The difference between RO-Properties and TO-Properties are that TO properties refer to the properties as they exist in the Test Object saved in the test (i.e. in the object repository or as described in descriptive programming) and the RO-Properties refer to the RunTime object (i.e. the object as it appears in the Application Under Test (AUT)).
From this distinction a few things arise
1.Accessing a TO property doesn’t require the AUT to be open
2.Accessing an RO property requires the AUT to be open and the object to be uniquely described
3.You can set the value of a TO property but not that of an RO property
The Trade Life Cycle is the referred to, as the workflow of a trade order from its inception stage until the Settlement of the Trade, The Trade Life cycle can be categorized into Front Office, Middle Office and Back Office activities
Front Office: The Front office is usually referred very commonly as the trading floor; it mainly performs two main functions, which 1) Trade Capture and 2) Trade Execution. The front office is where the trade gets initiated.
Using the trade app (the front end user application) is where the order gets booked on the front office as per the market price of the instrument; however the buyer does an option to quote an offer to the selling counterparty. (There are several ways to place a trade order … like Market Order, Market on close (MOC), Limit Order, Stop Order etc) If the counterparty agrees to the details of the trade and is willing to enter into the deal, the trade then gets executed.
When the trade is executed, its gets captured in the trading desk (in the Front Office) usually using a Trade capture system. The trade capture system validates all the necessary trade information and assigns a trade confirmation number or a trade reference number; this number will be unique and will be used for all subsequent trade events like amendment, cancellation etc; This reference number is sent back to both the parties (seller and buyer) as an acknowledgement of the “booking” confirmation.
Middle Office: The Middle Office in Trade Life Cycle plays a very vital role in the exception management. This is where the three important steps are done, which are 1) Validation, 2) Booking and 3) Confirmation.
Using an Order Management System (OMS), the trader works on the deal, using the OMS the trade gets enriched by static data like the standard settlement instructions (SSI) of the counterparty, Custodian details, City holidays, special instructions etc etc.
This static data details are important and critical for the completion and settlement of the trade. The allocation of the trade is done in the middle office (Allocation by Lot Size) and finally the trade gets transmitted into the Back Office, this is when the trade is considered to live and active.
Back Office: The Back Office is technically the “back bone” of the entire life cycle of the trade. The Back Office primarily performs three important functions which are 1) Clearing, 2) Settlement and 3) Accounting. This stage deals with significant operational activities such as record keeping, order confirmations, trade settlement and regulatory reporting.
In most cases, the back office activities are usually outsourced to cheaper sources for its respective management activities (for example .. outsourced to companies like Reuters, Capco, Bloomberg etc.), in order to cut down costs for the company which increases their profitability by delivering greater operational value
Why should you know details about the trade life cycle, when you work in IT ?
Domain knowledge like above is a key understanding to have when you work in the field of Information Technology; Such detail on domains (Trading, Banking, Insurance, and E-Comm) is covered as part of our Software QA Testing Training and Job placement program. We offer both in-class training at Brampton and Live Online for Students all over Canada and USA.
You can find more details about the online program is at
About Resolve6 QA Training and Job Placement Program
Resolve6 Software Solutions has been facilitating training and job placement services for over 18 years in Canada. Headquartered at Brampton, Resolve6 runs a comprehensive QA Training program that offers both manual and test automation skill development training in one program. Along with learning about Manual Testing on Web Applications, Databases, Mainframes, Unix, and Mobile, candidates learn Java from Day1, progressing into acquiring skills in Test Automation using Selenium, Web Services Testing using SOAPUI, Performance Testing using JMeter. The program covers cucumber, appium, Katalon, and Postman. Learn how to integrate test automation cycles into Agile as well as DevOps pipelines. For more details, visit
The difference between RO-Properties and TO-Properties are that TO properties refer to the properties as they exist in the Test Object saved in the test (i.e. in the object repository or as described in descriptive programming) and the RO-Properties refer to the RunTime object (i.e. the object as it appears in the Application Under Test (AUT)).
