Converting and Posting the Security File
What is the Security File?
The first item to post in your database is the security definitions. The security file defines all securities currently
held by accounts at that custodian that have not previously been defined in PortfolioCenter.
Why is Security the first item on the list?
Securities should always be posted first because the price, transaction and reconciliation files all reference the
security symbols.
How do I post a Security file?
Follow the steps below to convert and post the security file.
1
If you haven’t already, open PortfolioCenter and login:
Start | All Programs | Schwab Performance Technologies | PortfolioCenter
2
Click the Interfaces tab
3
Select interface on the left side of the window, and then click the + to expand the tree. In this example, we
are posting securities in the Schwab interface.
4
Select Security from the expanded tree. You should see at
least one blue diamond with a New status, similar to the
image on the right.
NOTE: You can also see a None or Posted status, similar to
the example on the right. The None status is normal for this
section, as you might not see new securities each day.
Generally, the only time you will see new securities is when
a client buys or receives an asset that was never held by
anybody else in the database.
5
Right-click the New file, and then select Convert.
NOTE: you can also convert the file by double-clicking it
or selecting it and clicking the Convert button at the
bottom.
DocumentID: spt010035
Last Updated: December 1, 2010
When the file finishes converting, the diamond changes
from a blue New to either a grey Pending, similar to the
example to the right, or a red None status.
If the file changes to a red None status, you can stop on this branch. Most likely, you will not define new
securities every day, so it is actually very common to see a None status on a regular basis. If you have
nothing new to post, continue to the price file. For more information about converting and posting price
files, see Convert and Post Price Files.
6
At this point, you can validate the contents of the file by
opening the details of the file. Some reasons to check the
file details:

Verify the security type of the securities in the file to
make sure they are defined correctly.
Verify that the security description appears as you want
it to appear on reports.
7

If you were not expecting new securities, check the details of the file to determine what assets are being
defined.

If you use categories, use this as an opportunity to assign the new assets to the appropriate asset class,
sector and/or sub sector.
To post the file, right-click on the Pending status, and then
select Post, as shown on the right.
You can also post the file by selecting the file and clicking
the Post button at the bottom.
When the file finishes posting, the diamond changes from a
gray Pending to a dark blue Posted.
Converting and Posting the Security File
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If the status is Posted, it means that the contents of the file are now a part of the database. You always want
to see a Posted or None status for securities.
However, it is possible to have statuses other than Posted, due to errors with some of the data, usually
missing maturity dates for fixed income or expiration dates for option securities. If you see a red diamond
with an Error status, or a diamond that is half gray/half dark blue with a Partial status, something in the file
did not post correctly.
See the interface reconciliation troubleshooting tool for more information about how to correct this issue.
Also, see the document Interface File Status Codes for more information on file statuses.
Converting and Posting the Security File
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