a new approach to managing oracle e-business suite piper-rx the hidden cost of workflow gary piper...

A New Approach to Managing Oracle E-Business Suite

PIPER-Rx

The Hidden Cost of WorkflowThe Hidden Cost of Workflow

Gary PiperGary PiperAUSOUGAUSOUGSydneySydney

August 2005August 2005


PIPER-Rx

Agenda…

Two issues Workflow load balancing (Cost) Purging obsolete workflow items

Symptoms: Workflow background process runs every 5 min 24*7 Poor performance from workflow and workflow &

background engine performance degrading over time Actions:

Establish Cause Purging - What and How


PIPER-Rx

The Theory…

“Real-time” Workflow load is managed by identifying costly activities / processes, so that when they are encountered by the workflow engine they are immediately given a “deferred” status and the workflow engine continues processing the next activity. The deferred processes are then processed by a Workflow Background Process which can be run at an appropriate time.

X X


PIPER-Rx

What Actually Happens…

The background process is run more frequently than is “required” Every 3 – 5 min 24 * 7 Every 15 min 24 * 7

What is actually being deferred? Should the activity be deferred ( Business decision ) If an activity is required to be processed immediately

Assess why the activity is so urgent Don’t run a regular background process to clear the

item ( fixes the symptom ) Don’t allow the items to become deferred in the first

place ( fix the cause )


PIPER-Rx

What's In a Cost…

Each workflow activity has an associated cost. The “Cost” value represents the number of seconds it should take

to execute the activity. Generally when workflows are created, the cost is estimated or

ignored. Cost is both entered and displayed in seconds. The value stored in

the database wf_activities.cost is in hundredths of a second The default threshold for the Workflow Engine is 50 hundredths of a

second. Activities with a cost higher than this are deferred and are run by the Workflow Background process

In a perfect world when sufficient runtime information is available, a Cost Vs Actual review should be completed

This rarely happensThis rarely happens


PIPER-Rx

How can this occur…


PIPER-Rx

The Basic Cause…

WorkflowDefinition

(Clone)

WorkflowBackground

ProcessDefinition

Over the wall

Cost is rarelydefined and set

Activity must be process immediately

Functional TeamFunctional Team Technical TeamTechnical Team

Cost ReviewsCost Reviews

Functional Changes


PIPER-Rx

Assess the Damage…

Frequency of execution Purging Obsolete Workflow Runtime Data

Is it running into itself Frequency of execution Vs run time Restart from beginning of prior run?

Workflow Background Process Example: (15 min 24 * 7)

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PIPER-Rx

So What is Being Processed…

How much is being processed? State change is overwritten, so there for little audibility Monitor by “Select count” of Deferred items type every n

minutes Look at the runtime of the BG process to identify peaks

Toad E-Business suite Plug-in (Beta)


PIPER-Rx

Review Actual Vs Execution Times…

SELECT wa.item_type "Item Type", substr(witt.display_name,1,40) "Display Name", wa.name, wa.version, count(*) "Executions", wa.cost "Intenal", wa.cost / 100 "Cost (Sec)", round(min(( wias.end_date - wias.begin_date )*86400),0) "Min (Sec)", round(avg(( wias.end_date - wias.begin_date )*86400),0) "Avg (Sec)", round(max(( wias.end_date - wias.begin_date )*86400),0) "Max (Sec)" FROM wf_activities wa, wf_item_types_tl witt, wf_item_activity_statuses wias WHERE wa.item_type = wias.item_type(+) and wa.item_type = witt.name and witt.language = userenv('LANG') and wa.cost > 50 and sysdate between wa.begin_date and nvl(wa.end_date, sysdate + 1) GROUP BY wa.item_type, witt.display_name, wa.name, wa.version, wa.cost ORDER BY wa.cost DESC;

Item Typ Display Name NAME VERSION Executions Intenal Cost (Sec) Min (Sec) Avg (Sec) Max(Sec)-------- ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------MSCEXPWF MSC: ASCP Exception Messages PROCESS RESPONSE 10 5028 10000 100 0 0 1POAPPRV PO Approval MASS_UPDATE_RELEASES 1 232013 10000 100 0 144265 8204232POAPPRV PO Approval NOOP 24 232013 10000 100 0 144265 8204232POAPPRV PO Approval PLACE_SOURCING_INFO_ON_REQ 1 232013 10000 100 0 144265 8204232REQAPPRV PO Requisition Approval NOOP 29 51560 10000 100 0 450 3130878

Note: Paper attendance required to interpret this outputNote: Paper attendance required to interpret this output


PIPER-Rx

Case Study - Workflow…

Issue: Client site in a constant state of performance issues for past

year Technical DBA constantly monitoring CPU and I/O usage and

looking for resource hogs Current Activity:

Technical DBA reviewing tools to identify CPU and I/O bottlenecks

A Capex is in place for hardware, fewer faster CPU’s (4 – 2) Background:

Technical DBA’s has limited E-Business Suite experience running the application


PIPER-Rx


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Concurrent Manager Activity Profile

Charts reproduced with permission of PIPER-Rx

15,000 Requests per day15,000 Requests per day


PIPER-Rx


Concurrent ProgramConcurrent Program TotalTotal Per dayPer day Per HrPer Hr Per MinPer Min

Workflow Background Process 210,091 10,004.3 416.8 6.9

Process transaction interface 23,940 1,140.0 47.5 0.8

Cost Manager ( BOM ) 41,539 1,978.0 82.4 1.4

Event Log 4,687 223.2 9.3 0.2

Data Load 3,530 168.1 7.0 0.1

Interface Cleanup ( Custom ) 2,954 140.7 5.9 0.1

Interface trip Stop 4,022 191.5 8.0 0.1

WIP Move Transaction Manager 4,387 208.9 8.7 0.1

Import Items 3,012 143.4 6.0 0.1

Set 2,095 99.8 4.2 0.1

Set Stage 4,506 214.6 8.9 0.1

Receiving Transaction Processor 1,055 50.2 2.1 0.0

Material cost transaction worker 904 43.0 1.8 0.0

15,000 Requests per day15,000 Requests per day93.4% of all concurrent manager activity93.4% of all concurrent manager activity

