VOLUME 22 – BULLETIN #196
TO:
|
ALL CLEARING MEMBERS
|
FROM:
|
CLIENT SERVICES AND SUPPORT
|
DATE:
|
October 15, 2002
|
SUBJECT:
|
ACTTM System Configuration Recommendations
|
The upcoming implementation of give-up processing on the Allocate and Claim (ACT) system will significantly increase the volume of transactions processed. To help firms prepare for this increased volume on ACT, the Board of Trade Clearing Corporation recommends that firms review their system configurations and follow the suggestions outlined below.
Firms utilizing Internet connections through an ISP or the Clearing Corporation’s customer network to access the ACT system may experience delays in ACT system responsiveness due to the following variables.
1. The regulation and limitation of bandwidth usage by firms’ internal networks.
2. The configuration of firms’ internal network. For example, users may be routed to the firms’ Internet connection which is not a local ISP or they maybe routed through a number of internal servers and firewalls.
Following the software, hardware and system configurations outlined below can help optimize ACT system performance:
• Software Recommendations
Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows ME, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 running Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 5.5. or higher.
Note: The minimum required software to print reports from the ACT System is Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0
• Hardware Recommendations
PCs with a 650 MHz Pentium III processor with 128 MB of RAM or higher.
• Configuration Recommendations
For firms that access ACT through an ISP connection, work with your firm’s network department so that they can properly size users bandwidth requirements. The average size page in the ACT application is 110k bytes. A minimum sustained data transfer rate of 35K bytes per second (280 kbps) per simultaneous user is recommended for optimal performance.
For firms that access ACT through the Clearing Corporation’s customer network, the following chart should be utilized.
Connection
|
Number of Users
|
512 KB
|
2
|
768 KB
|
4
|
T1.5 MBPS
|
8
|
Should you have any questions, please call or e-mail one of the following Client Services and Support Representatives:
| 
Printer
Friendly Version