**Technical Bulletin #1**![](media/image1.wmf){width="1.9625in"
height="0.9263888888888889in"}

**ACF Electronic Data Transmission**

**REVISED: March, 2000**[^1]

The purpose of this technical bulletin is to provide information on the
Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) electronic data transfer
(EDT) methods, types, and characteristics.

Page

Section I Background 1

Section II General Information 1

Section III Electronic Data Transfer Methods and Characteristics 1

**I. Background**

As of October 1, 1997, operation, maintenance, and support services for
AFCARS were relocated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Computer Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The NIH is the new CONNECT:Direct
(formerly Network Data Mover - NDM) HUB and KERMIT site for AFCARS
electronic data file transfer for the States, the District of Columbia
and Puerto Rico. Effective September 30, 1997 the ACF National Computer
Center in Baltimore, Maryland, closed due to mandatory Federal computer
consolidation.

**II. General Information**

[CONNECT:Direct]{.underline}

States that will use CONNECT:Direct for their electronic data file
transfer are to submit a CONNECT:Direct registration request to ACF.
This request should contain the following information: VTAM application
id, VTAM network id, and CONNECT:Direct node id. States are provided
with the information necessary to set up their connection and transmit
their AFCARS data file to NIH. The Federal AFCARS will transmit report
files to the State via CONNECT:Direct. The purpose of this is to ensure
that the communications link is established and tested and that
data/report file transmission to/from ACF can be successfully completed.

[KERMIT]{.underline}

States that will use KERMIT for their electronic file transfer are to
submit a KERMIT registration request to ACF stating their need to use
KERMIT. ACF will provide the software to the State to install at the PC.
The PC should have an internal modem or be connected to an external
modem. The software has a customized .TAK file that the State will need
to make certain changes to, such as inserting the filename of the data
file being transmitted.

The State will execute the KERMIT software that makes the connection to
the NIH computer center and upload the data file, as well as download
the report files.

**III. Electronic Data Transfer Methods and Characteristics**

The following table lists the electronic data transmission
characteristics of both CONNECT:Direct and KERMIT electronic data
transfer methods that can be used when transmitting AFCARS data files to
the NIH computer center. ACF strongly encourages all States to upgrade
their C:D software to a HUB to electronically transmit their AFCARS data
files direct to the NIH computer center.

+--------------------+----------+--------------------------------------+
| ELECTRONIC DATA    | EDT      | EDT CHARACTERISTICS                  |
| TRANSFER (EDT)     | TYPES    |                                      |
| METHODS            |          |                                      |
+====================+==========+======================================+
| CONNECT:DIRECT     | M        | Transmission Signaling Speed: 9600   |
|                    | ainframe | BAUD and 56KB                        |
| formerly Network   |          |                                      |
| Data Mover - NDM   | to       | NIH is a network HUB and is offering |
|                    |          | technical support for this preferred |
| (Sterling          | M        | mode of data transmission for ACF    |
| Commerce)          | ainframe | systems.                             |
|                    |          |                                      |
|                    |          | Most efficient means of electronic   |
|                    |          | data transmission to ACF systems.    |
|                    |          |                                      |
|                    |          | States must upgrade from a SPOKE to  |
|                    |          | a HUB for **direct transmission** to |
|                    |          | NIH.                                 |
+--------------------+----------+--------------------------------------+
| KERMIT             | Personal | This EDT may be used only by         |
|                    | computer | Territories and States that do not   |
| (Personal Computer | to       | have direct access to                |
|                    |          | CONNECT:Direct.                      |
| Software)          | M        |                                      |
|                    | ainframe | Transmission Signaling Speed: 4800,  |
|                    |          | 9600 and 19.2K, 38.4K, 57.6K BAUD    |
+--------------------+----------+--------------------------------------+

If additional information is needed, contact the ACF Office of
Information Services at

\(202\) 401-1462.

[^1]: Initial issuance date June 30, 1994 as Technical Bulletin #4.