Distinguish a Dow Jones index reference from a futures contract or broker CFD linked to that index.
The index calculation, a futures price and a CFD quote need separate identifiers and source descriptions. Their sessions and values can differ, so a client should not switch between them solely to fill an overnight chart gap.
Confirm the required reference series and permission to use or redistribute it. For a broker-specific CFD, record the broker symbol and its source construction separately from the official index reference.
Bring the proposed instrument list, source documentation and consumer workflow to a technical discussion. The agreed integration specification defines coverage, fields, usage permissions and acceptance tests.
| Instrument scope | Identify the exact underlying, source identifier, quote currency and intended use. |
|---|---|
| Consumer workflow | List trading platforms, charts, risk tools and applications that need the output. |
| Delivery contract | Agree protocol, quote fields, timestamps, source status and recovery behaviour. |
| Production review | Confirm source rights, integration ownership, test evidence and commercial scope. |
For index instruments, define who consumes the prices and what each system needs to reconstruct a usable quote. An application dashboard, broker platform and historical process can require different delivery rules even when they share one normalized instrument model.