Start Time
- Indicadores
- Jaya Patel
- Versão: 1.0
VPS Terminal Restart Detection & Monitoring for MetaTrader Users
Understanding the Need for VPS Restart Monitoring
When running MetaTrader 5 (MT5) or MetaTrader 4 (MT4) Expert Advisors on a Virtual Private Server (VPS), detecting terminal restarts is critical for maintaining continuous automated trading operations. VPS servers can restart unexpectedly due to maintenance, updates, system failures, or resource management processes. Without proper monitoring, traders may discover hours later that their trading systems have been offline, potentially missing profitable opportunities or failing to manage open positions.
Why Terminal Restarts Occur on VPS
VPS providers occasionally perform scheduled or emergency maintenance that requires server reboots. Additionally, Windows updates, resource exhaustion, or system-level errors can trigger automatic restarts. The MQL5 VPS service, for example, may restart during upgrades, though these typically take only 5-10 seconds before the trading environment is restored. However, third-party VPS providers may have longer downtime periods, making restart detection even more crucial.
Implementing Restart Detection Solutions
Automated Startup Configuration: The first line of defense is ensuring MetaTrader automatically restarts after VPS reboot. This involves placing the terminal.exe shortcut in the Windows Startup folder (accessible via shell:startup command) and configuring Windows Autologon utility to automatically log in without manual intervention. This ensures that when the VPS restarts, MT5 launches automatically without requiring user presence.
Heartbeat Monitoring Systems: The most effective detection method involves implementing a periodic "heartbeat" signal from your EA to an external monitoring system. This can be accomplished through custom MQL5 code that sends regular status updates via HTTP requests, Telegram messages, or email notifications every few minutes. When the heartbeat stops, the external system immediately alerts you to potential terminal or VPS failure.
Start Time Alert Indicator: A simple yet effective approach is using a custom indicator or EA that triggers an alert with timestamp information whenever MT5 initializes. This alert can be sent to your mobile device via Telegram, email, or push notifications. By logging these start times, you can track exactly when restarts occurred and correlate them with any trading disruptions .
Task Scheduler Monitoring: Windows Task Scheduler can be configured to run monitoring scripts at regular intervals, checking if the MetaTrader process is running and automatically restarting it if necessary. This adds an additional layer of redundancy to your monitoring system.
Best Practices for Restart Management
Traders should maintain logs of all restart events to identify patterns in VPS reliability. Configure your EAs to handle unexpected restarts gracefully by reconstructing decision-making information and re-adopting orphaned trades that remain open with your broker. Set process priority to "Below Normal" in Task Manager to prevent resource exhaustion that could trigger crashes.
Regular monitoring of VPS uptime statistics and implementing redundant notification methods ensures you're immediately aware of any terminal restarts, minimizing potential trading disruptions and maintaining consistent automated trading operations.
