←

I Record

Image File Index

Overview          Quick Tips           Record Fields

Overview

The UDS I record includes a .zip file along with a corresponding metadata file in .txt format, part of the UDS standard. The metadata file is designed to detail the contents of the .zip file, providing information such as a description of the files and the claimant number—details that are typically found within a claim system.

While UDS technically allows I records to be attached only to A records at the claimant level (meaning each claimant can have their own set of files), UDS should be viewed more as a flexible transportation method rather than strict rules. Therefore, through communication with the guaranty funds, it’s possible to attach “Claim Level” I records to a single claimant, typically the first one (00001). The same approach can apply to policy files.

This adaptability, which depends on coordination with the guaranty fund(s), stems from the varied ways in which each fund’s claim system interprets UDS data and presents it to users.

Most guaranty funds are open to such adjustments as long as the data reaches the correct interface for those handling the claim. However, it’s worth noting that some compromises may introduce additional administrative work, which is a common reason for the rejection of UDS data submissions.

Quick Tips

• • An I Record consists of a companion UDS .txt file and compressed .zip file. Both are required for Guaranty Funds to import data into their system.
  • Here is the common steps Guaranty Funds need to take when downloading I Records from SUDS:

1.  Download the UDS file and ZIP for the same batch from SUDS

2.  Extract the ZIP into a common documents directory their Claim System can access

3.  Place the UDS file inside the extracted folder.

4.  In the Claim System, select the UDS file to import which automatically infers that documents are relative to where the UDS file resides.

This answers the question “What path should I put in the I Record?” by saying that the path should be based on the extracted ZIP.

• • When using the UDS Data Mapper, the Folder Path should be based on where it exists on SUDS: /{naic}/some/folder/path/. The UDS Data Mapper will collect that file on execution of the “Send” step in the UI, compress it into a ZIP, and send it to the Guaranty Funds with a companion file automatically via SUDS. This process is similar to creating UDS .txt and .zip manually, but the Data Mapper accepts CSV files instead and manages the USD validation, compression and distribution itself.
• • Special Characters in file names should be removed. The UDS standard requires win-1252 encoding when processing UDS files, but ZIP files and their contents are not subject to the same restrictions. This is also not to mention the restrictions some systems will have when processing files with file names containing dollar signs, percent signs, at symbols, apostrophes, or quotes. It is recommended to remove any characters from the file name other than letters, numbers, spaces, underscores and dashes. This will make it more likely a file is accepted by any given claims system.
• • Condense I Records so the maximum character count of the absolute path is less than 250 characters. Some Guaranty Funds encounter an issue where files, when extracted, have paths longer than the allowed limit of the Windows operating system. This is an operating system limit not defined by the UDS standard but is ultimately an error that prevents Guaranty Funds from loading UDS files into their system. To fix this, it is recommended to limit the size of the folder paths first, since the folder itself will not amount to any information loss. The metadata is stored in the companion UDS file after all. If that still does not help, file names over 100 characters will be very rare anyway. Manually edit each file name to preserve important information as needed.

Record Fields