Express Agent Interface

The Express agent interface is an HTML version of the Desktop interface, with some significant differences:

• It leaves your agent in the Merkato garage (on the Merkato server) and controls it remotely. Closing the browser window does not affect your agent in the garage.
• Your screen is not updated in real time. You must click Refresh to update information in status displays.
• Reservations and certain spot market settings are not supported in this interface (significant for Buyer agents, but not for Seller agents).

The Express agent interface is meant to support advanced users who know what the fields mean and want a quick way to check agent status or make configuration changes.

The Express agent is in the initial Portal browser window when you open it. If your agent was active and bidding from the garage, when you open the Merkato Portal, you see a window like the one in the illustration.

The two buttons at the bottom of the window control your communication with the Resource agent.

• Refresh – Updates the read-only status fields in the windows without sending configuration changes to the Resource agent.
• Apply – Sends configuration changes to the Resource agent.

The fields in this display are as follows (identified by their row titles):

• Status – Controls whether the agent is bidding or not. You must click Apply for this change to take effect.
• Resource – Selection list for the resource for which you are bidding. After you
  select a resource from this list you must click Apply for this selection to take effect.
• Strategy – Dynamic Seller Strategy is the only strategy supported by the Express interface. You can select Static strategy but there are no bid entry fields. Creation and cancellation of reservations are not currently supported (although you may view confirmed reservations in the allocation list below the Express interface in the Portal).
• Current Valuation – Displays the valuation currently in use. (This field in not editable.)
• Valuation View – Seller Valuation is the only valuation supported for Seller agents.
• Valuation Parameters – This set of fields contains the settings for the Seller valuation. You must click Apply after you make changes for them to take effect. A horizontal bar appears in the Min Qty field, indicating that the field is not used.
• Bid – A read-only display indicating the latest bid submitted. You must click Refresh to update this display. If this display is missing your agent is inactive and not bidding.
• Allocation – A read-only display indicating the allocation received in the last round. You must click Refresh to update this display. If this display is missing, either your agent is inactive or it did not receive an allocation in the previous auction round.
• Units – The selections made in this window change the units displayed for all other windows. All values are scaled to reflect the change in units. You need not click Apply for this change to take effect.

When your agent is inactive and there is no auction in progress, the Bid row is missing.