The Assent Trader Support Desk fields many inquiries from our trading community, and although we’re always happy to speak with and provide assistance to traders, below are some things that our support desk personnel wanted to pass along in the way of troubleshooting tips, and answers to questions we've fielded. Please let your Branch Office Manager or branch technician know what questions you have. We'll do our best to keep this page updated with new Q & A's as appropriate.
Please click below for the section your question pertains to:
ANVIL DOCUMENTATION MANUAL
Q) How can I access the ANVIL Online Manual?
A) You can access the ANVIL Manual that is not password protected when you are logged into the ANVIL application. All you need to do is Right click on the Main Bar, click Help, and then click User Manual. If you are not yet a customer with a valid log on ID assigned to you yet, contact our Trader Support Desk at (201) 356 – 1423 and they will assign a temporary access code for you to use for a trial period.
Q) I’m having difficulty logging into the ANVIL trading platform. Is there a troubleshooting hierarchy that you’d recommend?
A) The troubleshooting hierarchy depends on how you’re attempting to connect with us. For example, if you are connecting to us through our remote platform, you should verify that in fact you have connectivity to the internet. Next verify that your SSL is running (if it is you will see a small white satellite dish icon running in the system tray by the clock on the pc).
If SSL is running and you still cannot log on then you’ll need to double click on that SSL icon in the system tray to bring up the SSL properties. Under the sessions tab, verify that it says Idle or Logged In and NOT SSL Error. If it says Idle or Logged in then you’ll need to check your IP settings in ANVIL.
Start ANVIL but do not attempt to log on. Then, click the white arrow between the login and cancel button. Confirm the IP for market data is 10.20.24.193 and the port is 35011. If all of that is correct, then check again with your Branch Office Manager and make sure the account is still live and not turned off. If it is still live and you still cannot log on, please call the Assent Trade Support Desk.
If on the other hand, you are in an Assent office, verify with the resident Branch Office Manager or branch tech and make sure your account is still live and that there are no connectivity or server issues that they’re aware of. Within the office, the tech will know what to check. If the Branch Office Manager or Tech are not in the office, call their alternate contact number, (their cell phone) and see if they can provide guidance.
"Log on difficulty" type calls directly into the Support Desk from an Assent office should only be made after you’ve exhausted all efforts to alert and involve your local Branch Office Manager and branch technician.
For more related information, you may also wish to refer to our Networking page.
TIPS TO KNOW WHEN CONTACTING THE SUPPORT DESK
Q) If I need to contact the Trader Support Desk, is there a “golden rule” one should always be aware of?
A) Yes, you should always have your trader ID and account # handy at all times, and know exactly what version of the ANVIL trading software you’re using. Without that information, the Desk won’t be able to assist you as quickly or as effectively as they’re used to.
{We would also encourage you to visit the Customer Service Tips section of our site.}
Q) Are there any issues trading in a wireless mode?
A) Trading wirelessly can introduce a potential layer of security concern if the wireless router you’re using is not secure. Confer with our Networking Department to ensure and verify that your wireless router is “secure”.
Q) Are there any issues using certain internet providers from an Assent office location?
A) Currently, we are experiencing issues only with YIPES. We suggest avoiding its usage within an office environment. More or less, YIPES does not “integrate well” with the security settings that we must apply within our infrastructure.
Q) What is a dynamic data exchange (DDE) and what does it mean to a trader?
A) A dynamic data exchange is a feature within the Windows family of operating systems that allows two programs to share data or send commands directly to each other. In certain respects, DDE can be thought of as a direct conversation between two application programs. DDE links can be used to link Excel spreadsheets and perhaps other applications to ANVIL. A common DDE use in practice is illustrated through traders originating macros and algorithms from Excel to initiate automated order management activity that flows through to the underlying ANVIL trading platform. As always, we urge you to always check whether your macros and algorithms are running in full compliance with all rules, regulations and internal policies.
You may also wish to refer to our Remote Trading page.
KEYBOARD LAYOUTS & USER CONFIGURABLE KEYS AND SETTINGS
Q) Should I be keeping a “back up copy” of my keyboard layout (.aco file)?
A) Yes, by all means you should, and store this backup on a computer other than the pc you’re regularly using for trading.
Q) How do I map a hotkey?
A) Here is a list of steps you can take to map a hotkey.
- Right-click on the Market Maker and select Settings, then click on the Command Map tab.
