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Speeding up NinjaTrader with a RAM drive (ramdisk)
Platform: "I trade, therefore, I AM!"; Theme Song: "Atomic Dog!"
Trading: EMD, 6J, ZB
Posts: 796 since Oct 2009
strangest thing happens.....
if you care to look, you'll see and probably confirm that inspite of the "junction" to the highest level directory "\db", Ninja, creates a HDD copy of the "\db" in the C:\%userprofile%\My Documents\NinjaTrader7\db folder all over again.
I am not sure whether its using the redirect (junction) or thinking that nothing exists and starts polling for data a new from the rithmic servers, hence backfilling all missing current tick, minute, day data, thus accounting for the delayed initial start-up.
I am convinced its using the [RamDisk]:\\db (junction) because of the speed at which partial control is returned, and partial fleshing out of the complex charts on the workspaces occurs.
It is regrettable that I will need to dumb down the workspace to an acceptable level that balances speed of loading with usage with availability.
After all, what's the benefit of a finely tuned Lamborgini only to drive over potholes? What's the benefit of having a ninja tuned and tweaked to perfection, only to miss live trading opportunities. The objective is balance with an emphasis on making money!, whether using $5 interval contraacts or $10 interval, or $12.50 or $25 interval contracts.
this may be a case where subsequent loads of the up to date database will load all workspaces faster, than the initial time
For most users I do not see the point in risking/working with RAM disk drives etc, they will see an order of magnitude greater improvement simply by going to Control Panels->System->Admin Tools->Services, double clicking on WindowsSearch and selecting Disable (it will normally be showing Automatic or Started), don't bother using Stop it will usually object. It will desist in its own time or after a reboot.
Checking in the Resource Manager before (if you can see SearchIndexer.exe in the list) and after you will never have seen your disk so quiet.
(Also the Ninja db node rebuild is a documented restart/fresh installation behaviour.) Deleting the db tree will get you a fresh (empty of user changes ...) database. Deleting any of the other sub folders in there is fine, if you don't need the historical data.
edit: just searched and spotted DT has mentioned this already in:
Platform: "I trade, therefore, I AM!"; Theme Song: "Atomic Dog!"
Trading: EMD, 6J, ZB
Posts: 796 since Oct 2009
those 2 tweaks are long past in the rear view mirror...
it is worth establishing a persistent (must be this type or its not worth losing your investment) ramdisk
moving the entire "\db" to ramdisk
establishing "junctions" on the primary and major sub-folders each
allowing for enough overall system memory (use no more than 67% available) or acquire more sticks...
it took a few reboots, to establish the pattern and let the system (both the win 7x64 and the ramdisk / junction / rebuild processes) learn, but once they did, I have never changed features on these workspaces so fast.
Platform: "I trade, therefore, I AM!"; Theme Song: "Atomic Dog!"
Trading: EMD, 6J, ZB
Posts: 796 since Oct 2009
5-fold increase in speed,
I am achieving things never thought possible with NT7, namely on one workspace that has 9 charts (each having at least 2 panels; one having 5 panels, one having 8 panels) and each panel having analytics was able to load, and while loading, some price charts became active while others were loading and I was able to change the linked T&S/Static Dome symbol and it actually changed before the entire workspace became fully active.
true multitasking, imagine that!
can't wait for NT8
I hear they'll have features like:
A) Tools\Options\Reset Live trades, just like the reset sim101 trades, now
B) a "kick yourself" button
C) a "print profits" strategy button
Not sure how it would translate over to NT, but for Sierrachart the engineers have stated that compared to a fast SSD, it makes no performance difference, other than perhaps marginally for initial loading of large files, but even that happens very quickly in a couple seconds, and only on initial startup. Not worth the stability risks.
