Enter].

V. RECEIVING EDI FILES

This section describes how to receive an EDI file from the BBS. After the Ginnie Mae EDI Team receives an EDI file that you upload to the BBS, the file is translated and another EDI transaction set called the 997 - Functional Acknowledgement is generated and sent to the BBS. This is a small file that describes the success or failure of your EDI transmission and provides you with timely feedback about the status of your loan level report. A 997-transaction set will be generated every time the Ginnie Mae EDI Team translates a 203-transaction set from you. You will want to download this file from the BBS and analyze it to determine the status of your EDI transmission. If you are submitting test data to the Ginnie Mae EDI Team, the 997 file will be available for download within one business day of your submission. If you are submitting production data to the Ginnie Mae EDI Team, the 997 file will be available by the next business day.

To receive an EDI file, from the main menu:

Press F to select Files Upload/Download.

Press L to List Available Files.

Any files that are displayed are available to be downloaded. Your 997 transaction set will follow a similar naming convention as the file that you uploaded (your issuer number, followed by the date and time to the seconds). To select a specific file to download, enter in the number to the left of the file name. More than one file can be selected by continuing to type a number and press [Enter]. When you are ready to download, type D and press [Enter].

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