Alert for break Data Feed

Questions about MultiCharts and user contributed studies.
Trader79
Posts: 21
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Has thanked: 3 times

Alert for break Data Feed

Postby Trader79 » 05 Dec 2009

Can help me to make one indicator to set in SCANNER that if DATA FEED go in offline mode or MC not received (Esignal) feel i can have an alert with sound.

Thanks a lot

User avatar
TJ
Posts: 7740
Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Global Citizen
Has thanked: 1033 times
Been thanked: 2221 times

Postby TJ » 05 Dec 2009

An indicator won't help you , here is why:

MultiCharts is an event driven software,
(same as most other charting/trading software)

i.e. it will do a calculation when a tick is received.
if no ticks is received, it won't do anything.

That's why in the case of a dead datafeed, an indicator won't be able to alert you because there is no tick to drive it.




Look for network/internet monitor here:
http://download.cnet.com/windows/

tekram
Posts: 96
Joined: 26 May 2009
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 18 times

Postby tekram » 06 Dec 2009

If you are using TS, you could look at the TradeManager messages or the TS built in alerts.

Unfortunately, TJ is right about the charts updating. The other way would be to write a DLL to monitor the MC Quotemanager Event Log to detect a disconnection.

This is how someone is doing it in TS:
I am quite pleased with the solution that came out of this process. I anticipated that I would need a custom TS log analyzer, and I did. For those who are interested, here is a high level overview of the solution that I put in place. It works so well that it's a little spooky. I find myself checking often to make sure things are still running since the system is so quiet lately.

1. TS is running in a virtual machine.
2. The server running the virtual machine is also running custom monitoring software.
3. All the different parts are running in secure colocation facilities (one of the best things I've ever done.)
4. The monitoring software analyzes TS log files and market data and looks for order execution network outages, data outages, and subsequent recoveries.
5. If any of the servers or processes in place are unable to communicate with one another or encounter a problem, they will send a text message to my phone from a process outside of TS. This allows me to monitor anything I can think of including, TS crash, data network down, server running TS down, monitor server(s) down, TS order execution network down, delayed data, etc.
6. If and when the down system(s) or processes recover I am notified also.

So when I receive a notification, which usually happens once every day or so, I watch for a recovery. The system usually recovers quickly. If it doesn't recover within minutes, I log in from wherever I am to troubleshoot. I was a little surprised at what it took to build a system that would come as close as possible to ensuring that if I do get a trading signal, it will execute properly.

This is the closest I've come yet to hands-off trading. I wish the system could stay this way forever but in my experience a new version of something will break something else which means I'll be tinkering with the system for a while to come. But the stress relief of such a robust monitoring and auto-execution system is quite nice.
Attachments
TSconnectmonitor.gif
(38.97 KiB) Downloaded 669 times

brendanh
Posts: 158
Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Has thanked: 1 time

Postby brendanh » 07 Dec 2009

The vast majority of people find TS's internal monitoring system perfectly adequate. I have configured it to warn me by email (to an address that alerts me by SMS) in the event of data or order server disconnect. The described setup is overkill IMO.

It should be high-priority for TSS to introduce an equivalent Multicharts internal monitoring system for data and broker disconnect. Especially now the autotrading feature is mature and stable, there will inevitably be unattended trading. In providing the autotrading feature TSSupport has an ethical responsibility to protect its customers against financial loss due to autotrading problems.
Last edited by brendanh on 07 Dec 2009, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
TJ
Posts: 7740
Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Global Citizen
Has thanked: 1033 times
Been thanked: 2221 times

Postby TJ » 07 Dec 2009

InteractiveBrokers' TWS has built-in disconnect alarm.

check under:
Configure> Global Configuration> Sound Manager

brendanh
Posts: 158
Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Has thanked: 1 time

Postby brendanh » 07 Dec 2009

Thanks TJ, but an audio alarm isn't much good if you aren't at the computer.
Last edited by brendanh on 07 Dec 2009, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
TJ
Posts: 7740
Joined: 29 Aug 2006
Location: Global Citizen
Has thanked: 1033 times
Been thanked: 2221 times

Postby TJ » 07 Dec 2009

Email ain't much good if the internet is dead.


p.s. on a discussion forum,
just because my post happens after yours,
does not mean I am disagreeing with you.

brendanh
Posts: 158
Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Has thanked: 1 time

Postby brendanh » 07 Dec 2009

Email ain't much good if the internet is dead.
True. I run MC on a virtual server and ping it throughout the day from another computer which warns me by email when internet connectivity of the server is lost. Keeping internet connected is the responsibility of the user and is beyond MC's duty as a charts\autotrading provider. However testing for broker or data disconnection is quite another matter.


Return to “MultiCharts”