NinjaTinyMobileTrader (NTMT)

[zweistein]

NinjaTinyMobileTrader (NTMT)

is an add-on to NinjaTrader 7 that allows to control NinjaTrader 7 strategies remotely via your mobile phone.
Here a link to the application (www.zweisteintrading.eu)

I would like to get feedback from the community of NinjaTrader 7 users .
Please have a look at the link supplied. This forum is for general questions on the NinjaTrader 7 beta and I already have a few
specific questions:
1. How well does NTMT Add-on integrate into NinjaTrader?
2. Would you like to see additional features?


So far so good!

About my commitment:

Personally I have invested much time and energy into the NTMT add-on and a substantial part of that energy was spent getting NTMT ready for other users. There is a proper installation program.

My commitment is to offer a fully working application and to incorporate enhancements and new requests whenever possible.

All this cannot be free and therefore the NTMT application will require a commitment from you, the user.

However the first 5 users for of the 30 Days license will get the license for free and for the Unlimited license you will get a 50% discount. (Procedure is the following: after a purchase via paypal you get a refund as specified within 3 working days)


Thank you for your interest and I am looking forward to hearing your comments.
Please give as much as possible feedback now as we are still in the NinjaTrader 7 beta phase and therefore the Ninjateam will likely be
more open towards changes and modifications of their application.


Regards

Andreas

[r2kTrader]

Andreas,

First, the screenshots look nice. Well done!

If I may make one suggestion, perhaps you could do some type of code escrow or NT auditing process whereby they verify and compile the code for download, assuring there are no backdoors of any kind in the software.

If this is going to be a real option for people trading with real money, this additional layer of security would help.

I am only speaking for myself, but as much as I would be happy to pay up to 500.00 for such an application, I can't let something into my system without having some level of assurance that it doesn't have any backdoors or for that matter, could be exploited.

Another issue is the fact that I would be required to open my box with the ever so insecure IIS monstrosity. IIS, without a good and proper series of security issues addressed, is an invitation to get hacked.

May I suggest that you include at a minimum, a portknocking client/server into your application. This would help to secure the port 80 only to those who properly knocked with the correct sequence.

I do this with my Linux boxes to protect ports like SSH, etc.

The other issue is that you are located in Europe, and as such, an American would have no legal recourse :-(

My proposal is to license this to NT and let them offer it. I would then feel secure in using the application and have an accountable source.

This is just my opinion, and I probably represent the minority if that. It's definitely a powerful feature that would really bring NT to a whole other level.

Nothing personal, I just can't put unknown code in my box that is trading with real money :-(

I might get a copy for a test box though to support your cause and support your effort.

Also, you might want to double check with Ray about the use of the Ninja Trader "trad e mark"

NinjaTinyMobileTrader (NTMT)

is an add-on to NinjaTrader 7 that allows to control NinjaTrader 7 strategies remotely via your mobile phone.
Here a link to the application (www.zweisteintrading.eu)

I would like to get feedback from the community of NinjaTrader 7 users .
Please have a look at the link supplied. This forum is for general questions on the NinjaTrader 7 beta and I already have a few
specific questions:
1. How well does NTMT Add-on integrate into NinjaTrader?
2. Would you like to see additional features?


So far so good!

About my commitment:

Personally I have invested much time and energy into the NTMT add-on and a substantial part of that energy was spent getting NTMT ready for other users. There is a proper installation program.

My commitment is to offer a fully working application and to incorporate enhancements and new requests whenever possible.

All this cannot be free and therefore the NTMT application will require a commitment from you, the user.

However the first 5 users for of the 30 Days license will get the license for free and for the Unlimited license you will get a 50% discount. (Procedure is the following: after a purchase via paypal you get a refund as specified within 3 working days)


Thank you for your interest and I am looking forward to hearing your comments.
Please give as much as possible feedback now as we are still in the NinjaTrader 7 beta phase and therefore the Ninjateam will likely be
more open towards changes and modifications of their application.


Regards

Andreas

[r2kTrader]

Ad Sponsored application?

Andreas,

Another thought. Maybe some brokers would like to sponsor the application?

For example, it could be a value perk for trading with say XYZ broker. They would skin your application and offer it to their NT clients?

