Overview

This section defines all aspects of FIXEdge installation procedure, including: initial requirements and knowledges, steps for installation, configuring and launch the test case, FAQ, etc.

FIXEdge installation package structure

FIXEdge is a server application that provides FIX connectivity for standalone client applications. It can be deployed on the different platforms and is supplied as an installation package.

Each package consists of:

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• FIXEdge

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These are FIX Integrated Control Center (FIXICC),  FIXICC Agent and Permission Service.

FIXICC is a Java stand-alone application which provides monitoring and administration capabilities for FIX Edge.
FIXICC Agent is a wrapper that allows FIXICC to establish connection with several FIXEdge servers. Moreover, the main configiring operations are supported only via the FIXICC Agent.

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These are FIXEye and FIXEye Agent

FIXEye is a tool designed to facilitate fast data search in FIX log files.
FIXEye Agent is used to browse log files on any remote computer if security or any other issues prevent FIXEye's direct access to FIXEdge's machine.

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The the installation packages for Windows and Linux also contain Java components (java run-time engine) to install if they have not been installed on the machine earlier.  

Installation procedure

The installation procedure includes:

• Preparing to install.  
• Installation the FIXEdge's components from the package on a working environment in accordance with selected deployment scheme.
• Conducting a test to make sure that all necessary components correctly deployed and can be used in the production.

After the installation procedure, the configuring procedure has to be performed for tuning FIX connectivity and business rules to use the FIXEdge in the production. 

Note: There is a dedicated support team to help the administrator to deal with the installation procedure: e-mail: SupportFIXProducts@epam.com.

Preparing to install

Selection of Deployment scheme

Before the installation, an administrator has to select the FIXEdge's deployment scheme. The easiest way of using FIXEdge is running just one instance on a single machine.
Nevertheless, it is possible to install more than one instance of FIX Edge on a single machine as well as install several instances of FIXEdge on different machines . All instances work independently (i.e. have separate list of sessions, independent configuration and log files), however they can be managed using common FIXICC control application. FIXICC and FIXEye also can be installed on different machines more than one instance.

The particular deployment scheme is defined by business needs.

Note: All of FIXEdge components require ports for their work. Each instance of FIXEdge requires two ports, and one port is required for each instance of FIXICC Agent, FIXICC, FIXEye Agent, and for Permission service.

It is important to make sure that ports are not used by other applications. In addition to that, the ports must be open on the firewall if the FIX connections must be made with clients outside the firewall. Port numbers are requested during the installation procedure. Contact your system administrator for proper port numbers.

Selection and evaluation of software and hardware

The configuration of modern computers is usually enough to build working system. However, the particular configuration of hardware and software is chosen depending on the selected deployment scheme and FIXEdge performance requirements. 

Usually, the administrator sends a message to the dedicated support team (e-mail: SupportFIXProducts@epam.com) with information about expected performance requirements and soft- and hard-ware configuration. It is important to specify the following data in the message :

• Expected count of FIX sessions, types of messages (market data, orders) in each session, count of messages per second. 
• Operating system, processors, memory, hard drive, network bandwidth. Optional: SQL database and ODBC drivers.

The support team will evaluate the possibility of using the existing configuration for expected features and provide the administrator a FIXEdge installation package for particular platform. If necessary the support team will give own recomendations for configuration changing.

Getting necessary licenses

License files required for work of FIXEdge, FIXICC and FIXEye are different: 

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Usually license has an expiration date, but it possible to generate a perpetual license.

Usually only one license file is generated for all instances planned to installation. Exact number of files and their licensing conditions are stipulated in the license agreement with the customer. The support team generates the license files in accordance with the agreement and supplies them usually separately from the installation package. Availability of the license files facilitates the installation procedure. Nevertheless it is possible to execute installation without one or all of the required license files. In this case the licenses can be set later, see section Change license.

Getting the Simple Client

The Simple Client is used for test purposes. It is supplied separately in response to special request to the support team (e-mail: SupportFIXProducts@epam.com). It can be sent together with installation package. The simple client does not require the special license and uses the FIXEdge license file.  

Step by step installation

Windows platforms

Normally, FIX Edge is supplied as Windows installation package (FixEdge-xxxx-setup.exe, where xxxx is a FIX Edge version).

In order to install FIX Edge run the file and follow instructions of the installer:

1. Select components according to approved deployment schema.
2. Installer will ask required questions and propose default values for each parameter.
3. If the necessary license file is absent just skip the step.

Installer creates appropriate NT services in the system: FIXEdge service (the number of services created depends on number of instances being installed), FixEyeAgent service, FIXICCAgent service, Permission service,

and creates the following directory structure in the chosen system location:

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Version of FIXEdge package. Contains file: engine.license

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FIX Edge binaries and batches

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FIXEye Agent files, including: fixeye-agent.exe; fixeye-agent.properties; FIXEyeAgentConfigurator.exe

and sub-folder .\FIXEyeAgent.FIXEyeAgantSvc with FIXEye Agent service files, such as: fixeye-agent.config; fixeye-agent.log; fixeye-agent.properties; FIXEyeAgentConfigurator.log

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FIXICC files, including: fixaj2-license.bin, servers.xml; .\bin\fixicc.exe; .\etc\fixengine.properties;  

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Linux platforms

FIX Edge package for Linux is located in FixEdge-xxxx.tar.gz archive.

