Xenomorph ® Transforming Data Management

Accelerating Data & Analytics Management Author: Brian Sentance, CEO, Xenomorph Date: 6 th October 2008 Presented at: Intel Faster Risk Data and Analytics

The Perfect Model of Risk Does Not Exist © Copyright The Finance Times 2008

Let’s Listen to Donald?... As we know, there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, The ones we don't know we don't know. — Donald Rumsfeld, Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing

Current crisis will drive faster/deeper scenario analysis “What happens if the unthinkable happens?”

Risk Management - fighting against the silos Silos of information, processes and people hold back understanding: –Front Office vs. Back Office –Technology Speak vs. Finance Speak –Systems Organised by Data Type –Core Systems vs. Spreadsheets –Real-time vs. Batch –Risk Models vs. Risk Data

So What is Needed?... Break down the silos to provide seamless access to all data and analytics More complete data management… …extended to included analytics management

Data and Analytics Management - finds what lies beneath the price!

Xenomorph and Microsoft Key projects in Data & Analytics Management: 1.SQL Server as a Tick Database 2.Spreadsheet Functionality in a DB 3.Data Management goes HPC

SQL Server Tick Database - project description Data volumes/update rates present a challenge to mainstream relational database performance Market desires proprietary performance but from a standards-based approach Approach taken was to host parts of XDB vector database inside SQL Server Offers DBMS functionality of SQL Server but with vector database performance

SQL Server Tick Database - Vector DB Inside SQL Server

SQL Server Tick Database - Architecture Overview

SQL Server Tick Database - summary findings Developed over past 18 months about to be released Tested so far to 750 billion price records (12 TB database running on SQL 2008) Access times do not decay as database size increases and scaleability is increased Read time comparable with XDB, cacheing and lazy-write used to optimise real-time updates

Spreadsheet Functionality in a DB - project description Spreadsheets offer great flexibility and power to business users Spreadsheets do not offer the consistency of a centralised, data managed approach Approach taken was to take the best of spreadsheet design and host the calculation/analytic inside a database Database access used to “lock down” flexibility

Spreadsheet Functionality in a DB

Spreadsheet Functionality in a DB - summary findings Microsoft Excel Services provided centralisation of spreadsheet logic Microsoft Excel Services suited to large scale spreadsheets rather than in-line analytics Xenomorph keeping watching brief on Excel Services for future integration with Xenomorph “SpreadSheet Inside” Technology

Data Management Goes HPC - project description Data management systems need to move from over-night batch to real-time responsiveness Computationally expensive ad-hoc querying and analysis should be possible when required Approach taken was a proof of concept project to validate the use of Microsoft HPC Server 2008 within large-scale correlation matrix calculations

Data Management Goes HPC - Windows HPC Server 2008

Data Management Goes HPC - row-wise correlation distribution

Data Management Goes HPC - square grouping distribution

Data Management Goes HPC - correlation analysis browser

Data Management Goes HPC - summary findings Testing within Intel 16 node, quad core cluster Offers near-linear query performance as number of nodes are increased (as expected/desired!) Documentation could have been better but support/developer assistance has been great Windows HPC Server 2008 will form the first HPC foundation for Xenomorph development of Data Management based on HPC

Working with Microsoft… - has been (surprisingly) good! Engineering and Technical support for SQL, Excel and HPC projects has been excellent Microsoft should get more of its engineers involved in selling its solutions to the markets!

What does Xenomorph do? - Data and Analytics Management Security Master Prices/Rates/Curves Management Data/Database Integration & Normalisation Tick/Time Series Database Technology Data Distribution Spreadsheet/Analytics Management Derivatives/Product Valuation Management Data Analysis/Decision Support

Any Questions?

A Final Thought - Transparency for Troubled Times "Where is the wisdom? Lost in the knowledge. Where is the knowledge? Lost in the information." - T.S. Eliot "Where is the information? Lost in the data. Where is the data? Lost in the database." - Joe Celko

Thank you! Tel:+44 (0) Web:

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About Xenomorph Xenomorph delivers data & analytics management solutions to the financial markets. Its TimeScape technology leverages clients’ proprietary expertise, and in so doing enables faster time to market for new financial products, new risk techniques and new trading ideas. Trading, research, risk, product control, IT and back-office staff use Xenomorph’s TimeScape data management platform at investment banks, hedge funds and asset management institutions across the world's main financial centres. Established in 1995, Xenomorph has offices in London and New York. For more information on Xenomorph, its clients, services and solutions, please see and contact us at For sales enquiries please contact our London office on +44 (0) or our New York office on

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