Platforms

While the Currency System server and client applications were designed (and have been certified) to run on Microsoft Windows family systems, all services and data can be consumed on any platform.

Cross-Platform Components

The Currency System web services and data feeds are based on platform-neutral technologies (e.g. HTTP, XML), and can be accessed from within any computing environment. These cross-platform services are available either as a remote managed service, or by deploying the Currency Server software locally (on a Windows system, which does not need to be the same as the system where the services are actually consumed).

Currency Server Software

The Currency Server software features two independent access interfaces, respectively based on COM/ActiveX and on .NET/SOAP Web service technologies. For maximum performance, for example in scenarios where the software is integrated with an Internet Information Services (IIS) environment which needs to support a high volume of web-originated currency transactions, the Currency Server COM/ActiveX server is implemented as an in-process server DLL, which provides superior performance compared to out-of-process servers.

Currency Server has been tested and is recommended for x86 systems running Windows Server 2003 (including the Web Edition), Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 6 or higher). The software fully supports technologies such as Remote Desktop and Virtual Server. For additional details please refer to the "System Requirements" section of the documentation (under "Administrative Tasks").

Data Export

The Currency Server documentation and examples illustrate how currency data and functions can not only be accessed and invoked under different programming environments, but also how data can easily be exported, for example to an SQL server or to a file (e.g. an XML, CSV or INI file saved to a local, LAN or remote upload location whenever rates change, or as needed).

Data Import

Currency Server can import, aggregate and cross-check data from multiple and diverse currency exchange rate data sources over any platform, format and protocol. Support for specific data sources can be added without modifying the software, as outlined in the documentation ("Data Source Filters" and "The Universal XML Filter", under "Add-On Components") or as a custom project provided by Cloanto.

Other Technologies

In addition to employing open and tested technologies such as SOAP, the Currency System family uses platform-neutral elements wherever possible. This includes support for ISO 3166 country codes, internet Top Level Domain (TLD) identifiers, ISO 639-1 language codes and ISO 4217 currency codes, which are maintained and used under license.