From this distinction a few things arise
1.Accessing a TO property doesn’t require the AUT to be open
2.Accessing an RO property requires the AUT to be open and the object to be uniquely described
3.You can set the value of a TO property but not that of an RO property
The Trade Life Cycle is the referred to, as the workflow of a trade order from its inception stage until the Settlement of the Trade, The Trade Life cycle can be categorized into Front Office, Middle Office and Back Office activities
Front Office: The Front office is usually referred very commonly as the trading floor; it mainly performs two main functions, which 1) Trade Capture and 2) Trade Execution. The front office is where the trade gets initiated. Using the trading app (the front end-user application) is where the order gets booked on the front office as per the market price of the instrument; however, the buyer does an option to quote an offer to the selling counterparty. (There are several ways to place a trade order … like Market Order, Market on close (MOC), Limit Order, Stop Order, etc) If the counterparty agrees to the details of the trade and is willing to enter into the deal, the trade then gets executed.
When the trade is executed, it gets captured in the trading desk (in the Front Office) usually using a Trade capture system. The trade capture system validates all the necessary trade information and assigns a trade confirmation number or a trade reference number; this number will be unique and will be used for all subsequent trade events like the amendment, cancellation etc. .. This reference number is sent back to both the parties (seller and buyer) as an acknowledgement of the “booking” confirmation.
Middle Office: The Middle Office in Trade Life Cycle plays a very vital role in the exception management. This is where the three important steps are done, which are 1) Validation, 2) Booking and 3) Confirmation. Using an Order Management System (OMS), the trader works on the deal, using the OMS the trade gets enriched by static data like the standard settlement instructions (SSI) of the counterparty, Custodian details, City holidays, special instructions etc etc. This static data details are important and critical for the completion and settlement of the trade. The allocation of the trade is done in the middle office (Allocation by Lot Size) and finally the trade gets transmitted into the Back Office, this is when the trade is considered to live and active.
Back Office: The Back Office is technically the “back bone” of the entire life cycle of the trade. The Back Office primarily performs three important functions which are 1) Clearing, 2) Settlement and 3) Accounting. This stage deals with significant operational activities such as record keeping, order confirmations, trade settlement and regulatory reporting.
In most cases, the back office activities are usually outsourced to cheaper sources for its respective management activities (for example .. outsourced to companies like Reuters, Capco, Bloomberg etc.), in order to cut down costs for the company which increases their profitability by delivering greater operational value
Choosing a professional to manage your company’s network, hardware, and software is no easy task. How can you tell whether the skills listed in a person’s résumé reflect the tech expertise your business needs?
To the uninformed, the hundreds of tech-related certifications that IT pros use to sell their services amount to an alphabet soup of incomprehensible acronyms. Nevertheless, 68 percent of IT hiring managers regard these labels as a medium or high priority, according to CompTIA, the largest vendor-neutral certifying group.
In this guide, we’ll examine which of these certifications matter, and which technical skills a given certification implies.
Most computer certification programs don’t require a college degree, and they can give help-desk professionals and network managers a competitive advantage and an earnings boost. For example, CompTIA says, businesses will typically pay a 10 percent premium for someone who has earned one of its entry-level certifications, and individuals with higher-level certifications can command a 40 percent mark-up.
But are those credentials worth the extra cost? Though pay rates vary widely, they normally range from $100 an hour to $300 an hour for consultants who possess specialized knowledge.
Microsoft (MCSE, MCITP, MCTS)
Few businesses get along without a hearty helping of Microsoft-powered equipment, and the company offers a raft of specialized training programs for those who service its products. Among Microsoft’s most popular certifications are Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), and the relatively entry-level Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)..
The requirements for MCSE certification are one to two years of experience in designing, installing, configuring, and troubleshooting network systems, and a passing mark on an $875 test. Median pay for an IT manager with MCSE certification is $77,000, according to PayScale.com.
MCITP requires two years as an IT pro, and passing marks on one to five exams, priced at $125 each. There are 12 MCITP tracks, and pay for an IT specialist or consultant ranges from $47,000 to $70,000.
MCTS accreditation requires two years of background in troubleshooting specific technology.
CompTIA (A+, Network+, Security+, Linux+)
The nonprofit Computing Technology Industry Association offers popular vendor-neutral certifications–a good option if you’re seeking a consultant who has a mix of experience beyond a single brand. Among the certification options, the basic A+ requires 400 hours of hands-on experience.
