A
ABAC (Attribute-Based Access Control)Access control model that evaluates attributes such as user role, resource type, and environment conditions to determine access permissions. Banking OS uses ABAC alongside RBAC for fine-grained authorization. ACH (Automated Clearing House)
Electronic funds transfer network used in the United States for batch processing of payments. Banking OS supports ACH payments through connectors such as the Alacriti Batch Connector. AIS (Account Information Services)
Regulated service that lets a third party access a user’s bank account data with consent and present it in a consolidated or processed form. AIS is part of the Open Banking framework. AISP (Account Information Service Provider)
Third-party provider that uses standards-based APIs to access a customer’s accounts and provide account information services. Examples include accounting software that accesses account and transaction information from business bank accounts, or a bank whose mobile app accesses account information from other banks to provide a consolidated financial overview. AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service)
Microsoft Azure’s managed Kubernetes service. Banking OS runs on AKS for container orchestration, scaling, and cluster management. AML (Anti-Money Laundering)
Regulations and procedures designed to prevent criminals from using financial systems to launder money. Banking OS integrates with AML providers such as ComplyAdvantage. API Gateway
Entry point for all API requests to Banking OS. The gateway handles routing, authentication, rate limiting, and request transformation. For more information, see API management. API version set
Groups the versions of one API in Azure API Management. You declare version sets in
apiversionsets.values.yaml. For more information, see Azure API Management configuration.
APIM (Azure API Management)The API management layer in Banking OS that provides full control over the API lifecycle, including design, publishing, monitoring, security, and retirement. For more information, see API management. APIM backend
Connector URL that Azure API Management routes requests to. You declare backends in
backends.values.yaml. For more information, see Azure API Management configuration.
APIM productBundle of one or more APIs with policies. Callers subscribe to a product. You declare products in
products.values.yaml. For more information, see Azure API Management configuration.
applications-live repositoryGitOps repository that holds the runtime and deployment configuration for an installation. ArgoCD applies it to the runtimes. For more information, see GitHub organization and repository structure. ASPSP (Account Servicing Payment Service Provider)
Institution that provides accounts and access to account information services through standards-based APIs. For example, a bank that offers current accounts. ASPSPs are part of the Open Banking framework. Automated validation
Process that automatically reviews tool configurations for security, compliance, and performance requirements before enabling them in Banking OS.
B
Back pressureMechanism in Sync Hub for managing event flow when a consumer processes events slower than the producer publishes them. Sync Hub handles back pressure automatically with per-consumer delivery guarantees to prevent data loss. Banking OS
Backbase’s operating environment for governed agent execution. Formerly known as the Grand Central product. Banking OS Connectivity
The Connectivity layer of Banking OS. It links functional apps with third-party systems through connectors, and includes the tooling to build custom integrations. For more information, see Connectivity overview. Banking OS Connector
Set of domain services developed by Backbase, hosted on Banking OS Connectivity, that connects a functional app with third-party systems. You can configure Banking OS Connectors without writing custom code. Each connector wraps a specific third-party API or data source and maps it to Backbase APIs. See also Connector. BIAN (Banking Industry Architecture Network)
Industry framework that provides a standardized model for banking service domains. Banking OS Unified APIs are BIAN-inspired, mapping banking capabilities into consistent, domain-aligned interfaces.
