(ats4-app09)tips and tricks for managing symyx notebook server performance
DESCRIPTION
Managing Vault server deployments can be a challenging task, especially when corporate environments are managed by several third-parties, each having a very specific role in ensuring that your Vault deployment is reliable and meet your SLAs. This session will share best practices and techniques that will help you achieve your Vault deployment and management goals.TRANSCRIPT
(ATS4-APP09) Tips and Tricks for Managing Accelrys ELN Server Performance
Mike Wilson
Advisory Product Manager
The information on the roadmap and future software development efforts are intended to outline general product direction and should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision.
• Accelrys Vault Server 6.7 Overview
• Vault Server Management Best Practices
• Leverage Windows Server 2008 features to manage the Vault Server
• Resources and Q&A
Agenda
Accelrys Vault Server 6.7 Enhancements
• Client deployment
• Show document data in Notebook Explorer
• Vault monitoring documentation
• Indexing status tracking
• Security performance enhancements
Client Installation Comparison
Do
wn
load
• Sections
Inst
all • Black Ice print driver
• Accelrys Draw 4.0 SP1 • Notebook Application • Notebook Explorer • Experiment Editor • Property Set Editor • Form Editor
Do
wn
load
• Sections • Notebook Application • Notebook Explorer • Experiment Editor • Property Set Editor • Form Editor • Accelrys Draw • Notebook Adapters
Inst
all • Black Ice print driver
• Accelrys Draw 4.0 SP1 • Notebook Launcher
Accelrys ELN 6.6 Accelrys ELN 6.7
Document Data Available in Notebook Explorer
Display scientifically relevant information
Accelrys Electronic Lab Notebook Architecture
AEP Notebook Collection
Accelrys ELN Client
Experiment
Editor
Framework Platform
Notebook Browser
Reporting Search Sections
Notebook Platform
Pluggable Services
Material Registration
Material Lookup
Accelrys Draw
Renditor
OpenEye
Discovery Gate W-S
Registration
Vault
Services
Index
Workflow
Repository
Authentication
Au
tho
rization
Windows Communication Foundation
Query
Administration
Workflow Designer
Configuration Management
Query Service
IDS/ADS
Oracle Accelrys Direct Content Management
Data Warehouse
Overview: Important Vault Windows Services
• Symyx Vault Message Processing Service (VMPS)
• Symyx Vault Server 1.0 (SymyxVS10, SVS) • Security Token Service (STS)
• RAS
• Query Service
• Symyx Workflow Service (WFS)
• World Wide Web Publishing Service (IIS) • Vault Public Web Service
• Vault Private Web Service
Overview: Important Vault Processes
Vault Web Services and Application Pools
• Symyx Vault Workflow Service depends on the World Wide Web Publishing Service
• Requires the Symyx Vault Message Processing Service to enroll new documents in workflow
• Common reasons that the Symyx Workflow Service stops or will not start
– Dependent services not
running
– Configuration issue
– Port conflicts
– No database connection
Workflow Service Troubleshooting Tips
• Symyx Vault Message Processing Service depends on the following services – Symyx Vault Server 1.0
(RAS, STS, Query service) – World Wide Web
Publishing Service – Workflow service to enroll
new documents in workflow
• Common reasons that the Symyx Vault Message Processing Service stops or will not start
– Other dependent
services are not running
– Configuration issue
– No database connection
Vault Message Processing Service Troubleshooting Tips
Vault Server 1.0 Service Troubleshooting Tips
• Symyx Vault Server 1.0 Service is NOT dependent on another service
• Check status pages for RAS/STS to verify that services are running
STS
RAS
• Vault Public/Private Web Service are dependent on World Wide Web Publishing Service (IIS)
• Check status pages for public/private web service to make sure that these services are running
Vault Public/Private Web Service Troubleshooting Tips
Public
Private
• Multiple log files created with the same timestamp
• Memory consumption of a process staying at 800 MB to 1.2 GB or higher for any length of time
• Win32k memory error messages recorded in the log files
• Authentication issues after month of successful logins
• Message Queues message count grows consistently throughout the day
• Status pages for the different services show up with an error
• Windows Application Event log is full of Vault Message Processing Service restart messages
Detecting Common Vault Server Issues
Best Practices for Vault System Management
• Restart middle tier servers every 30 days or after each operating system update (per Microsoft) – Automate by using Windows scheduled tasks or your network management platform
• Archive Vault and Tomcat logs every 30 days – Automate by using Windows scheduled tasks or your network management platform
• Restart all Vault services weekly – Automate by using Windows scheduled tasks or your network management platform
• Check disk fragmentation once a month – If fragmentation levels are consistently higher than 30% when defragmented monthly reduce the time to weekly
• Review Windows application and system event logs every 60 days for errors and correct as needed
• Integrate with existing network management environment for advanced service monitoring
Microsoft Message Queues (MSMQ)
• Vault Message Processor manages asynchronous processing of Vault Objects via Microsoft Message Queues
Message Handlers
Message Handler Description
FullTextIndexer Adds any text provided by VO to the full text index
VaultObjectIndexMessageHandler Indexes any Property Set Definition (PSD) data (including structures and reactions)
PropertyIndexMessageHandler Indexes VO core properties to support Standard Search. These indexes are also used by Vault for internal querying (resolve assemblies, for example).
