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Product LoginNasdaq Testing Facility Frequently Asked Questions
General
Am I required to subscribe to the Nasdaq Testing Facility?
Firms are required to test their systems before entering Nasdaq’s production network. The Nasdaq Testing Facility platform was specifically designed to accommodate customer testing of their in-house applications. By using the Nasdaq Testing Facility, you can substantially reduce the time required for successful production implementations.
How is the Nasdaq Testing Facility different from Nasdaq’s production systems?
The Nasdaq Testing Facility is the only Nasdaq facility that allows customer testing a using a true replica of the production Nasdaq market systems. The Nasdaq Testing Facility, while similar to Nasdaq’s production systems, has a reduced file structure and performance and is designed to accommodate customers testing their in-house applications with a reasonable volume of message traffic.
Which vendor feeds are supported by the Nasdaq Testing Facility Market Data Service?
The Nasdaq Testing Facility Market Data Service supports the following data feeds:
Nasdaq Proprietary Data Feeds
- TotalView-ITCH 3.0
- TotalView-ITCH 2.0a
- TotalView-ITCH 2.0
- TotalView-Aggregated
- OpenView Basic
- NASDAQ Level 2
- NOIView 2.00
- NOIS 2.00
- NASDAQ Last Sale (NLS)
- NQDS - Nasdaq Quote Dissemination Service
- Nasdaq Fund Network Data Service
UTP Data Feeds
- UQDF - Level 1 Quote Dissemination
- UTDF - Level 1 Trade Dissemination
FINRA Data Feeds
- BTDS - Bond Trade Dissemination Service
- BBDS - Bulletin Board Dissemination Service
- TDDS - Trade Data Dissemination Service
Can I request market or security halts?
Customers can request specific market or security halts by calling 212.231.5180.
What are the minimum browser requirements for viewing the Trader site?
This Web site is best viewed with Internet Explorer 6.x and 1024 x 768 monitor resolution.
How do I read the download files on this website?
Download files can be one of the following types:
- pipe-delimited text (.txt) format files;
- comma-delimited text (.txt or .csv) format files;
- fixed width text (.txt) format files; and
- self-extracting ZIP (.exe) files that expand into pipe-delimited text format files.
Unless otherwise indicated, most of the text files available for download are in pipe-delimited format.
To expand the ZIP files:
- When prompted by the browser, save the file to a directory you will remember.
- After the file has been saved, open Windows Explorer and find the file that was saved.
- Double click on the ZIP file to start the expansion process.
- When the WinZIP Self-Extractor dialog box appears, on the left click on the Extract All Files link.
- When the Extraction Wizzard appears, click Next.
- Browse to a folder where you want to extract the files or type in the directory. Please note you should choose a directory you will remember such as your desktop. Click Next
- A dialog box will appear when the extraction is complete. The Show Extracted Files box is checked as the default. Leave this box checked and click Finish.
- Exit from the WinZIP Self-Extractor.
To download the text download files (files with .txt or .csv extension):
- A page will appear with pipe-delimited ( | ) text, comma-delimited text, or fixed width text.
- This information will need to be saved to your computer. Select File from the menu bar, then the Save As...
- Within the Save As dialog box, save the file in a directory that you will remember.
- You can now import the data into a spreadsheet or database. The MS Excel Wizard is an excellent way to see the data in a spreadsheet. When importing the text file into MS Excel, select delimited if the text file is either a pipe- or comma-delimited text format file, or select fixed width if the text file is a fixed width text format file.
Installation
How do I get an MPID?
Call Nasdaq Subscriber Services at 212.231.5180.
How do I get a logon ID?
For dial-up, call Nasdaq Subscriber Services at 212.231.5180.
How can I access the Nasdaq Test Facility?
You can access NTF through a variety of methods including Internet VPN, Extranet, dedicated circuit, or dial-up. Please note that you may only receive market data through a dedicated circuit or an Extranet. If you wish to use an Extranet, you will need to contact them directly to establish service. If you wish to use Internet VPN access, please contact Nasdaq Subscriber Services.
Is there a de-installation fee for removal of the dedicated circuits?
There is no fee for the removal of the dedicated circuits once the subscriber has fulfilled their term of service. If a subscriber de-installs their circuits before their agreement is completed they will be required to pay the remaining balance. Verizon Business requires 30 business days to process circuit disconnects.
How long will it take to install my dial-up service?
After a written request is received by Nasdaq Subscriber Services (212.231.5180), they will contact you and process your request within one business day.
Will I need an additional test logon for the Nasdaq Testing Facility dedicated testing services?
No, you will not require an additional test logon if you currently have a test logon through the dial-up service. The same logon that you currently utilize via dial-up will also be assigned to the dedicated test service. If you do not currently have an existing test logon, Nasdaq will create one for you.
Do I need communication software?
No, but you do need to develop according to the TCP/IP or MQ specifications.
If I use a dial-up connection, what is the phone number?
Please dial: 571.258.409.
Billing
How is billing calculated?
Billing is calculated by the time connected, beginning when a firm opens up a session with the Nasdaq Testing Facility and ending when the firm ends the session. It is important for firms to log off once testing is completed. If a firm continues to be logged into the testing facility but does not send any transactions, the firm will be charged at the applicable weekday or weekend testing rates up to a maximum of one hour after the last transaction was entered.
To avoid unnecessary fees, listed below is the location of the logout message in each specification:
| Protocol | Section | Message Title |
|---|---|---|
| CTCI | 2.4.2 | Good Night (Super Message) |
| FIX | 4.2.6 | Log Out |
| QIX | 3.4.4 | Log Out Request |
Please refer to the specifications for each protocol for specific details on each logout message.
Am I charged for heartbeat or keepalive messages?
Firms are charged from the time the session begins to the time the session ends in the Nasdaq Testing Facility, regardless of the messages sent. It is important to note that if you do not specifically log off, you will still be considered connected for up to one hour after sending your last transaction.
When is testing considered free?
Firms receive testing credits under two circumstances:
- Firms will receive 30 consecutive calendar days of free testing if testing a new Nasdaq service. Firms are eligible only if the firm has never used this new service in Nasdaq’s production environment. To determine eligibility, contact Nasdaq’s testing group at 212.231.5180, option #4.
- Firms will receive credits for testing during a Nasdaq-initiated change. These credits last between three to four weeks and end once the system change is released into Nasdaq’s production environment.
How are credits calculated?
Credits are calculated by taking a percentage of exempt, non-billable transactions over the total number of transactions. This percentage is then applied to the total amount charged. Each service type is considered separate; therefore, if Nasdaq Market Center message types were exempt, firms would not receive credits for other systems (i.e. ACES, NFN).
Contact Information
Please contact Trading Services with questions related to operations..