This could give you critical mass and allow you to deal with a broker, verses many traders. I'm sure it would be of value to them to brand such an application.

[zweistein]

Hey r2kTrader,

thank you for the suggestion with the broker. Currently I don' t find the time, will think about this in spring. Trading also takes quite a slice of the day. Basically I am my best customer and I use NTMT a lot.

Backdoors: You can check this easily with a tcpviewer program. Only at installation there is one call to the license authorization server. After installation no data is transmitted except to the web client (= your mobile phone).

Security and IIS7. Have you worked with IIS7? It is a big step forward and not comparable to older versions. IIS7 is a very good web managment tool! For NTMT users: You do not have to deal with IIS configuration. This is all done by a small helper application.
If security is a major concern then you can configure NTMT to run in a secure web site context, e.g. https . To do so you must however create a self-issued SSL certificate. This can be done easily (and for free) with IIS7.
You export the public portion of the certificate to a file and this file can be imported on the more modern mobile phones (Nokia N82 works for example).
The security is very high then, because you can access the https site only from devices where this self-issued certificate is installed.
On my PC I run NTMT on port 443 using SSL and it is working fine.


Stabilty:
I started NTMT work still with NinjaTrader 6.5 . 6.5 was less reliable than Ninja 7 and therefore I have added features in NTMT that allow you to close/kill the NinjaTrader process and also to reboot the PC.
NTMT has to survive these scenarios (freeze of NinjaTrader) and is always running....

regards
Andreas

[Anagoge]

The main web page (http://www.zweisteintrading.eu/Ninja...ileTrader.aspx) is served with a mime type of text/plain, which renders the aspx source as a text file in a standards compliant browser such as Firefox.

[zweistein]

Anagoge, thank you for the tip!

Anyone knows how to make the aspx page firefox compatible? I am really no good at web page design...

Look guys,

IIS 7 is an integral part of Windows Vista and Windows 7, so there is no need for the end user to set up an extra webserver app. NinjaTrader relies on .NET 3.5, a core Windows feature and IIS intergrates well with .NET applications. I don't see why I should go into the hassle of another package. IIS can handle also big webfarms, so it a very complete packet with many options. For simple use you can just use the appcmd.exe command line tool which makes it feel like Linux!
Security is excellent if you use the https with SSL.

[MXASJ]

Hi Andeas,

I am very new to the C#/.NET thing and have a question for you:

My requirement is to monitor three or more workstations running Ninja strategies on a LAN from another computer on the LAN. It looks like if I used NTMT I could set up an Excel dashboard to monitor positions, P&L, etc by referencing the HTTP URLs provided by NTMT in Excel cells.

The question is... while that would work, is it the BEST way to do it? Best to me means not resource intensive and not likely to cause data corruption or instability. Just fishing for ideas. Is remotely accessing what I believe is an SQL CE DB via an ODBC link in Excel worth exploring? Does that even make sense?

BTW I think it great that third-party developers are active with Ninja on things other than indicators . Good luck with your project.

I've mentioned it in another thread somewhere but an R and/or Matlab bridge to Ninja would be a pretty cool thing too.

[zweistein]

HI MXASJ,

thank you for your interest.

In your case you do not need the web server part of NTMT, but you are fine with the remoting part.
The remoting part consists of 2 dll files that are put in the NinjaTrader\bin folder.
Each NinjaTrader application becomes a remote server in this way.

On a lan you know the IP addresses of the PCs, so you can access the current NinjaTrader positions by using the url if these PCs.
Probably you have to check trust/permission of the NET environment as soon as remoting goes outside the localhost scope.

I do not use SQLCe for this, a simple DataTable is suffient for these tiny amounts of data.

Using remoting you would have something like this:

main(){
Ninja ninjaserver = newNinja(); // your request is: new Ninja("10.0.0.4");

DataTable positions=ninjaserver.Instance.Positions();
// same for orders and strategies
}


probably all this can also be written as an excel addon, but I have not done this.