Detailed step by step instruction is described in part FIXEdge installation on Linux. Step by step instruction

Change license

Changing license is required when a correspondent step is skipped during the installation procedure or when the license is expired.

Note: Please backup any previous license files and new license files before proceeding.

Change license for FIXEdge

FIX Edge will not start with an incorrect or expired license.

As it desrcibed above, by default license information is stored in ‘engine.license’ file, which is placed in the FIXEdge root directory (see in FIXEdge\xxxx\). 

The real name and location of FIXEdge license file is specified in configuration file 'Engine.properties' in property 'LicenseFile'.

The newer license file should be placed in the directory that is set in the property "LicenseFile". The license file can be renamed as long as the proper name is set in "LicenseFile" property for every instance installed.

For license to take effect, FixEdge needs to be restarted.

Change license for FIXICC

In order to update the license for FIXICC import a new license file using menu option "Help -> Import License..." as displayed on the screentshot below and then restart FIXICC.

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Testing of installation

Testing of installation includes:

• Checking Start\Stop FIXEdge
• Checking connection between FIXEdge and FIXICC
• Simple test to use FIXEdge
• Viewing incoming and outgoing session's log-files via FIXEye

Starting \ Stopping FIXEdge

Starting service version

In order to start FIXEdge as a service an administrator can:

• Run the command script "FixEdge1.service.run.cmd" in the FIXEdge\xxxx\bin directory, where 1 means instanse number. Note: run the script as administrator.
• Use Administrative tools --> Services.
• Use FIXICC - see part "Checking connection between FIXEdge and FIXICC"

Starting Console version

To start the console version of FIXEdge an administrator can:

• Run the command script “FixEdge1.run.cmd” in the FIXEdge\xxxx\bin directory.
• Execute the following instruction from the command line in the FIXEdge\xxxx\bin directory: “FixServer.exe PATH_TO_FixEdge_PROPERTIES_FILE”.

Notes: FIXEdge blocks the console after the start so the administrator can use the 'start' keyword when starting FIX Edge from other console application.

Checking if FIX Edge Is Started and Running

If FIXEdge is up and running the following must be true:

• If FIXEdge is started as a service it must be marked started in Services administration tool.
• FIXEdge insatance should be marked started in FIXICC.
• The following record is present in the "FIXEdge.log" (in the FIXEdge\xxxx\FIXEdge1\log directory):

[NOTE]  20140304-10:10:34.765 [536] [FIXEdgeNTService] - Fix Server service is being started

Stopping service version

FIXEdge service can be stopped using FIXICC, from Services, or by using command script : “FixEdge1.service.stop.cmd” in the FIXEdge\xxxx\bin directory. Note: run the script as administrator.

Stopping Console Version

The console version of FIXEdge can be stopped by pressing “Ctrl+C” keys combination.

Checking If FIX Edge Is Stopped

When FIX Edge is stopped (not running) the following must be true:

• If the service version is used, it must be marked stopped in Services administration tool.
• FIXEdge insatance should be marked stopped in FIXICC.
• The following record is present in the "FIXEdge.log" (in the FIXEdge\xxxx\FIXEdge1\log directory):

[NOTE]  20140304-10:12:14.866 [10156] [FIXEdgeNTService] - Service shutdown completed.

Note: The [ERROR] or [FATAL] messages in the "FIXEdge.log” indicate the troubles with starting and stopping FIXEdge.

Checking connection between FIXEdge and FIXICC

It is necessary to check connections between FIXEdge and FIXICC for each FIXICC instances. All actions listed below should to be executed as described in "FIX Integrated Control Center" section: 

1. Run the FIXICC instance and check that the all related FIXEdge servers are in the "Servers window".  Use command "Add Server" to add unavailable FIXEdge server.
2. Connect to each FIXEdge server.
3. Start \ Stop the FIXEdge server.
4. Disconnect from the FIXEdge server.

Simple FIXEdge test

The simple FIXEdge test includes an interaction between FIXEdge and SimpleClient. The test consists of sending simple message from Simple Client to FIX Edge server and returning the same message to the client.

To do this it is necessary to install the Simple Client and execute operations described in part "Echo Configuration between FixEdge and SimpleClient".

Note: Steps 2 (Add new FIX Session "TestEchoAcceptor") and 3 (Configure Business Layer rule) could be executed via FIX Integrated Control Center. 

Viewing incoming and outgoing session's log-files via FIXEye

All log-files with incoming and outgoing FIX messages created in the prevoious testing step could be viewed via FIXEye.

What is next?

If all described testing steps are succesfully passed it means that the installation procedure finished and it is possible to start the configuring procedure for embedding the FIXEdge in a customer's business processes.

The dedicated EPAM team could conduct such integration work for a fee, in particular to make the customization package for a connectivity to exchanges.

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• - Quick Start Guide