| As you know, last Tuesday, April 24 th , the CME experienced a problem with one of our controllers. As a result, we had to move many of our firms to their back-up connections. This process took much longer than expected, because firm back-up circuits had been disconnected or changed without our knowledge. The Exchange, all other member firms and their customers were adversely impacted. To ensure that we do not encounter this problem again, we are requiring that EVERY member firm and software/service bureau test all their back-up connections with the CME on a quarterly basis. We will test back-up connections for both the old leased line and frame relay connections. The CME has always required that all member firms and facilities-managing service/software vendors maintain STATIC back-up circuit connections to the Exchange. They should also test those connections each year. Many firms voluntarily schedule a yearly, quarterly or even monthly test to ensure that recovery will occur efficiently. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view the following document: | 