What are some cloud computing options for massive / complex MT4 optimizations?

[kasinath]

I am writing an MQL4 EA that I am frequently optimizing. Recently, the number of combinations are increasing exponentially. 

Soon my 16GB of RAM will no longer be sufficient, unless I want to wait months to optimize.

I know MT5 has cloud CPU solutions, but I can't find anything for MT4. 

Can anyone suggest cloud solutions for intense complex optimizations?

Thanks in advance. 

[Alain Verleyen]

Yes with MT5. You know the solution, use it. MT4 is obsolete.

[kasinath]

Alain Verleyen:
Yes with MT5. You know the solution, use it. MT4 is obsolete.

This is not related to the question, and isn't helpful at all. 

it's funny though. 

[Alain Verleyen]

kasinath:

This is not related to the question, and isn't helpful at all. 

it's funny though. 

You are wrong it's the only solution and answer you will get. The only problem is you don't want to hear it.

Beside that your remark about 16GB doesn't make sense as MT4 is 32-bit and can use 3/4GB memory maximum. And memory is not related at all with the number of combinations for an optimization.

[kasinath]

Alain Verleyen:

You are wrong it's the only solution and answer you will get. The only problem is you don't want to hear it.

Beside that your remark about 16GB doesn't make sense as MT4 is 32-bit and can use 3/4GB memory maximum. And memory is not related at all with the number of combinations for an optimization.

Alain,  I appreciate you coming back to explain. I think I do not fully understand.

This is my situation, and my understanding:

1. I have limited computational power because of my machine's RAM. 
2. Because of this, MT4 takes a very long time to complete my optimization.
3. If i had more computing power, MT4 would take less time.
4. There are ways to use cloud CPUs to make more RAM available and speed MT4 up.

From what you are saying it sounds like I am wrong in #3 and #4 because of the 32 Bit limitation.  Is this true?

(It's not so much: "I already know the solution"  and  "I don't want to hear it" ... its more: "I want to understand" ).

Thanks in advance.  

[Alain Verleyen]

kasinath:

Alain,  I appreciate you coming back to explain. I think I do not fully understand.

This is my situation, and my understanding:

1. I have limited computational power because of my machine's RAM. 
2. Because of this, MT4 takes a very long time to complete my optimization.
3. If i had more computing power, MT4 would take less time.
4. There are ways to use cloud CPUs to make more RAM available and speed MT4 up.

From what you are saying it sounds like I am wrong in #3 and #4 because of the 32 Bit limitation.  Is this true?

(It's not so much: "I already know the solution"  and  "I don't want to hear it" ... its more: "I want to understand" ).

Thanks in advance.  

If the computer is more powerful an optimization takes less time. That's exact. But by "powerful" that means essentially the CPU, NOT the RAM, you are mixing both but it's very different. If you already have 16GB it's 4 times what MT4 can handle, so adding more will not change anything. There is no cloud CPUs available for MT4, the only thing you could do is run several instances of MT4, that could help but it's still a limited solution.

To use the full power of modern computers, including networks and Cloud, you need MT5. In your place I would consider it seriously. But I am not in your place.

[kasinath]

Alain Verleyen:

If the computer is more powerful an optimization takes less time. That's exact. But by "powerful" that means essentially the CPU, NOT the RAM, you are mixing both but it's very different. If you already have 16GB it's 4 times what MT4 can handle, so adding more will not change anything. There is no cloud CPUs available for MT4, the only thing you could do is run several instances of MT4, that could help but it's still a limited solution.

To use the full power of modern computers, including networks and Cloud, you need MT5. In your place I would consider it seriously. But I am not in your place.

Ah... Sorry. You are correct. I am mixing CPU and RAM. 

I agree that to take full advantage of modern computing, I need MT5, but I'm in a time sensitive situation.  Several months have been spent building this EA in MQL4 and we're behind schedule to take it live. I understand that MT5 is not backward compatible with MQL4, so we will have to do a total re-write. That work is scheduled to start later this year. 

In the meantime, thank you for your suggestion of running several instances of MT4; this might work.  Can you share any articles / tutorials where I can learn how to run an optimization across multiple MT4 instances? 

[0xA0B1 FX5]

Cloud solutions are about 3x more expensive than dedicated servers if you need long term access.

For MT4/5 the highest core count solutions are:

HP Superdome Flex - 896 cores inside a single Windows Server 2019 session

https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/getdocument.aspx?docname=a00026242enw

or

Dell PowerEdge R6525 128 Cores AMD 7H12 which you can stack up with Linux to run your single Windows session distributed over multiple servers (so you can run DLLs in your EA).

[kasinath]

0xA0B1 FX5:

Cloud solutions are about 3x more expensive than dedicated servers if you need long term access.

For MT4/5 the highest core count solutions are:

HP Superdome Flex - 896 cores inside a single Windows Server 2019 session

https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/getdocument.aspx?docname=a00026242enw

or

Dell PowerEdge R6525 128 Cores AMD 7H12 which you can stack up with Linux to run your single Windows session distributed over multiple servers (so you can run DLLs in your EA).

Sounds good, but if MT4 is indeed single threaded, it cannot be made to run on multiple cores :( 

I think i will just run multiple instances of MT4, and have each one run a partial segment of my optimization set.

[Alain Verleyen]

kasinath:

Sounds good, but if MT4 is indeed single threaded, it cannot be made to run on multiple cores :( 

I think i will just run multiple instances of MT4, and have each one run a partial segment of my optimization set.

Yes it's useless for MT4 to have 128 cores, and FYI the maximum instance of MT4 you can run simultaneously is 32 (in theory). So 32 cores max are useful.

[kasinath]

Alain Verleyen:
Yes it's useless for MT4 to have 128 cores, and FYI the maximum instance of MT4 you can run simultaneously is 32 (in theory). So 32 cores max are useful.

Makes sense. Thanks Alain!