Getting Started
- Product overview
- Main features
- System Requirements
- Session Creation
- Manual sequence numbers definition and reset
- Sending Messages
- Events Monitoring
- Searching in a row message
- Writing messages
- Loading preset message or message batch
- Message re-sending
- Table View
- Save session configuration
- Closing session
- Troubleshooting
Product overview
FIX Client Simulator is an administrative application that allows initiating and accepting FIX sessions, exchanging and editing FIX messages. The tool is based on .NET technologies and can be used to Simulate FIX buy and/or sell side end points. FIX Client Simulator built on top of the FIX Antenna™ engine and shares all its common features and benefits. FIX Client Simulator uses B2BITS' FIXopaedia as FIX reference source and provides complete support of all standard and custom FIX dictionaries.
FIX Client Simulator features
- Allows establishing multiple acceptor/initiator sessions to local and/or remote hosts
- Supports unregistered acceptor sessions
- Supports standard FIX versions 4.0 - 5.0 SP2 and dialects
- Supports all FIX message types (pre-trade, trade, post-trade, market data, etc.)
- Supports wide range of FIX session settings including Custom Logon message
- Allows overriding Sender and Target CompIDs for established session
- Allows manual sequence numbers definition or reset
- Allows restarting working session Allows enabling/disabling message re-sending
- Allows events monitoring:
- sent and received messages
- active sessions
- sessions statuses in real-time
- Allows writing raw FIX messages, opening and editing them in the table view
- Provides ability to search for a particular character or the sequence of them in a raw FIX message
- Provides ability to load, modify and send a file containing preset message or batch of messages
- Provides ability to send messages in defined interval
- Provides optional ability for message validation for both incoming and outgoing messages
Prerequisites and System Requirements
FIX Client Simulator is based on FIX Antenna C++/.NET FIX Engine (for more details refer to FIX Antenna C/C++/.NET FIX Engine documents). It can be installed separately or as a part of FIX Antenna .NET package.
- Hardware:
Any modern Intel-based server or workstation with 64 bit CPU - Supported operating systems:
- Windows 7
- Windows 8
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Server 2012
- The list of packages that should be installed before FIX Client Simulator's installation:
- VS 2010 C++ Redistributable Package (x64) https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=14632. It can be found in FIX Antenna's or Simple Client's (2.21 or higher) package \Redist directory
- Hardware:
Session Creation
In order to create session please choose: Session => Create new:
Specify session type (Initiator or Acceptor) and parameters (SenderCompID, TargetCompID, remote host and port) within Create Session window:
The left column of the Create Session window includes all required parameters. If at least one of them is specified incorrectly, the session will not be created.
The right column includes extended parameters that are optional.
Custom Logon messages can be used after ticking the corresponding line on the bottom of window.
After session is established you will see it in “Session List” section. All received messages will be displayed in the Event section below.
Manual sequence numbers definition and reset
To define sequence numbers manually open Create Session window and specify values in InSeqNum/OutSeqNum:
To reset sequence numbers manually open Create Session window and tick Reset Sequence number.
Sending Messages
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To override Sender and Target CompIDs tick Override SenderCompIDs or Override TargedCompID in the top of Send Message section
To specify interval for message sending enter the value in Send Interval(sec) window in Send Message section
Events Monitoring
The upper part of the Simple Client window displays the message to be sent.
The middle part shows the list of active sessions.
And the lower part is an event log, each record corresponding to one event and consisting of the event time, name and description:
Searching in a row message
You can search for a particular character or the sequence of them in a raw message using the search line below the Send Message field:
Writing messages
You can write a message in the Send Message field and edit it:
To enter a field delimiter click right button in Send Message field and choose Insert <SOH>:
Loading predefined message or message batch
You can load a preset message and edit it before sending.
Go to Message -> Load to load a preset message and click the Send button to send it to the counterparty. Or select Message -> Send batch to load and immediately (without editing) send a number of preset messages from one file:
Message re-sending
To enable message re-sending open Options from context menu and tick Allow message re-sending:
Table View
You can open a message in the table view and edit its tags, although adding and removing tags is possible only in the raw view. Right-click the Send Message field and select Edit from the context menu or press F4:
Save session configuration
When creating new session, you have an option to save session parameters and use them to restore session after disconnect:
There is no limit on number of sessions that can be stored in the list, you can save as many sessions as you need or delete unnecessary sessions.
Closing session
In order to close session correctly, please select session and click right mouse button selecting Close session option:
or select Session from context menu and choose Close or Close All:
Troubleshooting
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