C
Canonical formatStandardized event structure used across Sync Hub to ensure consistent event data regardless of the source system. Canonical formats simplify multi-consumer distribution by normalizing data from different vendors. CBPII (Card-Based Payment Instrument Issuer)
Under PSD2, a third-party provider that issues card-based payment instruments and can request Confirmation of Funds from an ASPSP before authorizing a card transaction. Connector
Out-of-the-box integration component hosted on Banking OS Connectivity that wraps a third-party API or data source and maps it to Banking OS Unified APIs. You can configure connectors without writing custom code. For more information, see Get started with connectors. Connector domain
Logical grouping of business capabilities and data ownership. Available domains include Core Banking, Customer Relationship Management, Payments Processing, Onboarding & Origination, and Data Enrichment. For more information, see Platform terminology. Connector pack
Collection of connectors within the same business domain of an ISV. A connector pack groups related connectors for a single vendor. Connector slot
Licensed unit of capacity that lets you activate one distinct connection to an external system within a specific business domain. For more information, see Platform terminology. CoF (Confirmation of Funds)
PSD2 capability defined in Article 65 that lets a CBPII ask the account-holding bank to confirm whether a specific amount is available in a customer’s payment account. Consent
Permission explicitly granted by a customer to let a third-party provider access account information on their behalf. Consent management is central to Open Banking compliance. Consumer
System that receives and processes events from Sync Hub. Consumers subscribe to specific event topics and process events independently. Consumer group
Set of consumers that coordinate to process events from Sync Hub. Consumer groups enable parallel processing while ensuring each event is handled by one consumer in the group. Content-based routing
Sync Hub capability that routes events to specific consumers based on the event content, such as transaction type, amount, or currency. This lets you direct events to the right systems without building custom routing logic. COP (Confirmation of Payee)
Name-checking service that verifies the payee’s name matches the account details before a payment is sent. Banking OS supports COP through the SurePay connector. Credentials
A username, password, token, or key that proves access. Store connector credentials with Secrets OPerationS (SOPS), then reference the secret from the connector
values.yaml file. For the BB AI SDK, set Artifactory access in Installation and setup.
Custom connectorConnector that you build on the Banking OS platform to integrate with an ISV or financial institution that doesn’t have a pre-built connector available. For more information, see Platform terminology. CVV2 (Card Verification Value 2)
Three- or four-digit security code printed on a payment card, used to verify that the cardholder has physical possession of the card during card-not-present transactions.
D
DatadogOptional monitoring tool for logs and monitors, available if it’s enabled for your installation. For more information, see Monitor. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)
Attack that overwhelms a system with traffic from multiple sources. Banking OS infrastructure includes DDoS protection as part of its network connectivity and security architecture. Dead letter queue
Queue in Sync Hub that stores events that failed processing after all retry attempts are exhausted. Dead letter queues prevent failed events from blocking the processing of subsequent events. Developer portal
Azure API Management portal where API consumers discover and test APIs. For more information, see API management. DevHub track
Repositories and runtime resources that your developers operate for custom connectors. For more information, see GitHub organization and repository structure. Domain service
Microservice aligned with a BIAN-inspired service domain, exposed as a set of API methods and endpoints. Multiple domain services make up a Banking OS Connector.
E
ECP (European Payments Council)Organization that manages and develops European payment schemes. Banking OS references ECP guidelines in the context of Verification of Payee standards. EEA (European Economic Area)
Economic area comprising EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Relevant for regulatory scope of payment directives such as PSD2. Event distribution
Process of delivering events from a producer to one or more consuming systems through Sync Hub. Distribution supports fan-out, content-based routing, and guaranteed delivery. External MCP server
Third-party MCP-compatible service hosted outside Banking OS that you can access through Banking OS unified interface for consistent authentication, auditing, and rate limiting.
F
Fan-outSync Hub distribution pattern that delivers a single published event to multiple consumers simultaneously. Fan-out eliminates the need to build separate point-to-point integrations for each consuming system. FATF (Financial Action Task Force)
Intergovernmental organization that sets international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Banking OS AML integrations help meet FATF compliance requirements.
G
GitOpsOperational framework that uses Git repositories as the source of truth for infrastructure and app configuration. Banking OS uses GitOps practices for API management configuration and connector deployment. Grafana
Monitoring tool for connector logs, metrics, traces, dashboards, and alerts. For more information, see Monitor. Guaranteed delivery
Sync Hub capability that ensures events reach consumers even during transient failures. Sync Hub uses retry logic with exponential backoff, dead letter handling, and message ordering guarantees.
H
HSM (Hardware Security Module)Physical device that manages and safeguards cryptographic keys. Banking OS infrastructure uses HSMs for secure key storage as part of its security architecture.
I
IBAN (International Bank Account Number)Internationally agreed-upon system of identifying bank accounts across national borders. Used in Banking OS payment connectors for account identification. IDV (Identity Verification)
Process of confirming that a person is who they claim to be. Banking OS integrates with IDV providers such as Onfido and Prove. Installation
A customer’s own instance of Banking OS Connectivity, including multiple runtimes and environments (development, test, production) depending on specific customer needs. ISV (Independent Software Vendor)
Company that develops, markets, and sells software solutions. In Banking OS, ISVs are the third-party systems that connectors integrate with. For more information, see Platform terminology.