[zweistein]

To all,
The web page is working now also for firefox!

please have a look at the NTMT utilities page. There you find samples for remoting also.

http://www.zweisteintrading.eu/NTMTUtils.htm

@ MAXASJ,


I tried it out, and with new Ninja("10.0.0.4") I can read all orders from my other PC in the LAN. Using another command I did launch a backtest on that other PC and read the results on my laptop.
Stability: Perfect, no reason to expect problems. Rocksolid.
Matbab bridge. I don' t know what calculations you need Matlab for, but using the NTMT utilities samples you can write a simple console application that accesses the NinjaTrader Data. Interfacing Matlab to a C# console application is straightforward and documented well on the web. You can use the free Visual Studio C# 2008 Express development environment for this. Personally I havn't tried Matlab, and for a NeuralNet purposes the fann library is a good choice in my view.



@ Anagoge

my web host provider doesn' t support aspx. This is because using opensource like php is cheaper for them. Personally I prefer aspx and I added also the <browsercaps> for the gecko based browsers to my aspx

In the end I set up everything as a plain htm.

[MXASJ]

Thanks Andreas. Again it's great to see people working on add-ons other than indicators!

[r2kTrader]

Andreas,
Wireshark (or any TCP sniffer) will only tell me when the application is trying to connect. So that doesn't help.

Example: I have a backdoor which is a sleeper. I extend my application, and then I trigger a port open through a certain packet the application looks for, then boing, I'm in the machine. Maybe today, 1 month, 1 year, 10 years. I don't know when. So running wireshark doesn't help.

Ideally, there should be source escrow and compiled by a third party. This would resolve a lot of that paranoia. Again, most people will just use the application and trust you, I'm the exception, but I can't rationalize ANY 3rd party app unless it is from a trust source. We have a hard enough time just trusting NT (Nothing personal Ray ;-0 )

As an American, I have near zero recourse against a foreign entity. Trying to pursue someone outside the US border is pretty much impossible in the real world. If you are an international conglomerate and have contacts throughout the world and a legal staff, maybe, lol, but generally there is no recourse. This conclusion is from real world experience.

PORTKNOCKING: I highly recommend a portknocking layer.

REMOTE DESKTOP: The other thing is that I do is use remote desktop client on my phone and achieve complete control over the pc, so while your appliction is compact and more efficient, I run the risk of security issues, by your own doing or not. the .aspx dilio mentioned above is a good example. Port 5589 opens only after the right port knocking sequence is done.

PARTNERSHIP: It's a great idea and a powerful little utility. I would connect with NT and try to work something out. It would be a great extension.

FEEDBACK: The other benefit to using Remote Desktop, is that I can actually see what is happening on NT. If I for example click sell using your application, I am also relying on what your program feeds back, whereas with Remote Desktop, I can see with my own eyes that NT did sell and at what price, etc.

For screensize, I can just create a new order entry screen and put that in focus and it will fit perfectly on a cell phone (that's what I normally do). I have my buy/sell/sell/bid button etc.

Another thing I like to switch to is the Market Analyzer. I can have all my quotes streamed via that nice clean grid and I can tie in indicators to get their values as well. It can be fully customized and it generally fits what I need right on the screen in landscape mode perfectly. So quotes and order entry are both achieved.

If I need to watch many machines at once, I found screenstream to work well and also having multiple remote desktops open with only those items I need to look at in focus and then i put the screen around it nicely so I can watch.

I would appreciate any tips from others for remote management and viewing!

Thanks

Anagoge, thank you for the tip!

Anyone knows how to make the aspx page firefox compatible? I am really no good at web page design...

Look guys,

IIS 7 is an integral part of Windows Vista and Windows 7, so there is no need for the end user to set up an extra webserver app. NinjaTrader relies on .NET 3.5, a core Windows feature and IIS intergrates well with .NET applications. I don't see why I should go into the hassle of another package. IIS can handle also big webfarms, so it a very complete packet with many options. For simple use you can just use the appcmd.exe command line tool which makes it feel like Linux!
Security is excellent if you use the https with SSL.

[r2kTrader]

Do we really need another indicator? lol

I second this Andreas, it is nice to see.

Thanks Andreas. Again it's great to see people working on add-ons other than indicators!

[zweistein]

thanks for the tips.

SSL and https with a self-ssued certificate (or a CA certifcate if you pay for it) are far superior protection. Absolutely hacker safe. Port knocking is used to improve connection security without SSL.

