EC2 t1.micro overloaded by JForex
My cheapskate EC2 experiment has been running well for two days. The t1.micro EC2 cloud server instance ran smoothly for over 48 hours continuously. I was starting to believe that it’s possible to run a desktop trading system on Amazon’s free offer. Then this happened this morning on the third day of the experiment.
Amazon EC2 t1.micro running JForex on Ubuntu and LXDE
The Micro instance cloud server experienced a processing hiccup and was never able to recover.
This is it for running a desktop trading system on a t1.micro. The cheapest instance of Amazon EC2 is not enough to handle the load. The only way to get this working is to run in a command-line only mode by using the JForex API without the client platform or desktop. All that eye-candy isn’t useful anyway on a remote server.
Update: I’m wondering if it’s the screensaver that caused the problem. I am now turning the screensaver off and trying this again.
Update 2: No, it looks like it really is JForex overloading the system.
Related posts:
Do you think their larger packages would work? I currently have a VPS hosted in a local organization’s server room. However, that is not going to work long term. So if it’s a matter of power, I’d be willing to buy a larger EC2 package. However, if it’s a compatibility issues with JForex / Ubuntu / EC2 then I’ll just build a box and host it locally..
Larger instances would definitely work. Even a Small EC2 instance can run a desktop smoothly.
hi Paul,
I’m soaking as fast as I am able into jforex strategy development and running…
…and I am grateful I found your contributions to this topic to be an invaluable source
would you please let us know any updates on this EC2 endeavour? has running your strategy without any front-end and desktop solved the problem?
Horacio, I gave it up on the micro instance because a decent VPS can be had for $20/month. I figured there’s no need to risk it as the processing power from a micro is not guaranteed. Other benchmarks find the micro to be similarly powered as a Nokia N900 phone.
really? I’m disappointed, I jumped straight feet and opened account ;) I was hoping that this could perhaps be a joint endeavour :)
OK, back to ground: thinking realistically, first thing one would need is to run strategy locally, monitor it thoroughly for various periods and then assess what resources it really needs. Then choosing VPS, etc. I have some experience testing a portal application of a GSM provider (Solaris, WebLogic, Java, ORCL, 3-tier architecture deployed in demilitarized zones) but still developing, maintaining and running a fin quant system seems a huge challenge…
BTW:
does it mean you would rather choose some other service over AWS?
Did you try to run a strategy on Dukascopy’s remote server?
The thing with no guarantee on a VPS is that you don’t know how it’ll do in a worst case scenario. The same can be said with Dukascopy remote server. So I haven’t been using it except on the contest account.
AWS on the lower end offers less bang for the buck than many other services. Rackspacecloud.com.uk or Linode.com for examples offer much more processing power in the low end according to benchmarks from cloudharmony.com.
Actually, I’m wondering what’s the catch with a 24/7 local server? Can’t it cope with the task?
It’s a matter of reliability. A local server usually runs on a residential internet connection, which is not reliable in Canada. Although most other places now offer fiber optics right into your home, I can only dream about that.