- On the left side you see a list of all available keyboard keys you can map to. On the right side is a list of all available functionality hotkeys you can map.
- If you know the hotkey you want to map, the easiest way to find it is by typing it in the search area and clicking "Search" and the list of hotkeys that match your criteria will be displayed at the top. If you do not know the hotkey you want to map, you can manually scroll down as the hotkeys are in alphabetical order.
- Once you find the hotkey you want to map, select it so that the background of the hotkey is black.
- Next find the keyboard key you want to map it to by left clicking on the left side and hitting the key on the keyboard. This will take you to the key and highlight it.
- The last step is to map the hotkey. Once the right side is highlighted black and the left side is highlighted blue, click the name of the keyboard command with the left mouse and the hotkey will show as mapped on the left side. This might appear complicated, but once you try it you will see that it's quite easy.
Q) How do I save my layout?
A)You can either right-click on the Main Bar and select "Save Layout" or right-click on the Main Bar and make sure "Save on exit" is checked. Traders can save layouts within the ANVIL application to their local PC. Traders can also choose to save them on a disk or elsewhere -- it's smart to have a backup of your layout file in case your PC crashes.
Q) Where do my layout and key commands save?
A) The file name is your ANVIL login and the .ACO file extension i.e. DEMO.ACO. The default location where this file saves is: C:\Program Files\Assent LLC\Anvil 2.5.1.0 (the version number might vary)
Q) How many layouts am I able to create?
A) In ANVIL, layouts are called Workspaces. You can create up to 9 Workspaces with 5 Layers in each. You can access different Workspaces or Layers either by clicking on the “number” next to the ANVIL Login on the Main Bar or by using hotkeys to view or toggle between Workspaces or Layers.
Q) How can we set up a key that would cancel all orders except peg orders in a particular stock?
A) There are two existing keys that traders can use for this purpose. The CancelStockOrders key cancels all orders, except for master (custom) orders and does it by stock. The CancelStockOrdersAll key will cancel all orders, including master orders.
Q) I see references to “half keys” in ANVIL and I’m not sure what they’re intended to do.
A) The functionality associated with ANVIL half keys is such that when you use these keys, you’ll get half your tier size when entering or adding to a position but get you out of half your position when exiting. Obviously, you are always ultimately responsible for setting your tier sizes correctly.
Q) I’m trying to use the basket sorter and market sorter filters to identify stocks that are dropping .25 or more over a specified time frame, say the last 10 and 20 minutes. What’s the best way to set it up?
A) To set up filters within ANVIL, first step --- right click in the window and choose “All Filters” and change the time span settings to either 10 minutes or custom and type in 20 Net Change - set to your range, in this case only enter the top range (top field) of .25 and leave the bottom range (bottom field) at 0. Also select "Negative" at the bottom of that field.
Q) I’m not clear on the functionality of the "redirect" keys? Is there a simple explanation for these?
A) These keys allow a trader to redirect orders that would be sent to a specified venue to another venue. For example, if you sent an order with SDOT and redirect it to ARCA, every time you send an SDOT order it will go out as ARCA. However, you are always ultimately responsible for sending orders to the appropriate venues.
Q) Is there an ANVIL key that will put in an order to put in a market sell order at the close of the day, such that I can get the last print?
A) These would be a Sell at the Market, at the Close orders -- the key to put in such an order is "OnCloseSellMarketAdj".
Q) When the ANVIL limit order box is open, it appears that I’m frozen out of other functions, for example, cancelling orders and verifying execution fills. I have to hit the ESC key or tab through Level II quotes to clear it, so I can proceed to other tasks. Is there a setting I can adjust to prevent this?
A) Yes, under Settings -Order Box - Keys - uncheck the “Close Order Box on lost focus” and that should take care of it. When the limit order box is open, you are frozen out of other functions, specifically two that I frequently do, which are canceling orders and checking executions. You have to hit "esc" or tab through the level II's to clear it, before you can perform these tasks.
Q) Is there an existing setting in ANVIL I can use to have the option to hide the tenths of a cent column in the order box?
A) Yes, there is. Right-click the mouse in the "Order Box" and choose "graphics" then the settings will come up. Select Click on Show price with 2 Decimals.
Q) Are there pre-loaded layouts that I can use? Where can I get them? How can I get up to speed with how they differ from one another?