J
JMS (Java Message Service)Java API for message-oriented middleware. Banking OS supports JMS as one of the event streaming protocols in Sync Hub integration patterns. JWT (JSON Web Token)
Compact, URL-safe token format for securely transmitting claims between parties. Banking OS uses JWTs for API authentication and authorization.
K
KameletsReusable snippets of Camel DSL that developers can reference and reuse when building custom connectors, similar to a traditional SDK construct. For more information, see the Apache Camel Kamelets documentation. KYB (Know Your Business)
Due diligence process for verifying the identity and legitimacy of a business entity. Banking OS supports KYB through KYC-KYB connectors. KYC (Know Your Customer)
Regulatory process for verifying the identity of customers. Banking OS supports KYC through connectors such as Onfido and ComplyAdvantage.
M
Managed trackRepositories and resources that Backbase operates for pre-built connectors. For more information, see GitHub organization and repository structure. MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Open protocol that enables AI agents to discover and invoke backend API operations as tools through standardized tool discovery and invocation endpoints. MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)
Authentication method that requires two or more verification factors (such as a password plus a one-time code) to access a system. Banking OS enforces MFA for platform access. mTLS (Mutual TLS)
Extension of TLS where both the client and server authenticate each other using certificates. Banking OS uses mTLS for secure service-to-service communication. For more information, see Network connectivity. Multi-consumer distribution
Sync Hub integration pattern that delivers events from a single source to multiple consuming systems, each with independent delivery guarantees and processing speeds. For more information, see Sync Hub integration patterns.
N
NACHA (National Automated Clearing House Association)Organization that manages the ACH network in the United States. NACHA defines the rules and formats for ACH transactions processed through Banking OS payment connectors. Native tools
MCP tools backed directly by Banking OS internal APIs, included in platform subscriptions with predictable costs and optimized performance.
O
OAuth (Open Authorization)Authorization framework that lets third-party applications access resources on behalf of a user without exposing credentials. Banking OS uses OAuth for API authentication. OBL (Open Banking Limited)
UK entity that sets the technical standards, APIs, and guidelines for Open Banking compliance in the UK, aligned with PSD2. For more information, see Open Banking connector. OBPM (Oracle Banking Payments Manager)
Oracle’s payment processing platform. Banking OS provides connectors for both real-time and batch payment processing through OBPM. OIDC (OpenID Connect)
Identity layer built on top of OAuth that provides authentication in addition to authorization. Banking OS supports OIDC for identity federation.
P
PAIN (Payment Initiation)ISO 20022 message type for payment initiation. PAIN.001 messages contain payment instructions and PAIN.002 messages contain status reports. Used in Banking OS OBPM Batch Connector. PAN (Primary Account Number)
Number embossed or printed on a payment card that identifies the card issuer and the cardholder’s account. Banking OS card management connectors handle PAN data in compliance with PCI DSS requirements. PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
Security standard for organizations that handle payment card data. Banking OS infrastructure meets PCI DSS requirements for card data handling. For more information, see Security. PEP (Politically Exposed Person)
Individual who holds or has held a prominent public function. Financial institutions screen customers against PEP lists as part of AML compliance. Banking OS supports PEP screening through the ComplyAdvantage connector. PIS (Payment Initiation Service)
Regulated service under PSD2 that lets a PISP initiate a payment from a customer’s account on their behalf, with the customer’s consent. PISP (Payment Initiation Service Provider)
Third-party provider authorized under PSD2 to initiate payments on a customer’s behalf. Policy fragment
Reusable piece of Azure API Management policy XML that product policies include. You declare policy fragments in
policyfragments.values.yaml. For more information, see Azure API Management configuration.
Pre-built connectorConnector that comes with the Banking OS platform, also referred to as a managed connector. Pre-built connectors provide out-of-the-box integration with an ISV without custom development. For more information, see Platform terminology. Producer
System that publishes events to Sync Hub when data changes occur. Producers can be webhook endpoints, event consumers reading from external brokers, file processors, or direct API integrations. Provisioning plane
Self-service repository and Terraform pipelines that manage users, repositories, and Azure resources. For more information, see Architecture. PSD2 (Payment Services Directive 2)
EU regulatory directive that sets the legal foundation for Open Banking and mandates banks to provide access to customer data and payment services to authorized third-party providers. For more information, see Open Banking connector.
