Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

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saxon
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:52 pm

Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by saxon »

Hi tickstory

Quick suggestion:

Can you make it so that when the launcher is run to open a mt4 terminal instance, such that when one is already open, that it allows the opening of another instance? This would allow for multiple mt4 terminal instances to be open simultaniously, allowing people with multi-core CPUs (such as myself with 6 cores) to do backtesting faster? Currently the tickstory application brings focus to the currently open mt4 instance rather than opening a new one.

What I do currently to run multiple instances is have a much older mt4 folder that has a working birt's patch (409 I think), and I manually click on terminal.exe 6 times and apply the patch to each instance - quite time consuming.

Much appreciated!

tickstory
Posts: 4883
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:27 am

Re: Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by tickstory »

Hi Saxon,

Thanks for your suggestion. This feature has been requested before, however we are not planning to support this in the short term as it requires some work to constantly update the launcher for each successive MT4 version. We are looking towards creating an open-source version of the launcher which could help alleviate this overhead. For the moment, however, Birt's TDS (http://cd710nh5qn5ax84ol4ncpnfp99.hop.clickbank.net/ Disclosure: Affiliate link) is the only option for allowing multiple instances.

Hope this helps.

lukemp3
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 11:15 am

Re: Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by lukemp3 »

hi tickstory

I renew this post because I personally think that you should consider to put your great tool in a speedway.
How to?
Add a multi-loader function!

Nowadays, all traders/programmers uses multicore desktop/server to run their personal (mt4) optimization.
As mt4 is still single-thread , why we have to use only one core? getting the others (five for a six cores i7) to go sleep. Damn!!

As someone already wrote, in the recent past we all were using to run multiple mt4 instances using Birt's script, till build 409.
But 600+ build need for sure TICKSTORY or TDS to run new fxt files.
Tickstory is free and very powerful.
But it misses the professional way of TDS, I mean the multiple istances of mt4!

Please CONSIDER to create an independent loader to place into each mt4 folder.
This could avoid the problem to constantly update the launcher for each successive mt4 version??
So, in this way, with a SIX CORE desktop, We all will be able to run SIX OPTIMIZATION instead only one 8-) 8-) 8-)
This means to:
1. spend money better
2. using all power of new CPU
3. getting results in faster way

Why not to consider that?!?!

lukemp3
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 11:15 am

Re: Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by lukemp3 »

Hi everyone

I made some tests about tickstory multiple terminal.
I am able actually to run x6 optimization metatrader 670 at the same time.
I started 16 hours ago and all is going well.

Well, it seems working!
What I did

I have a i7 3970 with 4GB ram, mt4 670
I dloaded data with tickstory, then created fxt/hst and put them into respective mt4 folders
then I created 6 identical copies of the same mt4
I ran each mt4 at least once, setting my personal EA, to make about 1 million optimization,
I installed tickstory setting the 1st mt4 as inst folder
F8, and started mt4 optimization.
After that I closed tickstory, I opened it again, choosing the 2nd mt4 installation folder.
F8, and started mt4 optimization on 2nd folder.

And so on, till 6 (I mean six!!!) mt4 optimization.
Here my attached screenshot where you can see six mt4 optimization working since 16h!!
6mt4.jpg
I need someone else to confirm my workaround

agora
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 8:55 pm

Re: Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by agora »

Wow thx for sharing, i will try it out on the wwekend.

Which System do you run, Windows 7 64 Bit?

I was also searching a way to start more than 1 backtest in Windows 7 64 Bit at a time,
i was only able to run 2 at once with Windows Xp 32bit (2 Different users, with different Mt4 Brokers/Folders).

My plan waas to try out virtualisation (with a Core Quad Q6600) but Virtual Box, and Sandboxie failed.
Next on my plan is to try out Xen.

I figured out , you need only at the start to test all parameters (i usually had 360k-500k possiblities),
later when you analyse the results in Excel (i use libre office) you can figure out which parameter ranges pop up the of the time
in the top profitable settings. So later you can test this limited range which goes faster.

greetings

agora
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 8:55 pm

Re: Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by agora »

i missed a second question, what happend when you try more than six ?

lukemp3
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 11:15 am

Re: Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by lukemp3 »

hi there
I use win7 64 bit
As I have "only" six core on 3970, I'm not interested in using more than 6 mt4 in optimization
It will slow the entire system.

I run 6 mt4 with optimization of 6 timeframes on the same server with tickstory.
no virtualization sware. After that, I save result in excel and mix them into one single sheet.

Try my configuration and my workaround, hope not to be the only one who did it! ^____^

agora
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 8:55 pm

Re: Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by agora »

Hello,

i recently backuped my pc aresenal with some good value low price pc's (Dell Optiplex 330, with 4gb Quad Cpu Q6600)
So i have 3x 4 Core's aviable(i have more but the 3 PCs are for Forex only),
My intension was to backtest 28 pairs on 4 Timeframes (112 tests needed).
Usually a test took avg 8h (168x 8h= 224 Days xD ), that is why i am interested to speed up.
When i could use 12 cores the same Backtest takes only 22 Days for 28 Pairs.


Is it neccesay to use the same Broker software, or is it ok to use Broker A,B, and C for example together.
Do you execute Tickstory everytime as the same User?

lukemp3
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 11:15 am

Re: Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by lukemp3 »

yes
same user
same broker

try on your own to run more than 6 mt4
good luck ^__^

agora
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 8:55 pm

Re: Suggestion: Allow multiple terminal instances

Post by agora »

Ok on XP this doesnt work with same user, but with different users.

On the first try i could used 4 cores with 4 different users at 95% Workload (each mt4 used 1 Core seperatly), but unluckily i stoped the test (becuase i just used default values for quick test) and made somesomething wrong (2 Tickstoryinstances where open by accident) and then the Mt4 behaved complete different.
3 mt4 instances used 3 cores together (not 1 mt4 on 1 core), when i try to start the 4th mt4 instance the cpu workload breaks down to 35-45%

This behavior shows a strange rectangle in the left upper corner (like a small window in grey 60 pixels wide approx)
when i started the 4 mt4. When i quit the 4th mt4 instance the workload goes back to 75% (on all 4 cores, 3 mt4 instances used)

I will try from cratch on another pc, and i will avoid to run 2 tickstories by accident.
I will report if it works then.

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