A) Because many traders seek to “personalize” their keys to their preference, we’ve been hesitant to compile “ready made” layouts. That said, your Branch Office Manager and/or referring member, is probably the best source for obtaining appropriate pre-set layouts that suit your group's - or your - particular style of trading. Of course, though, our Trader Support Desk has expertise in the various commands and keys that map to them, and they’ll be happy to assist you with whatever questions you may have.
Q) If I install new software, what can I do to make sure that I don’t lose my layouts?
A) Generally speaking, installing new software should not interfere with ANVIL and/or result in the loss of your layout. But to be sure, we always recommend following the practice of backing up the ANVIL layout file on a CD or other storage media or on a different network resource.
Q) What hot keys can I map?
A) Traders can custom map keys for all ECNs and/or execution venues with which we maintain direct connectivity. Additionally, there are many, many custom ANVIL keys that can be mapped. There are far too many to list in this FAQ, thus, we strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with the hot key maps as illustrated in the online ANVIL manual, specifically this page:
http://anvil.assent.com/?page_id=07
Q) There are many different configuration settings within ANVIL. Are there some that I should make sure that I’m aware of?
A) Indeed, the ANVIL trading system is extremely customizable in large part because of the user configurable settings that traders can apply. Such settings can be turned on and off, or in some cases, be triggered when certain conditions are present. We strongly encourage traders to carefully review the Settings component of the ANVIL system, which you can access through this link:
http://anvil.assent.com/2.6/About.htm
Q) How can I change the order in which my positions are displayed?
A) Within the ANVIL positions window, you can sort the contents of the window of any column you want simply by clicking on the column header. You can also choose Top Active which will put the symbol you have in the active level2 box on the top of the positions window, IF you have a position in that symbol.
Q) How can I view or print a history of my trades?
A) For inquiries of trades that were NOT executed today, you can access trade history data via the Assent Clearing website. If you wish to view a history of trades from today’s trading session, you can copy your executions from the ALL EXECUTIONS window to the clipboard and then print it or archive it.
Q) What kind of administrative messages are conveyed through ANVIL?
A) The Assent Trade Support Desk will periodically send system status messages when there is a major system issue or street wide issue with an exchange or ECN. You can choose whether to have these messages pop up on the ANVIL screen or not. There are also messages that appear in the Position Manager window that will let you know that an order has been executed, or UROUT messages. It will also display (for many situations) the reason why an order was rejected, for example buying power exceeded, or max open position amount exceeded, etc.
ORDER HANDLING, ORDER STATUS, ORDER ROUTING & SYSTEMS STATUS
Q) What does it mean when a market center declares “Self Help” against one or more other exchanges and/or market center?
A) “Self – help” is a term that is more or less a by product of the implementation of Regulation NMS, which went into effect in March of 2007. Essentially, Reg NMS requires exchanges and market centers to route out received orders to the market that shows the best price. Among other things, Reg NMS is designed to ensure fast and best execution of trades and to protect a best price quote from being bypassed because it is displayed by competing center.
Q) How can I ascertain if there's an issue with Assent's connectivity with each of the exchanges and/or market centers?
A) Throughout the course of the day, Assent's Trade Support Desk maintains a systems status database that is designed to provide traders with a quick status of the trading system connectivity with and/or performance of the various exchanges and market centers. This Systems Status alert page isn't designed to provide tremendous amounts of detail, it's simply a means of alerting the field that there's an issue of some sort. Most of these "issues" are situations where one given exchange or market center declares "self help" against another exchange or market center, and thus, the normal order outing and handling protocols can be impacted. We also use the Systems Status Page to note when we've become aware that a circuit into/from an exchange or market center has gone down. Our purpose in noting such is not only to make you aware of the status; it's also to assure you that we are aware of an issue and as such, there is no need to call the Desk and ask if we are aware that there's an issue with a particular ECN, venue or exchange.
The Systems Status page can be accessed directly within ANVIL by clicking the last button on the toolbar (red E). It can also be accessed via the website, through the following url: http://anvil.assent.com/SystemStatus/Default.htm .
Q) Does ANVIL support "stop orders" and if so is there anything I should know about these?
A) Yes, ANVIL certainly supports stop orders, which in practical application are also referred to as "stop loss" orders. These orders work in either direction and can be used to exit a position at a certain pre-designated profit or loss level. Many traders use these types of orders to automatically generate certain orders in case they have to walk away from their trading screen briefly, or just to further ensure that certain transactions occur under certain situations.
Q) How can a trader tell whether an order was actually sent as an ISO order?
