Switch Simulator

Overview

A payment switch receives a request, identifies its destination and passes it to the right issuer. This simulator is being developed to make that path easier to explore, including message translation and the stand-in path when an issuer is unavailable.

The Payment Switch will sit in the middle of the network, receiving ISO 8583 transactions from acquiring endpoints and routing them to the correct issuer, with BIN-based routing, protocol translation and stand-in decisioning.

Workflow preview

The connection behind a payment. Choose a scenario, then follow each step through the illustrative exchange.

SOURCE   ACQUIRER_A
BIN      SAMPLE_A
ACTION   PAYMENT

STATE    RECEIVED
NEXT     ROUTE_LOOKUP

BIN      SAMPLE_A
LOOKUP   ROUTING_RULE

MATCH    ROUTE_A
TARGET   ISSUER_A

FROM     ACQUIRER_FORMAT
TO       ISSUER_FORMAT

STATE    MAPPED
TARGET   ISSUER_A

SOURCE   ISSUER_A
DECISION SAMPLE_APPROVAL

ROUTE_MATCHED
The sample BIN matches Issuer A, which returns an illustrative approval.

SOURCE   ACQUIRER_A
BIN      SAMPLE_A
ACTION   PAYMENT

STATE    RECEIVED
NEXT     ROUTE_LOOKUP

BIN      SAMPLE_A
LOOKUP   ROUTING_RULE

MATCH    ROUTE_A
ISSUER   UNAVAILABLE

ISSUER   UNAVAILABLE
PATH     STAND_IN

SOURCE   SAMPLE_STAND_IN
DECISION SAMPLE_APPROVAL

SOURCE   SAMPLE_STAND_IN
DECISION SAMPLE_APPROVAL

STAND_IN
An unavailable issuer sends this fixed example through the planned stand-in path.

SOURCE   ACQUIRER_A
BIN      SAMPLE_UNKNOWN
ACTION   PAYMENT

STATE    RECEIVED
NEXT     ROUTE_LOOKUP

BIN      SAMPLE_UNKNOWN
LOOKUP   ROUTING_RULE

MATCH    NONE
TARGET   NONE

MATCH    NONE
TARGET   NONE

STATE    NOT_FORWARDED
REASON   NO_ROUTE

SOURCE   SWITCH
REASON   NO_ROUTE

NO_ROUTE
No sample BIN route matches, so the request remains at the switch.

Planned capabilities

The intended scope for Switch Simulator. These capabilities are being developed and may evolve before release.

• BIN / IIN-based routing tables to multiple destinations
• ISO 8583 protocol and format translation between endpoints
• Stand-in processing when a downstream host is unavailable
• Message enrichment, field mapping and MTI translation
• Per-route monitoring and throughput metrics

Where it fits

Until the dedicated switch ships, the Host Simulator in Proxy mode already bridges two endpoints and can inspect or modify traffic in transit.

Development status