It is very easy to reverse engineer DLLs, just write a custom loader, and then observe the memory regions change, memory and disk accesses would give away information. However, you can get the developer to develop a generic engine for you, and then you add in the custom parameters (throw a few dozen extra ones just for fun). This way, the developer woud only have the general concept, not the exact strategy, or the tuning that you can do. Off topic here, the most paranoid trading system I know (an automated system), would require all components to start by sending out a valid RSA signature (of a timestamp, making spoofing virtually impossible), only then would data access be permitted.
This is only true if you design a system that ignores this fact - which is almost all software on almost all platforms. In a very few high security applications this fact is taken into account in the design stage of the project. Morover there are special purpose operating systems that facilitate this design: they are not in the realm of trading systems application platforms. Applications that are designed to limit this issue on common platforms - out of the box Windows and Linux/Unix etc only do so in simple ways - there are runtime costs to enforcing these ideas. The simplest and most effective way to handle things is usaully as I stated: break the project into pieces given to different developers or groups and have a trusted individual do the final assembly. Unless we are talking about National Security systems this handles the issue of keeping the valuable IP trade secret.
I am still searching for a trustable hosting service where i can put up my data and programs even though i'm developing myself. I tend to travel half the globe, and cannot carry computer with me, if i damaged or lost my laptop i would not want to lose the data. any suggestions?
Depending upon your criteria, it sounds pretty straightforward. I have most of the infrastructure and data feeds already in place. It should be a simply matter of programming in your criteria and out pops the selection list. I use SmartQuant QuantDeveloper with IB and IQFeed as a basis. If you are still looking, send me an email.
stargrazer, Your first name doesn't happen to be Anton, no? Your fresh spam all over the place smells like it.
No, the name is Ray. From another part of the globe. And I beg to differ on your snide remark regarding spam.
In order to get exactly what you need, for a reasonable price, and in the least amount of time - my suggestions are; a) determine your budget and timeframe, b) define your system [Top Level Design Spec.], c) include vendor integration(s) and identify their cost(s) and interface requirements, d) come-up with an implementation strategy [Progect Plan], e) write an RFP [Request for Proposal] and Requirements Document for each mini-project you'll need, f) then shop them around for quotes from developers and/or system integrators. Best of Luck!
You could try: http://www.elance.com I've never used them but some of the vendors there have good rates and a decent track record of references. You'd still have to do your own homework on them though. Good luck! PS: To whoever made a comment about $85/hr rates being a thing of the past in the US, I would not agree with you. $85+ rates are still quite common. The difference is that you don't see kids straight out of college earning those rates anymore, only experienced professionals, which makes sense in any case...
Talk to Velocity Futures -- they have a good data center where you can harbor your system {server or PC}. http://www.velocityfutures.com/
I've been working in software development for many years, including sr management with a large international consulting firm with extensive India based development centers. My last employer had about 3k developers in India, and many of our executive officers were Indian. They NEVER were able successfully utilize their own off shore centers for development. NEVER - and they were a cmm level 5. Everything always needed re-coded, no matter how much hand holding we did to help them out. Even the Indian programmers on my local staff knew off shore development was a bust - they all did it for their first few years out of college and said once you have any clue as to what you are doing, you leave india for better work. If you want inexperienced developers straight from school, save some effort and get them from your local university. I agree with the other poster who commented that you get what you pay for - a decent US developer still makes plenty of money, and our rates have not really dropped. Folks who have marketable skill sets still get pretty much the same rates they did 4-5 years ago. The only difference is that the lower tier developers/talent no longer get grabbed up and paid the same as they used to. Yes, there are companies out there who try to pay much less for their developers now, but they are getting the cast-aways of the industry (An analogy I use is putting together a footbal team: pay Arena league salaries, you get Arena league talent - that's fine, just don't fool yourself into thinking there's no NFL out there). Any US developer you can get for cheap, is cheap for a reason. Believe you me, any good developer with a decent skill set that will work for 25/hr would be grabbed off the street in a heartbeat. I'd be able use as many as I could get my hands on - and would be able to bill them out for WAY more 25/hr is nearly intern pay... If you want programming help, I'd say find a programmer who is already "into" the markets and partner up. I've personaly done plenty of prgramming work for other traders for free - if they truely have an edge, or no edge but they have access to real capital, then I'd much rather partner up with them