A) There are columns in the ANVIL orders window that distinguish whether it was sent as an ISO or not.
Q) I’m trying to hit an order on NSDQ for a listed stock that used to trade almost all of the time on the NYSE. I’m being prevented from hitting that order, and I’m not sure why. Can you provide any possible insights?
A) Following the implementation of Reg NMS in March 2007, market centers were required to adhere to the trade through rule. This increased the amount of routing from one market center to another. Specifically, NASDAQ's’ share of listed stock volume increased. However, in order to execute an order on NSDQ, a trader must have a NASDAQ - specific trading license, such as the Series 55. Thus, if a trader does not have a Series 55 license, the front - end trading software will block the order.
Q) Passive orders cancel after partial executions. For example, if you put in a passive order for 500 shares and get filled for 100 shares, the order will then cancel. I thought that passive orders should remain in the system until completely filled or cancelled by the trader.
A) It’s quite possible that another order was sent out and cancelled by the market which automatically would cancel the master passive order. This is by design, to prevent situations where orders might get caught in a 'loop' (keep getting cancelled and re-sent by ANVIL). Since this is not permissible, we have designed such functionality to prevent such occurrences.
Q) I’m not clear on why my order was rejected. Where can I see this information?
A) We recommend that each Assent trader open a Position Manager window when using the ANVIL software. This window details order and system information, in particular messages about why an order was rejected, or not sent in the first place, or cancelled. We also highly suggest having an orders window open that shows ALL ORDERS. We recommend this because some traders have opted to filter out cancelled orders and thus they cannot see that an order was actually sent.
Q) My passive orders don't always work it seems. Some times they will hit/take orders that when they come high/low, but other times they won't. They also don't seem to hit every kind of order that comes to the appropriate price. Is there a way for me to set it up so that it will execute against every order at my price target?
A) Under the setting window “ordersàMegaECN”, please make sure that all venues are checked under Participating ECN’s along with “All MMs” checked at the bottom of the column. This should solve your issue with passive orders.
Q) Does the Anvil trading software automatically execute liquidation type orders?
A) By design, it currently does not. Our trading software will create alerts in various forms but we don’t automatically trigger close out executions, because there can be, at times, certain out of range erroneous prints that are published, and we don’t want to unnecessarily liquidate your position, only to find out after the fact that the print that triggered the auto close out was in error.
Q) I phoned in my order to the Order Desk, but I cannot see my transaction on ANVIL. How can I view this order?
A) Immediately following the origination and execution of your order, it will most likely still be associated with the trader ID assigned to the Order Desk. At intervals during the course of the day, the Order Desk re-allocates your order to your account. However, in the intervening time, before the order is allocated back to your ID/account, the Order Desk typically confirms back to you. The timeliness of the ability of the Order Desk to complete the allocation back to you account depends upon many factors, including how busy the Order Desk is with servicing other traders.
Q) How do I check that an order has been received?
A) A received order, i.e. one that passes through certain order validation and business rule criteria resident on our servers, will show up in the Orders Pending window. As well, within the Position Manager, you will see a message saying “entering a bid” or “entering an offer”…and the like.
Q) How do I cancel or modify an order?
A) You can use keyboard commands to cancel and replace orders or cancel them from the orders window by using the mouse. You can also choose cancel and replace through key commands or through the orders window.
Q) What should I do if I am unable to cancel or modify an order?
A) You should contact the Assent Trade Support Desk who will research the status and cancel or modify the order on your behalf if possible. Please note that in certain cases, a pending order may have been executed but the execution report may not have yet been received or posted to ANVIL. There could be many reasons for such, including a possible temporary outage of a line or server, on either our side or at the venue to which your order was sent/routed. In such instances, it will not be possible for either you, or the Trade Support Desk to cancel or modify the order. That said, we try always to do our best to be as responsive as possible to our trading community as well as to the exchanges and ECN’s.
Q) How do I know when an order has been filled?
A) The order will disappear from your Orders Pending window and will then appear in your positions window. You can also setup an audio “beep” on execution so upon execution you will hear a beep. The position manager will also confirm an executed order.
Q) What happens when an order disappears from working orders?
A) This signifies that the order was cancelled, filled or rejected.
Q) What should I do if I only receive a partial fill?
A) Receiving a partial fill is a very commonplace occurrence. Since there are various parameters applied to orders when they're originated, you may or may not have to subsequently cancel the unexecuted portion of the original order, if the trading system has not automatically done that for you. Ultimately, you are always responsible for knowing what your actual position is at all times.
