All CME market participants using the CME Globex Convenience Gateways (CGW) iLink 2 interface for order entry must complete their migration to iLink 3 by the 31st December 2024. This includes functional certification which is a mandatory prerequisite to using iLink 3 in production.
Effective the week of the 2nd February 2025, iLink 2 on CGW will be decommissioned and all CGW sessions must support iLink 3.
This is a hard deadline.
CME mandates that all systems transacting on CME Globex via iLink 3 order routing or processing CME Group market data are certified using AutoCert+. This also applies to firms migrating from iLink 2 Convenience Gateways (CGW) access to iLink 3 Convenience Gateways (CGW) access.
The testing and certification process is well documented = https://cmegroupclientsite.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EPICSANDBOX/pages/46498170/Client+Application+Testing+and+Certification
CME provide the Certification (CERT) and New Release (NR) environments. They are distinct systems where:
Both environments are available for use with CME AutoCert+ for automated testing and validation of iLink 3 system functionality.
And to re-emphasise, all applications must complete CME AutoCert+ in the certification environment for CGW iLink 3 prior to usage in production environment.
The OnixS context:
OnixS have completed iLink 3 certification for MSGW and CGW access to CME Globex. This does not exclude users of OnixS directConnect: CME direct market access SDKs of having to also complete AutoCert+.
This is both mandated by CME, and also logical in that it is the application-level order and execution management logic that should be verified along with the lower level session level logic implemented by OnixS.
OnixS have completing the AutoCert+ process over many years, and more specifically the iLink 3 AutoCert+ for MSGW and CGW access. The OnixS directConnect: CME iLink 3 Binary Order Entry Handler SDK implementations included reference implementation source code samples to aid this process.
This OnixS experience and fast-start samples, along with OnixS Support assistance can help expedite completion of the necessary CME iLink 3 CGW AutoCert+ process along with the follow on action where all systems are required to certify for Audit Trail 3.x CSV or FIX formats.
More information:
CME Globex Convenience Gateways (CGW) iLink 2 mandated migration to use iLink 3: What you need to know