Enhance Data Mart Performance

You can modify the configuration settings, to improve the performance of your Data Mart.

Limit the Number of Entities per OLAP Process

In the case of Performance OLAP processes, it is best if you configure No. of Funds per Report option in the Configuration dialog box in Manage Mart to about 20. By default the option is set to 50. You can experiment with this setting to achieve optimal results, especially if you are building a significant amount of performance data.

Limiting the Number of Entities per Model Manager

Similar to the number of entities per OLAP process, you can also control the number of entities per Model Manager. You can increase the default value of 1,000 to find the value that works best for you.

Minimizing Log Level when Not Troubleshooting

Logging at a high level such as 8 or 10 can occupy material time in a build. During normal production you can set the level to 1 to save time and then raise it again if necessary for troubleshooting purposes.

Selecting Settings for Process Manager

If you use Process Manager to build your Mart, pay special attention to the settings described below.

  • Avoid the Sequential Processing Setting. You can use Process Manager to manage a variety of Eagle processes. For some processes, each engine should launch in sequence. For others, parallel processing is preferable.
    Parallel processing is required for Data Mart to build data with the greatest possible efficiency. To use parallel processing if you use Process Manager to build your Mart, when you configure the Process Manager Workflows, deselect the Process Effective Date Change by Batch checkbox in the Workflow Definition tab on the Workflows Setup wizard. Only deselect this option when you meet the needs of the Funds Per Model Manager and Funds per Mart conditions. This allows the system to "flood the cluster" and take full advantage of parallel processing.

  • Ensure Parallel Processing. You must complete the following configuration step for parallel processing for Data Mart whether or not you use Process Manager with the Mart. In Eagle Navigator, type PACE Engines and select the PACE Engines (System Management Center) link. Set a Limit Ratio value of 0.25 or other value less than 1.0 as directed by Eagle Technical Services for three engine types: Data Mart Manager Engine, Model Manager Engine and OLAP reports. The Diagnostic checks that you run in Data Mart check that these Limit Ratios are below 1.0.

  • Find the Best Process Manager Run Group Batch Size. When you set up a Process Manager workflow, you see the Run Groups tab in the Wizard. On the Run Groups tab, you define events within the workflow. The Batch Size setting on the Run Groups tab indicates the number of entities that are batched together for purposes of your Mart build. The default setting is 1. This indicates that the workflow will start as soon as any eligible entity is found. This setting may be inefficient because the minimal overhead of starting a Data Mart build is potentially repeated for every entity built in the Mart. A setting in the range of 25-50 is preferable. You can try various settings to determine the one that gives you the best results.

Engage Eagle Technical Services

Database tuning can almost always make a well-designed Mart run even better. In addition, if your Data Mart requirements involve hundreds of fields or thousands of funds, hardware sizing also deserves expert attention. Eagle Technical Services offers the benefits of their experience with a variety of significant Data Mart implementations, and can add substantial value to your Mart planning process.

Adopt an Archive Policy

Archiving Data Mart tables can improve index rebuilding and query performance simply by reducing the number of rows to be navigated. A logical policy is one that preserves each data frequency (daily and monthly) for the time span that reporting may need it. Many clients preserve month-end data indefinitely, but keep daily data for a few months or a year.

You should purge the Data Mart execution tables and leave them with no more than 1 months’ worth of data. Your specific needs may be different. Not purging can result in system performance issues.