In the previous installment of Maximizing GIS Performance in Your Sleep an overview of the most common batch optimization tasks configured in the SSP Batch Suite were presented:

• Full State Tree Reconciliation
• Version Conflict Notification
• Orphaned Version Cleanup
• Automated Posting of Configured Versions
• ArcSDE Compresses
• ArcSDE Add/Delete Table Statistics & Reporting
• Oracle/SQL Server Indexing & Statistics
• Session Aging Report
• Permissions Report

To continue the Maximizing GIS Performance series, this month’s installment will explain half of these common optimization tasks in more detail. The purpose, frequency, and benefits will be described to better understand the role each task plays in the system maintenance and performance optimization process.

Full State Tree Reconciliation

Purpose: Reconciles the entire ArcSDE state tree from SDE.Default down to all versions in the most effective order. If any conflicts or errors are found in individual versions they are logged and emailed out to a configured list using the Version Conflict Notification task.

Frequency: Nightly

Benefits: Performance can be affected by the size of the Esri state table which tracks outstanding edits across all versions. By reconciling all posted edits in an optimal order from SDE.Default down into the outstanding versions allows an ArcSDE compress to be more effective in minimizing the size of the Esri state table.

Version Conflict Notification

Purpose: Reports on version conflicts by either posting a report to an intranet website or emailing a configured list of users with a list of conflict versions to be resolved.

Frequency: Nightly

Benefits: Provides notification by email or intranet website of versions in conflict on a nightly basis. Versions in conflict need to be resolved in a timely manner since these versions are unable to be reconciled. Continuing to ignore versions that are unable to be reconciled will impact the size of the Esri state table thus impacting performance.

PX/Orphaned Version Cleanup (ArcFM Sessions, Designer Designs, and JTX Jobs)

 Purpose: Compares all ArcFM Sessions, Designer Designs, and JTX Jobs in the geodatabase (GDB) against the PX/ JTX tables. For any sessions, designs, jobs that are "complete", the batch task deletes the corresponding version in the GDB. For any sessions, designs, jobs that do not have a corresponding PX/JTX object hence "orphaned", the batch task deletes the corresponding version in the GDB.

Frequency: Nightly

Benefits: Versions that are "complete" and/or "orphaned" are deleted to ensure there are not any extra versions in the system which might impact system performance. The lower amount of versions in the system means potentially less records in the delta tables which should result in better performance.

Automated Posting of Configured Versions

Purpose: Reconciles and posts configured versions to SDE.Default from a specific XML file. This is typically used whenever a batch application makes updates to an ArcSDE version to post those changes to SDE.Default. Ensures the version is in sync with SDE.Default before processing is executed. The XML file has the following format:

     <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
     <configuration>
       <Settings type="SSP.GIS.Batch.SystemMaintenance.ReconcilePoster.Settings, SSP.GIS.Batch.SystemMaintenance">
         <Versions>
           <Version name="SDE.BatchEdits"/>
         </Versions>
       </Settings>
     </configuration>

Entries for versions to be posted in this file should be Version XML nodes in the following format:

     <Version name="SDE.BatchEdits"/>

The version name must match a valid version in the system and is case sensitive for Oracle.

Frequency: Nightly

Benefits: Automated posting of configured versions helps simplify edit operations, reduces the overhead of version administration, and makes sure all edits performed in the configured versions are automatically posted to SDE.Default.

ArcSDE Compresses

Purpose: Compressing the ArcSDE state tree removes each state that is not currently referenced by a version and is not the parent of multiple child states. This task takes all posted data that has been reconciled to all versions and moves it from the delta tables into the base tables.

Frequency: Nightly

Benefits: The ArcSDE compress minimizes the size of the state tree, shortening the lineage and improving query performance.

The last installment of this series will explore the remaining common optimization tasks in more detail as well as the other batch tasks identified (e.g. System Interface Management, Business Data Reporting, and ArcGIS Domain Sorting/Synchronization). The purpose, frequency and benefits will continue to be described to further understand the tasks role in system maintenance and performance optimization.