Update - FINRA TRACE Corporate/Agency Replatform and Data Feed Protocol Changes

As part of its Transparency Services improvement initiative, FINRA will re-platform the TRACE Corporate and Agency product to a new Linux-based operating system. FINRA will extend the testing period for this project and has modified the implementation date to Monday, October 21, 2024; previously this was scheduled for September 9, 2024. Specific testing protocols and information are listed in the tables below.

On October 21, 2024, FINRA will introduce a new protocol to the TRACE Corporate and Agency Data feeds – ATDS, BTDS, and BTDS-144A. TRACE data feed clients must adhere to the new protocol and feed changes as the legacy data feed addresses will discontinue publishing after the close of business on Friday, October 18, 2024. 

Protocol and Retransmissions:

The TRACE data feeds deliver TRACE transaction data. MOLD/UDP 64 will replace the current non-interactive simplex mode using Internet Protocol (IP). Additionally, client retransmission capability to retrieve data packets will be automated via the use of dedicated unicast addresses; this will replace the current manual requests for data retransmission. Once requests are processed, the retransmitted messages will be disseminated via the unicast retransmission connection.

Network Communications:

New Ports and Multicast Addresses for ATDS, BTDS and BTDS-144A will be employed when MOLD/UDP 64 is introduced. FINRA will continue to offer data via Primary A and Primary B groups (NY Metro; Ashburn), and TRACE data feed clients are encouraged to process both groups. In addition, FINRA has employed Disaster Recovery groups to be utilized in the event of catastrophic failure encountered at the data centers. FINRA encourages data feed clients to also be prepared to process the Disaster Recovery groups.

Testing for all environments will continue through Friday, October 18, 2024

NTF: Weekdays 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET

Evening Feed Testing: Weekdays 9:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. ET

Production Parallel Period: Weekdays 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET

Legacy ATDS, BTDS, and BTDS-144A multicast and ATDS, BTDS, and BTDS-144A 2.1 (MOLD/UDP) feed versions will concurrently broadcast weekday TRACE transaction production data.

FINRA does not recommend using ATDS, BTDS, and BTDS-144A 2.1 (MOLD/UDP) data for presentation into client production data feed engines until October 21, 2024. 

It is required that all TRACE data feed clients will accommodate the data feed changes by Monday, October 21, 2024.

Please email FINRA Client and System Management with questions regarding this notice.