Abstract: Brokerage transactions servers and related methods are provided having low latency. In a first embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of processing exchange transaction information for exchange brokerage purposes in an inbound digital message stream in a first protocol dialect. One embodiment utilizes canonical FIX messages for processing purposes. A related embodiment includes, for each message in the stream, storing in memory each successive change made to the message and any metadata created by the foregoing processes; and in an encapsulation process, accessing memory and creating an encapsulated version of the message that includes: (i) the message in original form prior to the receiver process, (ii) the metadata, and (iii) each successive change made to the message by any of the foregoing processes.

Abstract: A network enables a plurality of servers to share information about customers' trading activities and locally recalculate customer trading limits resulting from these trading activities. If a trading limit is exceeded, a server may automatically change to a less permissive trading mode, prevent an order being placed with the at least one exchange server and/or enter a trading mode in which orders that decrease account exposure are allowed and orders that increase account exposure are prevented.

Abstract: A post-trade monitor receives feedback in the form of drop copy messages from an exchange server and validates orders placed with the exchange server by a sponsored access trading platform shortly after the orders have been placed. If a recently placed order is found to violate a rule or regulation, the monitor instructs the trading platform to change to a more restrictive trading mode, such as to cease placing all orders or certain types of orders, at least until certain parameters are met.

Abstract: A network enables a plurality of servers to share information about customers' trading activities and locally recalculate customer trading limits resulting from these trading activities. If a trading limit is exceeded, a server may automatically change to a less permissive trading mode, prevent an order being placed with the at least one exchange server and/or enter a trading mode in which orders that decrease account exposure are allowed and orders that increase account exposure are prevented.

Abstract: A network enables monitors, trading platforms and libraries to share information about customers' trading activities and locally recalculate customer trading limits resulting from these trading activities. A low-latency interface between a customer server, such as a server that employs algorithmic trading methods to generate buy and sell orders for securities, and a brokerage server that validates such securities trading orders is optimized for handling the securities trading orders. The interface supports a trading command set specifically designed for orders from customer trading application programs, and the interface formats received trading commands into compact messages that are sent over a high-speed communication link to the brokerage server. The interface receives order acknowledgement messages and the like from the brokerage server and invokes callback routines in the customer trading application program to report status information.

Abstract: Intermediate policy information is used to translate policy information between forwarding domains. For example, a network device may associate intermediate policy information, such as intermediate CoS information, with a packet. The network device utilizes the intermediate CoS information to indirectly map first class of service (CoS) information that conforms with a first protocol to second CoS information that conforms to a second protocol. The network device may, for example, apply a first policy to map the first CoS information to the intermediate CoS information and a second policy to map the intermediate CoS information to the second CoS information.

Abstract: Techniques are described for synchronizing state information between a plurality of control units. A router, for example, is described that includes a primary control unit and a standby control unit. The primary control unit maintains router resources to ensure operation of the router. To ensure operation, the primary control unit receives state information from the router resources and maintains the state information for consumers, i.e. router resources that require or “consume” state information. The primary control unit performs this state information maintenance process by transmitting update operation messages to consumers and the standby control unit. The consumers respond with an acknowledgement message to both the primary control unit and the standby control unit to inform them that the update has been successfully. The control units use the sequence of these messages to keep all components within the router in sync.

Abstract: A network enables monitors, trading platforms and libraries to share information about customers' trading activities and locally recalculate customer trading limits resulting from these trading activities. A low-latency interface between a customer server, such as a server that employs algorithmic trading methods to generate buy and sell orders for securities, and a brokerage server that validates such securities trading orders is optimized for handling the securities trading orders. The interface supports a trading command set specifically designed for orders from customer trading application programs, and the interface formats received trading commands into compact messages that are sent over a high-speed communication link to the brokerage server. The interface receives order acknowledgement messages and the like from the brokerage server and invokes callback routines in the customer trading application program to report status information.

Abstract: A post-trade monitor receives feedback in the form of drop copy messages from an exchange server and validates orders placed with the exchange server by a sponsored access trading platform shortly after the orders have been placed. If a recently placed order is found to violate a rule or regulation, the monitor instructs the trading platform to change to a more restrictive trading mode, such as to cease placing all orders or certain types of orders, at least until certain parameters are met. A library provides an interface in a sponsored access trading platform between a client application program that generates proposed orders and an exchange server. The library provides pre-trade validation of the orders and sends only validated orders to the exchange server. A network enables monitors, trading platforms and libraries to share information about customers' trading activities and locally recalculate customer trading limits resulting from these trading activities.

Abstract: Brokerage transactions servers and related methods are provided having low latency. In a first embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of processing exchange transaction information for exchange brokerage purposes in an inbound digital message stream in a first protocol dialect. One embodiment utilizes canonical FIX messages for processing purposes. A related embodiment includes, for each message in the stream, storing in memory each successive change made to the message and any metadata created by the foregoing processes; and in an encapsulation process, accessing memory and creating an encapsulated version of the message that includes: (i) the message in original form prior to the receiver process, (ii) the metadata, and (iii) each successive change made to the message by any of the foregoing processes.

Abstract: Brokerage transactions servers and related methods are provided having low latency. A transaction fuser operates to split incoming order flow into multiple independent streams of data, all of which can be processed in parallel without dependencies between them, allowing back-end jobs to process this data in parallel and increase throughput. Multiple transactions that operate on the same data may be “collapsed” into a single transaction, which reflects the final end state of the order.

Abstract: Techniques are described in which intermediate policy information is used to translate policy information between forwarding domains. For example, a network device comprises a control unit that associates intermediate policy information, such as intermediate CoS information, with a packet. The network device utilizes the intermediate CoS information to indirectly map first class of service (CoS) information that conforms with a first protocol to second CoS information that conforms to a second protocol. The network device may, for example, apply a first policy to map the first CoS information to the intermediate CoS information and a second policy to map the intermediate CoS information to the second CoS information.

Abstract: A router synchronizes state information between a plurality of control units. The router includes a primary control unit and a standby control unit. To ensure proper operation of the router, the primary control unit maintains router resources by receiving state information from the router resources and maintaining the state information for consumers. The primary control unit performs this maintenance process by transmitting update operation messages to consumers and the standby control unit. The consumers respond with an acknowledgement message to both the primary control unit and the standby control unit. The control units use the sequence of these messages to keep all components within the router in sync. Upon assuming control, the standby control unit resumes updating the consumers with state information without having to “relearn” state information, e.g., by way of power cycling the router resources to a known state.

Abstract: A method and cache management for a bridge or bridge/router providing high-speed, flexible address cache management. The unit maintains a network address cache and an age table, searches the cache for layer 2 and layer 3 addresses from received frame headers, and returns address search results. The unit includes an interface permitting processor manipulation of the cache and age table, and supports a 4-way set associative cache to store the network addresses. A plurality of functions implemented in hardware enables software manipulation of the associated cache. Four cache operating modes are selectable. The unit can identify and select destination ports within a Load Balanced Port Group for frame forwarding. The unit utilizes Virtual LAN identification in conjunction with a MAC address for lookup in the cache. A cyclic redundancy code for each address to be looked up in the cache is used as an index into the cache. If a cache thrash rate exceeds a predetermined threshold, CRC table values can be rewritten.