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DataTools Service Information

What's New?

Service Information


Database Upgrade: October 04, 2011


Pork Bellies de-listed: July 15, 2011

Available Database Upgrades 

Fixing Connection Problems 

DataTools & Windows Operating Systems 

De-Listed Contracts 

Problems with Continuous Contracts 




Database Upgrade: October 04, 2011

We are now providing updates for the following markets in the "Cash" folder:

Gold (24 hour) $XAU
Silver (24 hour) $XAG
Gold / Silver Ratio $GSR
Dow / Gold Ratio $DGR
LMEX Index $LMEX

We have also considerably expanded our coverage of the LME by adding 45 new symbols to the service.
Previously, our coverage of the LME was on a one-day delayed basis. We now provide data for the most recent trading day.
You can find full details of the new coverage here.

Please note -
  • the newly added symbols won't update for you unless you obtain the historical data first.

  • to incorporate these new markets, please make sure that all charting programs are closed and perform a "Database Upgrade".

The full list of available database upgrades and instructions on how to add these markets can be found here > Available Database Upgrades




Pork Bellies de-listed: July 15, 2011

The CME has announced that they will be delisting Frozen Pork Bellies Futures effective Monday, July 18, 2011.
To remove "Pork Bellies (Frozen)" from your Futures database, please follow the instructions shown here > De-Listed Contracts




Available Database Upgrades

The following markets are currently available as database upgrades in DataTools:

Market Code Added
Gold (Spot) $XAU 20111003
Silver (Spot) $XAG 20111003
Gold / Silver Ratio $GSR 20111003
Dow / Gold Ratio $DGR 20111003
LMEX Index $LMEX 20111003
Aluminium - 3 months seller $AL3S 20111003
Aluminium - 15 months seller $AL5S 20111003
Aluminium - 27 months seller $AL7S 20111003
Aluminium - LME warehouse stocks $ALWS 20111003
Aluminium Alloy - Cash $AA 20111003
Aluminium Alloy - 3 months seller $AA3S 20111003
Aluminium Alloy - 15 months seller $AA5S 20111003
Aliuminium Alloy - 27 months seller $AA7S 20111003
Aluminium Alloy - LME warehouse stocks $AAWS 20111003
Cobalt - Cash $CO 20111003
Cobalt - 3 months seller $CO3S 20111003
Cobalt - 15 months seller $CO5S 20111003
Cobalt - LME warehouse stocks $COWS 20111003
Copper - 3 months seller $CU3S 20111003
Copper - 15 months seller $CU5S 20111003
Copper - 27 months seller $CU7S 20111003
Copper - LME warehouse stocks $CUWS 20111003
Lead - 3 months seller $PB3S 20111003
Lead - 15 months seller $PB5S 20111003
Lead - 27 months seller $PB7S 20111003
Lead - LME warehouse stocks $PBWS 20111003
Molybdenum - Cash $MO 20111003
Molybdenum - 3 months seller $MO3S 20111003
Molybdenum - 15 months seller $MO5S 20111003
Molybdenum - LME warehouse stocks $MOWS 20111003
NASAAC - Cash $NA 20111003
NASAAC - 3 months seller $NA3S 20111003
NASAAC - 15 months seller $NA5S 20111003
NASAAC - 27 months seller $NA7S 20111003
NASAAC - LME warehouse stocks $NAWS 20111003
Nickel - 3 months seller $NI3S 20111003
Nickel - 15 months seller $NI5S 20111003
Nickel - 27 months seller $NI7S 20111003
Nickel - LME warehouse stocks $NIWS 20111003
Steel Billets - Cash $FM 20111003
Steel Billets - 3 months seller $FM3S 20111003
Steel Billets - 15 months seller $FM5S 20111003
Steel Billets - LME warehouse stocks $FMWS 20111003
Tin - 3 months seller $SN3S 20111003
Tin - 15 months seller $SN5S 20111003
Tin - LME warehouse stocks $SNWS 20111003
Zinc - 3 months seller $ZN3S 20111003
Zinc - 15 months seller $ZN5S 20111003
Zinc - 27 months seller $ZN7S 20111003
Zinc - LME warehouse stocks $ZNWS 20111003


Please note -
  • the newly added symbols won't update for you unless you obtain the historical data first.