A step up in complexity, the $239 Network+ exam awards passing grades (and certification) to test takers who score at least 720 on a scale of 900. The 90-minute, $258 Security+ test has a 750 minimum score for passing, and the test for Linux+ certification has similar requirements. People in various IT roles who have earned these certifications generally earn annual salaries of between $40,000 and $80,000. After January, such certifications will last for three years rather than for life.
Cisco (CCNP, CCNA, CCiE)
Among the most popular certifications in the industry, the basic Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) covers installing and managing medium-size networks. It requires a passing mark on a $250 exam, and certification lasts for three years. CCNA accreditation is a prerequisite for intermediate-level Cisco system certifications such as the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), which requires passing three 2-hour exams and costs $600. At the high end, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification is viewed as the gold standard for Cisco-specific work. There are seven tracks, with exam costs of $1750. Qualifying involves 8 hours of lab work and a passing mark on a written test.
Apple (ACSP, ACTC)
A help-desk pro with Microsoft skills may not know how to manage Macs. For shops that rely on Apple products or use a mix of operating systems, Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) and Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC) cover basic support skills as evidenced by passing marks on tests that cost $200 and $400, respectively. For networking support, look for the intermediate Apple Certified System Administrator (ACSA); certification for ACSA entails four exams costing a total of $650. For Mac engineers, strong proficiency in Unix is a plus.
International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (CISSP)
If your company deals with proprietary information and has deep security needs, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification is known to be rigorous. People who qualify for it must have worked for at least five years in areas such as security architecture and design, and then must pass a $599 exam and pay an annual renewal fee.
Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA)
This advanced certification is reserved for IT security consultants and auditors with five years’ experience. The test costs $415 or more. Tech consultants who earn this seal of approval enjoy a median annual salary of $87,000.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
This well-respected certification is for people with some college education and at least three years of project management experience. The 200-question exam costs $555 to take. The median salary for PMP-certified IT project managers is $89,000.
Which do you need?
If 90 percent of the tech tools that your office uses come from a single vendor, it makes sense to seek an IT pro with certification from that brand. But as more companies use technology from an array of vendors, and as more employees bring their own smartphones and tablets to work, that scenario is becoming less common.
“One of the challenges people run into is the circle of finger-pointing,” says Barry Cousins, senior research analyst at the Info-Tech Research Group. “Was it the HP printer or the drivers on that Apple machine?”
Complicating matters, the certification programs for major brands are often run by a marketing arm of the company. Some programs require examinees to jump through multiple hoops, such as real-world testing and years of experience in the field, but others ask little more than mastery of a pass-fail exam.
Beyond certifications
A credential alone doesn’t guarantee real-world job skills, but it increases the odds that the person is competent. Look for a well-rounded technician with a deep Rolodex of contacts in the tech world; knowledge of multiple systems and brands can be better than a deep understanding of Windows alone.
In addition, certifications don’t reflect hidden abilities, such as chops in social media. IT skills are lurking outside the lab and server room, within administrative, finance, and human-resources departments. Taking that into account, IT workers have grown from 2 percent of the workforce 17 years ago to 15 percent today, according to Foote Partners.
As more companies try to do more with smaller budgets, the research firm finds, they turn to cloud computing and other technologies that reduce the need for IT staff. As a result, the market for IT professionals now emphasizes hybrid skills. Not only must they understand the equipment, but they must solve business problems creatively.
Don’t take someone’s experience, training, and certification at face value. Ask what they had to do to get a certification. Hands-on lab work in addition to an exam is a good sign.
When reviewing a person’s education, whether it culminated in a liberal arts degree, a diploma from a community college, or a certificate from a trade school, ask about the curriculum. If you’re unsure about credentials, read between the lines. Lay out a real-life IT problem that you recently encountered, and ask how the candidate would solve it. If the task is too daunting, you can hire a consultant to interview IT job candidates.
“The classic mistake most people make is they’re looking for somebody to solve the crisis du jour,” says Michael Schrage, a research associate with the MIT Sloan Center for Digital Business. “You’re looking to manage a relationship over time. The best time to do this is when you’re not having problems.”
– Article written by Elsa Wenzel