Specifications

11
High Performance Trading/Algo Speed with Wombat Design and Implementation Guide
OL-15617-01
Concept Features
The main Algo Speed features are as follows (the implementation of the test case offers these features):
• Acceleration of trading applications.
• More efficient use of server capacity—Servers have more CPU "headroom" to process applications
instead of network traffic.
• Predictability—The variation in application messaging delay is reduced, ensuring consistent data
input into algorithmic trading engines.
• Reliability—High availability features in Cisco switches enable the design of robust network,
proven by large deployments in critical environments.
• Manageability—End-to-end management across multiple switching fabrics (not to be confused with
network management).
• Visibility—Microbursts detection in market data traffic; FIX protocol monitoring; identification of
the source of delay
Tested Components
Servers
Each of the servers in the test harness had the following specifications:
Storage services Virtualization of storage hardware (VSANs), data replication,
remote backup, and file virtualization
Trading resilience and mobility Local and site load balancing and high availability campus networks
Wide area application services Acceleration of applications over a WAN connection for traders
residing off-campus
Thin client service De-coupling of the computing resources from the end-user facing
terminals
Table 1 Service Descriptions and Technologies (continued)
Service Description Technology
Ta b l e 2 Server Components
Vendor Model Dell PowerEdge 1950
Processors 2 x Quad Core Intel Xeon 5355 2.66 GHz
Cache 2*4086KB L2 Cache
Bus Speed 1.33 GHz
Memory 8 GB (4x2048MB) Fully Buffered DIMMs @ 667 MHz
BIOS Dell Inc. Version 1.2.0 dated 10/18/2006
Disk Controller LSI SAS 1068 Controller
Disks 1x66GB SAS
Fault Tolerance None