R
Rate limitingControlling the number of requests a client can make to Banking OS API endpoints in a given time period. Rate limits are enforced through APIM policies and tied to subscription keys. RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)
Access control model that assigns permissions based on user roles. Banking OS uses RBAC for platform administration and API access control. RTP (Real-Time Payments)
Payment network that enables instant fund transfers between bank accounts in the United States. Banking OS supports RTP through the Alacriti Connector. Runtime
Environment in your installation, such as
dev or stg. Runtimes vary per installation.
Runtime planeThe applications-live repository and ArgoCD, which keep the running state of each runtime in sync with Git. For more information, see Architecture.
S
SandboxDeveloper environment on Banking OS Connectivity that lets you remotely connect, deploy, and run connectors from your local machine. The sandbox provides a live development experience where local changes are reflected on the remote environment. SCA (Strong Customer Authentication)
Standard for ensuring that access and actions are authorized by the account owner using suitably secure authentication methods, such as two-factor authentication or MFA. SCA is required by PSD2 for Open Banking transactions. Schema evolution
Sync Hub capability for managing schema versioning and backward compatibility as banking systems evolve over time. Sync Hub handles schema evolution automatically to prevent integration breakage when vendor data formats change. Self-service repository
GitOps repository where you manage users, roles, repositories, and secrets through pull requests to
self-service.tfvars. For more information, see Self-service.
SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)Secure protocol for transferring files over an encrypted connection. Banking OS uses SFTP for batch file processing in connectors such as the OBPM Batch Connector. SOC (System and Organization Controls)
Audit framework for evaluating an organization’s controls over security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Banking OS maintains SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. For more information, see Security. SOPS (Secrets OPerationS)
Tool for encrypting and managing secrets in configuration files. Banking OS uses SOPS for secure management of connector credentials and API keys during connector configuration. SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act)
United States federal law that establishes auditing and financial reporting requirements for publicly traded companies. Banking OS compliance controls support SOX requirements for financial data handling. Subscription key
API key that authenticates requests to Banking OS endpoints and determines which endpoints are accessible. Subscription keys are managed through APIM. Sync Hub
Managed event distribution platform that enables real-time data synchronization between the systems that Banking OS connects. Sync Hub supports multiple integration patterns including webhooks, event streaming, file processing, and multi-consumer distribution. For more information, see Sync Hub.
T
TemplateGolden sample of either a connector or an API that you use to build your custom instance. Templates come with all the tooling necessary to build and run a custom connector on Banking OS Connectivity. Tool discovery
MCP capability that lets AI agents query available operations through the
tools/list endpoint, receiving tool names, descriptions, and parameter schemas.
Tool invocationProcess of calling a specific MCP tool through the
tools/call endpoint with required parameters, returning results to the AI agent.
Tool schemaJSON Schema definition describing a tool’s parameters, including required fields, data types, validation patterns, and descriptions that guide AI agents in correct usage. TPP (Third Party Provider)
Organization authorized under PSD2 to provide Open Banking services on behalf of a customer, with the customer’s consent. TPP is the umbrella term for regulated third-party providers, including AISPs, PISPs, and CBPIIs. TPPs connect to ASPSPs through standards-based APIs as part of the Open Banking framework.
U
Unified APIBIAN-inspired API specification that Banking OS Connectors implement to provide a consistent interface across different third-party systems. Unified APIs abstract the complexity of different ISV implementations into standardized endpoints. For more information, see Unified APIs and BIAN.
V
VoP (Verification of Payee)Service that verifies the identity of a payment recipient before a transaction is completed. Banking OS supports VoP through the SurePay connector, compliant with ECP VoP guidelines.
W
WAF (Web Application Firewall)Security tool that monitors and filters HTTP traffic between a web app and the internet. Banking OS infrastructure includes WAF protection as part of its network connectivity architecture.
For general Backbase terms, see the Backbase glossary. For Banking OS key concepts, see Core architecture components and Platform terminology.