Playback gets stuck in loop at connection, resets sim acct after 15 min, then works

[Icehouse]

The Playback connection appears to get stuck in a non-functional loop once Playback Connection is selected from Connections. The connection is established, the small Playback control dialog appears, but its controls are grayed out... so I can't select a Start, End, cannot Play, or do anything. CPU usage is at ~6.5% and NT8 is sitting idle... it should be at 0% (which again suggests it's looping). I'm using B7.

The rest of NT8 responds while it's in this state... I can select different tabs, go to the Log, and I can even right-click on the Playback dialog and make selections from the fly-out menu, and they work.

And as I was writing this post, watching it loop and loop (while CPU churned), keeping the Log tab up, it reset a sim account and became available/ready.

From the log:

1/5/2016 12:24:13 AM "Simulation account 'Playback101' reset
1/5/2016 12:09:15 AM "Connecting to HDS server (HDS5.NinjaTrader.com/31655)

So that's good, but not great. It's not a direct mental connection between Playback connection hanging, and the Playback101 account needing a reset. I can guess at the cause (an outstanding order? ungraceful exit by me earlier, 'cause I didn't care about the sim account balance?), but I think it should handle this more gracefully, or tell me why it's hanging, or... give me some hint. I don't think it should take 15 minutes to time out, either. If this post weren't soooooo long (sorry), I'm not sure I would've found the cause.

It worked fine for me earlier today - I was able to connect and it responded immediately, I performed a handful of Playback sessions (on various strategies, enabled in the Strategies tab) and got results, and closed things out the same way. After a long run (1 month on 2 symbols) it started this behavior upon connection. Of note is that it worked before 5pm PST, and I've been trying this evening for others. This last event (while writing this) was the first time I sat here watching the Log tab, and I did scroll through earlier log entries. But maybe I didn't wait 15 minutes.

I've tried having Playback connect automatically at startup (that essentially made NT unresponsive), then managed to change it so it didn't connect at startup (which was better - NT would start up fine). But once I connect to Playback, it returns to this "looping" state like clockwork.

So, seems like a bug. Maybe you can show me where to change an XML entry so it doesn't take 15 mins? But overall, not the experience most folks would want or expect. Hope this helps someone else...

[NinjaTrader_ChristopherJ]

Hello,

Thank you for your post.

So I may look into this further please go to Help->Email Support and be sure to include Attn: Chris Jameson in the Subject line, a link to this thread in the body and a check in the box for "Log and trace files".

[Icehouse]

Thanks for following up Chris. I've been using Playback lots since I posted and it worked just fine (some delay but not 15 mins), and then, it happened again this evening (only in the evening... hmmm). Once it escapes its loop, I'll send that email, trace files and log.

As always, I appreciate your / NT's quick responses.

[kojava]

I am seeing a similar issue. Playback was working fine for me the last couple of days but today when I connect to Playback Connection, the connection is successful but the Playback dialog got stuck in a loop and cannot press any controls on the Playback dialog.

It still stuck even after waiting for 15 minutes. Playback dialog remains in stuck state and won't go away when I disconnect from Playback Connection.

[NinjaTrader_ChristopherJ]

I am seeing a similar issue. Playback was working fine for me the last couple of days but today when I connect to Playback Connection, the connection is successful but the Playback dialog got stuck in a loop and cannot press any controls on the Playback dialog.

It still stuck even after waiting for 15 minutes. Playback dialog remains in stuck state and won't go away when I disconnect from Playback Connection.

Are you able to reproduce this behavior after restarting NinjaTrader?

[kojava]

Are you able to reproduce this behavior after restarting NinjaTrader?

Yes, it is still happening even after restarting NT8 and my machine.

[Icehouse]

Yes, it is still happening even after restarting NT8 and my machine.

Hey there,

Chris suggested this, and it's worked for me so far (note the warning at the end of this post):

1. Exit NinjaTrader 8
2. Go to My Documents > NinjaTrader 8 > db > NinjaTrader.SDF
3. Right-click on NinjaTrader.SDF and rename it to OLDNinjaTrader.SDF
4. When you restart NinjaTrader 8, it'll create a fresh database file to use

Note that you'll likely lose items stored in the old database, such as session templates, instrument lists, custom instruments, historical trade execution data, saved Strategy Analyzer backtest results, and the like. Note, too, that the COMMISSION you had applied defaults to no commissions, so once you restart (with no connections), you'll want to go to the Accounts tab, right-click and choose Edit (on the sim account, for example), then apply the appropriate commission schedule. It appears that the playback sim account uses the settings in the sim account; when I set the sim account to my commission schedule, the Playback account (which appears after connecting to Playback) "inherited" that commission schedule.

I hope that helps... it definitely made Playback snappier (like it is before doing a bunch of tests). I've done this a couple times now, and just rename it "OLD2..." Good luck, and hopefully this helps track down the issue (and gets you going again).

[kojava]

Hey there,

Chris suggested this, and it's worked for me so far (note the warning at the end of this post):

1. Exit NinjaTrader 8
2. Go to My Documents > NinjaTrader 8 > db > NinjaTrader.SDF
3. Right-click on NinjaTrader.SDF and rename it to OLDNinjaTrader.SDF
4. When you restart NinjaTrader 8, it'll create a fresh database file to use

Note that you'll likely lose items stored in the old database, such as session templates, instrument lists, custom instruments, historical trade execution data, saved Strategy Analyzer backtest results, and the like. Note, too, that the COMMISSION you had applied defaults to no commissions, so once you restart (with no connections), you'll want to go to the Accounts tab, right-click and choose Edit (on the sim account, for example), then apply the appropriate commission schedule. It appears that the playback sim account uses the settings in the sim account; when I set the sim account to my commission schedule, the Playback account (which appears after connecting to Playback) "inherited" that commission schedule.

I hope that helps... it definitely made Playback snappier (like it is before doing a bunch of tests). I've done this a couple times now, and just rename it "OLD2..." Good luck, and hopefully this helps track down the issue (and gets you going again).

Hi, I tried renaming NinjaTrader 8 > db > NinjaTrader.SDF but the problem was still there. Then I closed the chart window that was opened and tried again. That fixed the problem. So I guess something on my chart was causing the problem.

[DaFish]

I have this issue in NT8 RC2

I had to kill NT hard to get it responsive. I couldn't do anything. About 1000 modal boxs showed up telling me I didn't have enough margin on my playback account

How do I address this please? I don't want to delete my database

Thanks

[NinjaTrader_ChristopherJ]

Do you show buying power for the Replay101 account in the Accounts tab when connected?

[DaFish]

I increased the account size, and this is fixed. My point to NT support is - this shouldn't cause NT to lock up and have to do hard reset and have 1000 windows pop up and not be able to stop them real time.

There is a bug.

[NinjaTrader_ChristopherJ]

Hello,

So I may attempt to reproduce this on my end can you tell me if you running an automated strategy that was placing multiple orders or were you only submitting a single order manually?