WorkflowActivator
Enrolls items in workflows based on the active workflow associations
WorkflowTransitionMessageHandler
Indexes workflow stage value after transitions
PropertyExtractionMessageHandler Extracts data from properties designated for display in Notebook Explorer (new in 6.7)
MessageHandlerStatus Table: Status Tracking
State Meaning
Queued Vault Object (VO) is currently queued for processing by the message handler
Processed VO was processed by the message handler
Failed VO could not be processed by the message handler
Requeued VO has been submitted to the handler by the RequeueVaultObjects utility
Ignore VO is not subject to status tracking
Unknown VO has not been processed by the index status tracking feature
Examples: • Re-queue failed VOs in the Site repository
RequeueVaultObjects -repository Site
• Re-queue queued VOs for full text indexing in the R&D repository RequeueVaultObjects -repository "R&D" –status Queued –queues FullTextIndexer
• Re-queue untracked VOs Process Chemistry repository RequeueVaultObjects -repository "Process Chemistry" –status Unknown
RequeueVaultObjects.exe Arguments
Argument Description Required Default
-Repository The repository that will be acted upon Yes N/A
-MessageLimit Maximum # of messages that will be created No 100000
-Status The message handling state to be queued No Failed
-Queues List of queues to populate No All
Automation Support with Windows Task Scheduler
Status tracking and RequeueVaultObjects utility enables automation of message handling management activities with the help of Windows scheduled tasks
• Large re-queuing Jobs can be split across several load-balanced servers
– Strategy 1: Schedule re-queuing jobs against a large set of messages during long periods of time with low system activity (nights and weekends)
– Strategy 2 (Recommended): Constantly “trickle” relatively small numbers of messages at regular intervals around the clock
• Example: 1 million Vault objects to reprocess with two load-balanced Vault Servers – Scheduled job on Server 1: Re-queue 5000 objects on each full hour – Scheduled job on Server 2: Re-queue 5000 objects 5 minutes after each full hour
• “Vault Monitoring Guidelines” – Recommended thresholds and
alert states – Includes example jobs that can
be installed on your Vault servers – Standalone monitoring – Network management
integration
• Part of 6.7 Administration Guide • Contact Accelrys Support to
obtain a copy for v6.6
Monitoring Thresholds
Leverage Windows Server 2008 Event Viewer
• Utilize the new feature to create a new scheduled tasks directly from within Event Viewer based off of specific events recorded in the logs
• Respond to events in
three ways:
– Start a Program
– Send an E-mail
– Display a Message
Leverage Windows 2008 Data Collector Sets
Data Collector Set: – New feature added in Windows Server 2008
– Organizes multiple data collection points into a single component
– Outputs HTML reports which can be sent to support for troubleshooting
– Can be configured to generate alerts when thresholds are reached
– Use out-of-the box System Diagnostics/Performance report or create your own customized reports
– Scheduled task can be set up to Run Data Collector Sets at regular intervals
– Caution: Collecting performance and system information can affect overall system performance!
Leverage Windows 2008 Data Collector Sets
Managing Vault from Single Directory (Symbolic Links)
• Manage your Vault configuration files from a single directory – Create folder junction links to Vault
and Tomcat logs – Create file hard links to all
configuration files
• Directory can be shared out and accessed from a single management machine – e.g. manage several load-balanced
Vault Server from one computer
Summary
• We reviewed Vault service monitoring points and examined monitoring solutions that can run standalone or be integrated into an enterprise management system
• Special thanks to the monitoring guidelines author: Chuck Collins, Advisory Software Test Engineer
• Resources – Notebook IT/Admin forum on the Accelrys Community
• Email [email protected] to join
• How to contact Accelrys Support
– Email [email protected] – Accelrys community (https://community.accelrys.com)