Q) What should I do if an order shows a duplicate fill?
A) The easiest answer would be to contact the Assent Trade Support Desk and they’ll confirm that in fact, duplicate fills were reported. Upon confirmation, they will alert and assist you in determining what's the best course of action.
Q) How do I know when an order has been rejected?
A) The rejected order will show in the orders window under the status column as rejected.
Q) How do I get time and sales for an order?
A) ANVIL’s All Executions window shows time and sales for your orders. You can also set up prints or history prints windows to show time and sales for other symbols that you have not traded.
Q) How do I place a penny stock order?
A) You’ll need to contact the Assent Order Desk, and under certain circumstances, you will need to execute a Penny Stock Approval agreement.
Q) What orders can be placed GTC?</span>
A) At this time, GTC orders cannot be placed. However, there are many other order types that remain available for you to use.
Q) What alerts will I be able to get when a condition is triggered?/p>
A) An audio beep .Q) What alerts will I be able to get when an order is executed? A) There will be visual alerts and updating of certain windows, but you can also set up audio “beeps” to alert you. Q) How can I determine if I can sell short a particular stock? A) The Assent Clearing website www.assentclearing.com has a daily updated list of easy to borrow stocks. Also almost all stocks that are hard to borrow or restricted have an "r" designation in the top right of the level2 box. Traders are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the myriad regulations and internal policies concerning the shorting of stocks. Q) How do I change my default size in the Level II? A) Under settings>tier size, choose the default size you want per exchange or per stock. BASKET TRADING, WATCHLISTS, INDEXES, ETC… Q) Is it possible to buy and sell a basket of stocks, or a group of stocks I’d like to buy and sell concurrently? A)There are a couple steps to being able to buy or sell a group of stocks. (1) Create a basket from the Basket Sorter window. For help on how to create a Basket, select Help (which is found in the menu at the top left of the Basket Sorter window). (2) Type the name of the Basket you created into a Market Maker window. (3) Make sure in the menu at the top left that "MultiSel" is checked. (4) You should now be able to highlight multiple stocks in the Basket. (5) Either place orders using a hotkey for the selected stocks or place orders using the Order Ticket. Q)How can I execute multiple “ON OPEN” orders? A) You can setup a basket then load it in the market maker window by typing the name of the basket in the market maker window. Once the basket is loaded you can execute the "on open" keys from the command map for all stocks on the basket. Q) Within the basket trading segment of ANVIL, I’d like to have the ability to put buy or sell in the basket tab when creating the basket. Currently, we can enter the share amount now. I would like to launch one basket that has buys and sells in it. For example, when the market goes down I would like to short QQQQ and SPY and buy certain ETF’s (exchange traded funds). Is this currently possible? A) Currently, this is not possible because of the way traders submit basket orders through ANVIL. For an order to be sent, traders currently send an order via hot-key or via an order ticket, both of which require a side to be specified therein. We’ll be exploring expanding such functionality for the future. Q) Is there a way to import a list of stocks for a market sorter? A) Sure, you just need to create a basket. This link contains instructions on how to set one up. http://anvil.assent.com/2.6/Baskets.htm A) If you right-click on the ANVIL market maker window, then select Basket -> Imbalance the market maker window will populate with a basket full of the latest imbalances. Then, highlight the appropriate stocks (if you have multi-sel checked from the upper left-hand corner window you can hold CTRL and select stocks, or with this unchecked it means all stocks in the basket are selected). Then either invoke an OnClose hot key or change the order ticket on the top or bottom and the orders will be sent for all the selected stocks. Q) Specifically, how do I set up watchlist(s)? A) To setup "watchlists" or baskets, simply go to Settings>Baskets. In the area that says New Basket, enter in the name you desire the watchlist to be called. For example, if you are trying to create a list of biotech stocks, then you'd perhaps type in the name "Biotech" and then click "Add". You will then see this label ("Biotech") under the Available Baskets area. In the top left, where the dialogue box shows " Basket", choose the name of the basket you just typed- Biotech and then type in the stock symbols you want added under the area labeled " Stock". After you type in the name of the stock remember to click Add and then Update. Q) How can I edit watchlist(s)? To edit an existing watchlist or basket, you need to open the basket within the ANVIL application. Open the toolbar and then click on Basket Sorter, which opens a new window entitled "Basket Sorter". Make that window active and then type in the name of the basket. Referring to the above example, type in the label Biotech. The Basket Sorter window will now display the stocks that you previously set up, and allow you to make edits in your basket. Q) How do I link ANVIL to eSignal?