Concurrent Request Activity (21 Days)


PIPER-Rx


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Actual Vs User Activity (estimated)

Graphs reproduced with permission of PIPER-Rx


PIPER-Rx


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PIPER-Rx


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Concurrent Manager Activity (Adjusted)



PIPER-Rx

Case Study - Workflow…0

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Revealing the “real” Activity profile



PIPER-Rx

Purging…

PURGINGPURGING


PIPER-Rx

Purging Obsolete Workflow Runtime Data…

Argument set: Item Type - leave this value blank to purge all item types Beware: Insufficient resources to purge all

Warning: Workflow Purge will only purge items that have been defined with a

persistence of TEMPORARY and the number of persistence days have expired. A workflow with a persistence of Permanent will never be purged by the default purge settings


PIPER-Rx

So What Is Purgable…

Persistence Persistence Work Flow Work FlowDisplay Name WF Item Type Type Days Count Purgable---------------------------------------- -------------------- ----------- ----------- ---------- ----------CSM Type 3 CSMTYPE3 TEMP 0 19415 0FA Account Generator FAFLEXWF PERM 8651 8651PA: HR Related Updates Workflow PAXWFHRU TEMP 0 8591 8480AR: Substitute Balancing Segment ARSBALSG PERM 4823 4823OM Order Line OEOL TEMP 0 4802 3547PO Approval POAPPRV TEMP 20 3324 2321Planning Exception Messages MRPEXPWF TEMP 0 3124 0System: Error WFERROR TEMP 0 2287 49……………………..

SELECT witt.display_name A, wit.name B, wit.persistence_type C, wit.persistence_days D, count(wi.item_key) E,

apps.wf_purge.getpurgeablecount(wit.name) F Secret weapon FROM wf_item_types wit, wf_item_types_tl witt, wf_items wi WHERE wit.name = witt.name and witt.language = userenv('LANG') and wit.name = wi.item_type GROUP BY witt.display_name, wit.name, wit.persistence_type, wit.persistence_days ORDER BY count(wi.item_key) DESC;

Note: Column formatting not shown


PIPER-Rx

So What Is Purgable…

Toad E-Business suite Plug-in (Beta)


PIPER-Rx

Purging…

Warning: wf_item_attribute_values (up to 5:1) wf_notifications Gather Schema Statistics Index Rebuilds


PIPER-Rx

State of the Indexes…

Index Name index Row Count Table Row Count Last Anal last Analyzed (days) PAR------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------- -------------------- ---WF_ITEM_ACTIVITY_STATUSES_N1 708324 740035 01-APR-04 375 NOWF_ITEM_ACTIVITY_STATUSES_N2 13823 740035 17-JUN-03 663 NOWF_ITEM_ACTIVITY_STATUSES_N3 725979 740035 17-JUN-03 663 NOWF_ITEM_ACTIVITY_STATUSES_N4 725979 740035 17-JUN-03 663 NOWF_ITEM_ACTIVITY_STATUSES_PK 725979 740035 17-JUN-03 663 YES WF_ITEM_ATTRIBUTE_VALUES_PK 4194640 4178092 17-JUN-03 663 NO

SELECT index_name "Index Name", num_rows "index Row Count", decode(table_name, 'WF_ITEM_ACTIVITY_STATUSES',count_statuses.count, 'WF_ITEM_ATTRIBUTE_VALUES', count_values.count, null) "Table Row Count", last_analyzed "Last Analysed", trunc(sysdate - last_analyzed) "last Analyzed (days)", partitioned FROM dba_indexes, (SELECT count(*) count FROM WF_ITEM_ACTIVITY_STATUSES ) count_statuses, (SELECT count(*) count FROM WF_ITEM_ATTRIBUTE_VALUES ) count_values WHERE table_owner = 'APPLSYS' and table_name in ('WF_ITEM_ATTRIBUTE_VALUES', 'WF_ACTIVITY_ATTR_VALUES', 'WF_ACTIVITY_TRANSITIONS', 'WF_ITEM_ACTIVITY_STATUSES', 'WF_ITEM_ACTIVITY_STATUSES_H', 'WF_PROCESS_ACTIVITIES', 'WF_NOTIFICATIONS') and index_type = 'NORMAL' ORDER BY table_name, index_name;


PIPER-Rx

Questions…

Questions?Questions?

Disclaimer: All material contained in this document is provided by the author "as is" and any Disclaimer: All material contained in this document is provided by the author "as is" and any express or implied warranties, including, but not limited to, any implied warranties of express or implied warranties, including, but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed. In no event shall the author be merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed. In no event shall the author be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including, liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including, but not limited to, loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused and on any but not limited to, loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of any content or information, even if advised of the possibility of arising in any way out of the use of any content or information, even if advised of the possibility of such damage. It is always recommended that you seek independent, professional advice before such damage. It is always recommended that you seek independent, professional advice before implementing any ideas or changes to ensure that they are appropriateimplementing any ideas or changes to ensure that they are appropriate


PIPER-Rx

The Hidden Cost of WorkflowThe Hidden Cost of Workflow

Gary PiperGary PiperAUSOUGAUSOUGSydneySydney

August 2005August 2005

a new approach to managing oracle e-business suite piper-rx the hidden cost of workflow gary piper...

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cost intenal

workflow activity

cost order

cost value

wall cost

associated cost

activities wa

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