System reference

See the system.

The reference topology, the protocols between each layer, the deployment models available and the controls that apply in all of them. Select any layer to inspect it.

FIX 4.4 / 5.0 SP2REST · OpenAPI 3.1 WebSocket binaryWebhook · signedgRPC internal
Reference topology · select a layer7 layers
Liquidity providersTier-1 banks · prime of prime · non-bank market makers
CoreVex ConnectFIX aggregation · dynamic markup · last-look filter · failover
Execution engineIn-memory book · netting · dual-layer booking
Risk enginePre-trade clearance · exposure ceiling · hedge bot
Client surfacesWeb terminal · PWA · MT4/5 · FIX tier
Operations modulesCRM · KYC · payments · wealth · support
Data & reportingAnalytics · statements · regulatory extracts
Keyboard accessibleLayer detail on the right

Simplified reference topology · production deployments vary by tenancy model, jurisdiction and liquidity configuration

Layer detailInspection

Layer 01

Liquidity providers

External venues supplying executable prices. CoreVex does not provide liquidity; it connects to it, aggregates it and proves the quality of the execution obtained.

Venue typesTier-1 · PoP · non-bank MM
SessionsMonitored per venue
Instrument classesFX · metals · indices · CFD
Depth5 levels · TOB + VWAP

Protocols

FIX 4.4FIX 5.0 SP2Venue API

Layer 02

CoreVex Connect

The owned connection. Aggregates best bid and offer across venues, applies per-tier markup, filters last-look behaviour, and maintains hot-standby sessions for failover.

Bridge hop<1 ms target
FailoverHot standby, second site
MarkupPer tier, dynamic
Per-lot vendor fee$0.00

Protocols

FIXREST control planeWS telemetry

Layer 03

Execution engine

Holds the book. In-memory order and position state, netting across segments, and dual-layer booking that keeps both sides on one symmetric price feed.

Internal latencySub-millisecond
BookingDual layer · netted
Price symmetryEnforced
State modelEvent-sourced

Protocols

gRPCRESTEvent stream

Layer 04

Risk engine

Clears every ticket before routing, classifies accounts continuously, and keeps internalised exposure inside a published ceiling with automated break-even hedging.

ClearancePer ticket · pre-route
ClassificationContinuous tiers A–E
Exposure ceilingPublished · enforced
Breach actionAutomatic re-hedge

Protocols

Rule APIAlertingWebhook

Layer 05

Client surfaces

Where the operator's client actually meets the system: a browser-native terminal, a mobile PWA, MetaTrader running side-by-side, and an institutional FIX tier.

TransportWebSocket binary
Tick to screen0.4 ms target
MobilePWA · no download
BrandingFull white-label

Protocols

WebSocketFIXJS SDK

Layer 06

Operations modules

Onboarding, client records, settlement, managed accounts and support — all reading and writing the same event bus, all under the same permission model.

Onboarding<60 s standard case
Settlement<3.2 s · 90% STP
Support6+ languages · 24/7
IdentityOne login, one record

Protocols

RESTWebhookEvent bus

Layer 07

Data & reporting

The plane that makes everything else provable: market data, derived analytics, execution-quality measurement, statements, audit export and regulatory extracts.

Availability target99.95%
API p9540 ms target
SchemaOpenAPI 3.1 · versioned
AuditAppend-only · exportable

Protocols

RESTWebSocketBatch export

Metrics shown per layer are design targets with a published measurement method · see metric classification on the homepage

Integration contract

Four protocols, one contract.

Every integration surface follows the same rules: versioned schemas, scoped credentials, idempotent writes, signed callbacks and generated documentation that cannot drift from the implementation.

Synchronous · read

REST

Control plane and query surface. OpenAPI 3.1 schemas, semantic versioning, cursor pagination, scoped API keys and per-key rate limits.

AuthScoped key · mTLS option
WritesIdempotency key
DocsGenerated from schema

Streaming

WebSocket

Binary frames with delta updates for prices, depth, positions and derived signals. Subscription-scoped, heartbeat-monitored, resumable within a window.

FramesBinary · delta
RecoverySequence resume
BackpressureExplicit · logged

Asynchronous · out

Webhook

Signed event callbacks for lifecycle changes: onboarding state, settlement outcome, risk escalation, ticket events and reporting availability.

SigningHMAC · rotating
RetryExponential · capped
ReplayAvailable per window

Institutional

FIX

4.4 and 5.0 SP2 for venue connectivity and for the institutional client tier, with session management, sequence recovery and per-session latency reporting.

SessionsMonitored · alerted
FailoverHot standby
TierCustom aggregation

Non-negotiables across every surface

  • Versioned schemas with a published deprecation window
  • Scoped credentials, least privilege by default
  • Idempotency keys on every state-changing call
  • Signed callbacks with replay protection
  • Append-only audit of every API action and actor
  • Rate limits declared in the response, not guessed
  • Documentation generated from the schema
  • Sandbox environment with deterministic fixtures
Deployment

Four tenancy models. One codebase.

Isolation is selected on jurisdiction, data-residency obligation, volume and the operator's own security posture — not on price tier.

ModelIsolationKeys & custodyData residencyProvisioningTypical selection driver
Dedicated cloudLogical · per-tenant namespaceCoreVex-managed, operator-auditableRegion selectableDaysSpeed to market, lower capital commitment
Single tenantFull · own database and networkSplit control, operator-visibleRegion selectableWeeksRegulated entities, audit expectation
On-premisesPhysical · operator data centreOperator-heldIn-countryWeeks–monthsIn-country processing obligation
Co-locatedPhysical · beside liquiditySplit controlExchange facilityWeeksExecution quality measured in microseconds

Shared across all models

  • Same module set and same API contract
  • Same control plane and permission model
  • Same audit-trail format and export
  • Same monitoring and alerting definitions

Resilience

  • Hot-standby venue sessions on a second site
  • Documented recovery point and time objectives per module
  • Failover rehearsed before go-live, not after an incident
  • Degraded-mode behaviour defined per surface

Data controls

  • Encryption in transit and at rest
  • Field-level protection on identity data
  • Retention and deletion configurable per jurisdiction
  • Access logged, time-bound and least-privilege
Control plane

One place where permissions, limits and rules are defined.

Every module reads the same control plane. That is what makes the audit trail coherent: a limit changed in one place produces one logged event that explains behaviour change across seven layers.

Four-eyes. No single human can silently override a limit, release a payment or reclassify an account. Overrides require a second named approver and are written to the audit log with a reason.
Control plane · surfaceRead by all layers
Identity & rolesRBAC · least privilege · time-bound access
Limits & ceilingsExposure · leverage · velocity · concentration
Rule setsPer jurisdiction · versioned · non-overridable
Escalation matrixNamed owners · SLA · context bundle
Audit configurationRetention · export shape · evidence packs
Monitoring definitionsThresholds · alert routing · dashboards
Change controlFour-eyes ✓
VersioningImmutable history
PropagationAll layers · seconds
RollbackDefined per change class

Architecture · next step

Take the reference topology apart with an engineer.

The architecture pack contains the full topology, protocol specifications, control definitions, deployment options and the measurement method behind every figure published on this site.

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