A) On the Main Bar at the top right-hand corner, there is a “round about arrow”. Drag that arrow and drop it the eSignal Chart or News Manager. This will link all your Market Makers to that Chart or News Manager. If you want to link a single Market Maker to an eSignal chart, you need to drag from the Level 2 area on the Market Maker to the center of the eSignal chart. In addition to eSignal, ANVIL has the ability to link to QCharts, Reuters, and Realtick. Note, Assent will bear no responsibility whatsoever for the accuracy, applicability or timeliness of information from unaffiliated or third parties. Q) I’ve already set up my configuration within ANVIL to have eSignal’s charts linked. When I’m using net change within the market sorter, I can single click to populate esignal charts, and have a 2nd one up of a day/hi-low tick counter, but currently, it requires me to double click to populate the charts. I’d like to be able to single click to scan through lists on charts. A) We currently use the double-click functionality to activate data items in ANVIL because of the high frequency of single click functionality already present in ANVIL and other MS Windows applications. This is because of our general concern, that single-clicking functionality is reserved for common, passive tasks such as selecting data items, wherein the double-click functionality actually activates that data item. Q) I would ideally like to link each of these 1 hour charts that I have to just ONE specific Market Maker box on my ANVIL layout (which would not necessarily be the active box). This way I can see charts of each stock that I have in each box without having to type up new stocks in the chart windows if I change a stock in one of the boxes. How can I do this? A) Simply click in the quotes area of the Market Maker screen and hold the mouse button as you drag over to the middle of the charts window and release - this should link that chart with the specific MM window you select. Q) How can I add my own index charts within ANVIL? A) Open the Toolbar and open a new chart On the chart, Right click then choose Settings From the "All Indexes" column add the futures you want to the "Personal Indexes," and choose a color if you want. Once that is done, select OK and go back to the chart, then right click again. Q) I’d like to create “personal indexes” consisting of certain futures, within ANVIL. How can I do that? A) Within ANVIL open a chart. Then, Right click > Settings. From the "All Indexes" column add the futures you want to the "Personal Indexes" and choose a color if you want. Once that is done select OK and go back to the chart. Now, right click on the chart again and in the "Index" dropdown menu you'll see your personal indexes. Q) In your ANVIL platform, can I set up in the charts the line and bar simultaneously in the same chart? A) We cannot support bars and lines in the same chart, and we don’t have studies (including stochastic) at all in the charts. In the quest to satisfy large queries necessary in order to retrieve data the chart command is seeking, latencies may be introduced. We’re trying to find the right balance in charting functionality added to ANVIL so that we don’t introduce latencies in the trading platform. Q) What do I need to know about the charts available through ANVIL? A) Within ANVIL, currently basic intraday charts with pre-defined time spans can be linked to Level 2 boxes, as well as other windows within ANVIL. Traders can also overlay a second stock or and index. For more advanced charting uses, including historical charts, Assent traders typically subscribe to a 3rd party charting application that links to ANVIL, such as eSignal. Q) Am I able to view more than one chart at a time? A) Yes, you can. To open a new chart, select the Chart icon on the Toolbar. GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING, SYSTEM INSTALLATION, OPERATING SYSTEMS & HIGH LEVEL FUNCTIONALITY {Please see the Systems Requirements, Network Support and Trader Support segments of our site} Q) Can I run the ANVIL trading platform using an Apple based operating system? A) The continued stability and high performance nature of our trading platform remains an important priority for Assent. We have certain concerns with how the ANVIL platform works within an Apple based windows simulator, so at this time, that functionality is not supported. Q) Does ANVIL support DDE link functionality? Where can I access it? A) Yes it does. Just download it at http://anvil.assent.com/dde/ Q) What will happen if the system time on my local computer that I’m trading from isn’t accurate? Does ANVIL override my local system time? A) While we don’t suspect anything would happen with your ANVIL session, we strongly advise you to keep your local system time up to date and accurate. If you’re using 3rd party applications, under certain circumstances time discrepancies in your local system may impact 3rd party applications. ANVIL however, sources its system time from the market data server it connects to. Our system time is extremely accurate as it uses a time server synchronization process that is linked to multiple satellites. Q) What browsers can I use to run ANVIL? A) When properly