When testing and enhancing BusinessObjects Planning & Consulting (BPC) performance, it's essential that users provide the correct information about what they are doing. The following checklist can help you ensure you are comparing apples to apples—in other words, that users that are performing the same processes (reports, input schedules, etc.) when determining user performance of that specific process.
1. Make sure no other server or client processes are happening that are not part of testing.
2. Make sure the Performance appset is aligned with any changes from the Production appset—especially ones that may affect performance (logic, reports, schedules, dimensions, dimension formulas, etc.)
3. The following 4 items need to be recorded for each Reporting refresh, current view change, opening the report:
• User current view before opening reports
• User current view during any subsequent retrieves
• How many records are retrieved during opening or refresh/current view change
• How long it takes to do each process and get a response
4. Finally, the following 5 items need to be recorded for each Input Schedule send/refresh cycle, opening the schedule, and current view change, etc.:
• Current view when opening a schedule and any subsequent changes
• Number of records sent
• Number of records accepted and rejected
• Number of comments sent
• How long it takes to do each process and get a response
As an additional checkpoint, it may also be worthwhile to test reporting/retrieve iterations with the following Analysis Service changes:
• No Analysis Services Cache—Analysis Services has been restarted before testing
• Analysis Service Cache is built—run a huge report that pulls back data related to what the actual users would be doing that day. This would be run before users get into the system and start running reports
Interested in finding out more about how Column5's BPC testing and performance tuning can give you an edge—and take your enterprise's EPM capabilities to the next level? Please drop us a line at info@Column5.com.
Charles Dagaev, Column5's Global Director - Technical Services, brings more than 10 years of experience to the EPM technical arena, providing expertise and consulting using all versions of SAP BPC (formerly OutlookSoft) supporting technology platforms and underlying infrastructure components. He can be contacted at cdagaev@column5.com.