Even in the worst case what would the hacker/(me?) do with the information obtained? This info is at it's best username and password of your brokers account. In a worst case scenario a hacker could execute a trade, but he willnever be able to get money, because the brokers will wire money only to certifid bank accounts.

Why should I do so? I have been working as a research scientist for several years for the European Commission, and I am from a well respected family full of lawyers/judges in Germany. I have no interest in criminal activity.

By the way: THERE IS NO CODE IN MY SOFTWARE THAT CAPTURES USERNAMES OR PASSWORDS OR ANY OTHER SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
NTMT only automates the connection of NinjaTrader to your broker, but the details are unknown to the NTMT application.

Basically I am in the same situation as NinjaTrader llc. Source code of NinjaTrader is also not known, but the huge amount of users trust it, because NinjaTader is a long time around.

Regards

[r2kTrader]

Never say "absolutely hacker safe", to someone who does networks at the enterprise level. It sounds like saying "you can't lose money with this system to a trader".

There is plenty of open source portknocking code to put in your software. SSL is a service and services are meant to be hacked. Period. Port goes to service, service can get hacked. SSL is only as good as the service that manages it. Buffer overflows, etc. The list is long and the ways are many. MS STILL hasn't fixed their TCP/IP stack. You crack the stack, and there is nothing you can't hack.

Anyway, I don't want this to turn into a flamed thread. I said my piece. I am sure there is a market for this product.

Experience has lead me to be paranoid when it comes to any machine that touches my money, lol.

I like what I read about your library, and I am sure your product could be trusted as well as yourself.

Don't forget, MSFT puts backdoors in all their code. That is a fact. So it's just common sense to be paranoid. Think about it. What are "easter eggs" doing in business class software used in the enterprise? There is nothing cute or funny about it.

I wouldn't be suprised if NT has some backdoors they could turn on at will. Is there a proper peer review of their code? Was it compiled by a 3rd party? Do they have any disgruntled employees putting in a little code here or there for future reference? I don't know. But is is far easier to go after NT and the Brokers being here in the US, than an individual in another country. (Not just you, I'm just saying in general).

As far as motivation? Why would someone want to format my hard drive? Why would someone want to spray paint on the side of a building? I have no doubt that someone would have a good old time selling my account dry and having a good laugh. Or getting on the right side of a trade and then simultaneously selling or buying across multiple accounts for a quick smash and grab. That wouldn't be hard to do in a thinly traded instrument. They could line up all the machines to get on one side sell into them from their side. There are many ways to steal money without getting into someone's account. I mean have you watched the news lately? A group just made off with over TWO TRILLION in broad daylight and no one seems to care? The best part is they are back at it again!

thanks for the tips.

SSL and https with a self-ssued certificate (or a CA certifcate if you pay for it) are far superior protection. Absolutely hacker safe. Port knocking is used to improve connection security without SSL.

Even in the worst case what would the hacker/(me?) do with the information obtained? This info is at it's best username and password of your brokers account. In a worst case scenario a hacker could execute a trade, but he willnever be able to get money, because the brokers will wire money only to certifid bank accounts.

Why should I do so? I have been working as a research scientist for several years for the European Commission, and I am from a well respected family full of lawyers/judges in Germany. I have no interest in criminal activity.

By the way: THERE IS NO CODE IN MY SOFTWARE THAT CAPTURES USERNAMES OR PASSWORDS OR ANY OTHER SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
NTMT only automates the connection of NinjaTrader to your broker, but the details are unknown to the NTMT application.

Basically I am in the same situation as NinjaTrader llc. Source code of NinjaTrader is also not known, but the huge amount of users trust it, because NinjaTader is a long time around.

Regards

[ATI user]

r2kTrader

thanks for the info on portknocking etc ...I will pursue this and post any feedback

I found a couple of good links on the topic

remote desktop for mobiles : tutorial plus link to free code

http://pocketnow.com/how-to/tutorial-setting-up-remote-desktop-in-windows-mobile

portknocking:

http://www.portknocking.org/

I assume these are in line with your comments.

1. did remote desktop come with your phone?
2. which phone are you using?
3. I need a new phone. Can you please recommend one for this purpose from the myriad of new phones? Blackberry? which one? iPhone?

Thanks