  • the continuous contracts for these markets won't exist unless you create them!

  • to incorporate these new markets, please make sure that all charting programs are closed and perform a "Database Upgrade".

To perform a Database Upgrade -

  1. Make sure you are connected to the internet.

  2. Close all charting programs.

  3. Open DataTools and click on Program Utilities and then on Database Upgrade.

  4. Highlight any market histories you wish to incorporate and then click "Download".

  5. If you can't see any markets to download, run a normal Update first.

To create Continuous Contracts -

  1. Open the Continuous Contracts module in DataTools (Tools/Continuous Contracts)

  2. Highlight the required market(s) in the market list and click "Create Contracts".




Fixing Connection Problems

Occasionally DataTools may have trouble connecting to one of our data servers.

If you experience any issues where DataTools cannot connect or it is not updating past a certain date, you can try changing the server that DataTools connects to.

You can do this on the Update Window in DataTools, by changing the "Server Selection" to try each of the 4 servers in turn.



DataTools & Windows Operating Systems

Microsoft has ended support for the following operating systems and service packs:
Operating System Date Website
Windows 98 July 11 2006 Source
Windows ME July 11 2006 Source
Windows 2000 July 13 2010 Source
Windows XP SP2 July 13 2010 Source
Windows Vista SP1 July 12 2011 Source

As such, we are advising potential clients that they need to have Windows XP SP3 or Vista SP2 (or above) in order to run our updating products. Whilst DataTools should continue to function under W98/ME/2k and XP SP1&2, we can no longer guarantee that it will work seamlessly. In particular, problems may arise when we issue an automatic upgrade to a program component. If you are using an earlier version of windows and you find that an upgrade causes the program to fail, you can usually work around the problem simply by doing a program re-install. Program installers are always available for this purpose from the Downloads area of our website.



Contracts De-listed

To remove a market from the database, use Windows to delete the relevant market sub-folder from the ...\Futures\Contracts\ folder (or cut-and-paste it to an archive) If you're not sure where your "Futures" folder is located, you can read the location from the DataTools Configuration page, where the entry for "Data Folder" shows the path to its top level. (Program Utilities / Configuration / General). The default installation path is c:\Trading Data\Futures\.

The following markets have been de-listed since the DataTools service commenced:

Exchange Market Name
ASX All Ords SPI
ASX Australian Dollar (SFE)
ASX Barley (SFE)
ASX Canola (SFE)
ASX Cattle (SFE)
ASX Sorghum (SFE)
ASX Wheat (SFE)
CME Group E-mini Russell 2000
CME Group Deutschemark
CME Group Pork Bellies (Frozen)
CME Group Treasury Bills
CME Group Unleaded Gas
Eurex Nemax 50
ICE Futures US Cocoa
ICE Futures US Coffee
ICE Futures US Cotton
ICE Futures US Orange Juice
ICE Futures US Sugar #11
ICE Futures US US Dollar Index
MGEX Wheat (MGEX)
NYSE Liffe Euro-Lira
NYSE Liffe Euro-Mark
NYSE Liffe Italian Govt. Bond
NYSE Liffe Coffee (LIFFE)



Problems with Continuous Contracts

General Advice

If any problem is noticed with a continuous contract, the first thing to try is to re-build the contract from scratch. Continuous contracts are made from the data in your underlying futures database. As long as this data is sound, you can always quickly re-create a continuous contract. The Continuous Contracts module can be accessed from the chain-link icon, or from under the Tools item on the DataTools menu line. See below for a complete description of the process.

Re-creating Continuous Contracts

  1. Open DataTools and select "Tools" from the menu line and then "Continuous Contracts".

  2. Highlight the market in question and click "Edit Roll Settings".

  3. Make sure that the "End Year" setting shows some year beyond 2011 (towards the bottom of the Annual Template window)

  4. Click "Save & Exit"

  5. With the market in question still highlighted, click "Create Contracts".