installed and configured, ANVIL can be run on any browser. Q) How can I create a desktop shortcut to access ANVIL? A) Easy. Simply Go to Start>Programs>Assent LLC and right click on the ANVIL icon and choose Send To Desktop, then Create Shortcut. Q) How do I uninstall ANVIL? A) The un-install procedure for ANVIL is similar to most other applications. Simply go to the Control Panel, go to add/remove programs and choose ANVIL as the application to uninstall. Q) Are there certain anti-virus software packages that do not work with ANVIL? A) The McAfee suite of anti-virus software is currently not recommended nor supported for use with ANVIL. Q) Can I use more than one monitor? What do I need to know about using multiple monitors? A) Yes, you can, however there are often special video cards or monitor view switching set ups you’ll have to configure on your computer in order to seamlessly view streaming data over a multiple monitor set up. Q) Do I get messages if there are software problems? A) We always recommend that traders stay current with ANVIL software upgrades, so traders should make it a point to regularly check the ANVIL website for updates. We try to keep the techs informed when there are reported issues. However, when such issues arise, our main focus becomes creating a suitable defect - free version that can be deployed as soon as possible. Q) Does the ANVIL platform incorporate Total View data supplied by NASADAQ? A) Yes, we carry the TotalView feed, and it's processed before being disseminated to all the ANVIL clients. Q) Is there a way to remove NSD from the prints in ANVIL? A) Yes. Simply right-click in the prints window and uncheck NSD. Q) I'm not seeing any quotes, or I'm not seeing anything other than Level 2 data. Why might this be? A) Assuming that your trading ID is properly "entitled" to access certain market data streams, it may be an issue with the way that your user configurable settings are set up. The Level 2 boxes within ANVIL are supplied from a different source than certain other windows in ANVIL, such as the market sorter window. All ECN prints, extended high low scroller, ticker and baskets are sourced from the market summary server, whereas Level 2 data may be routed from a different source because of bandwidth issues. The Support Desk or your local branch tech can walk you through the settings such that you can adjust the IP address that you will need to connect to in order for you to receive certain data if you're not seeing all that you think you should. Q) How do I set price alerts? A) On a Market Maker, right-click and select "Alerts". This will take you to the Alerts Settings. You may also wish to refer to our Market Data page. Q) The Profit and Loss totals shown within the Risk Manager application differ from what I see on ANVIL. Why is that? A) Net PnL calculates its figure using commissions paid, and certain other fees, if applicable. Additionally, the logic for computing Net PnL uses prints "aftermarket" instead of inside prices because of the typically large variations in aftermarket trading sessions. Q) My Open PnL appears to be marked incorrectly after the close. As a result, I can’t trade as I want to in the aftermarket sessions because it shows that I have losses past my limit. What’s the likely cause? A) Use the PriceOpenPnL setting instead of OpenPnL, since the OpenPnL is calculated from the Best Bid and Offer, which in the aftermarket sessions, typically reflect a greater divergence away from one another. Q) Does ANVIL have a feature that automatically deducts $500 every time the difference between the Gross P&L and the volume reach that level? For example, when it gets to $920.00 off 22,000 shares, it automatically does the Net P & L reduction. Or $1200 on 50,000 then becomes $500 off 50,000? A) That feature is available in ANVIL already under Settings -> Account -> Trader. By populating the commission rate (top left-hand corner) it will affect your Net PnL in all windows. How do I know what my buying power is? A) Your "official" margin buying power is re-computed every morning, after we complete the books and records processing cycle. Then, as we start up our trading system each morning, we seed the ANVIL trading system with a "working" buying power figure as supplied from our Admin database. Throughout the course of the day, the ANVIL application then roughly keeps track of your trading activity and adjusts your "working" buying power amounts as applicable. Please note that intra-day buying power amounts shown are only rough estimates. Such estimates can be significantly impacted by rapid series of cancels and multiple simultaneous pending orders and other factors. Traders can display their buying power in two ANVIL windows, the Main Bar and the Statistics window.
Q) I focus quite a bit on imbalances, and in so doing, I use the basket trading module within ANVIL to trade them. Specifically, I’ll set up 1 basket each for the buy and sell imbalances. Is there a feature within the basket trading module that I can use to do "market on close" on either one of the baskets, instead of having to go to every stock that has been executed and put them out individually?
PROFIT & LOSS COMPUTATIONS
