Merge Engine Scheduling

The Merge Engine merges the template and the data to create Email and Web output, or to create an intermediary file for Printed output. The intermediary file is in turn used by the Weaver Engine to prepare the Print output.

This preferences page defines how different instances and speed units are attributed to different jobs when creating Content Items (Print Content, as well as Web and Email output Content generation). For information on the terminology and some performance tips, see Performance Considerations. Note that in this dialog, the use of the word "Engine" is synonymous to both "Instance" and "Speed Unit" since a single Speed Unit can be used for each Engine.

Email and Web output is generated only with the Merge Engine and thus their output speed is limited through this engine. However, the output speed of Print jobs is limited through the Weaver Engine, so when Print Content is generated through the Merge Engine, its speed is not limited. Additionally, you may launch up to 256 engines for Print Content generation, but Email and Web may only use the number of engines permitted by your license.

Changes made to the following settings will be applied on the run (when the Apply button is pressed), and do not require the OLConnect_Server service to be restarted.
  • Use one internal engine: Check to limit to a single instance of the server. Useful for computers that run below the recommended System requirements, or demo machines.
  • Total Engines Available: Read-only box indicating the current number of engines that are active or available. On the main Server of a cluster, this includes all engines in the cluster (Server Extensions).
  • Engines Launched: Enter the total number of Merge Engines desired on this server. When changing the number of engines, it is necessary to save this dialog (Apply) to actually apply the changes.
  • Expected Remote Engines: Only available when Clustering is active, and on the main Server. Enter the total number of engines available in the other machines of the cluster (the total number of engines in all of the Server Extensions connected to this server).
  • Reserved Count: Read-only box indicating the total number of "Reserved" engines, as set in the Speed unit reservations area below.
  • Restart After (mins): Due to a currently un-fixable memory leak in some libraries used by PReS Connect, it is necessary to restart our engines after a certain amount of time. The default is generally sufficient for all our clients. Only change on the advice of a technical support agent.
  • Parallel Engines/Speed Units per job: This area determines how many engines and speed units are used for each job that runs through it. In short, if any specific type of job has more than one parallel speed unit assigned to it, that many engines will be used to run each of its jobs. This is in fact a multiplier of speed, however it is a divider of the number of jobs that can be run simultaneously. You cannot attribute more parallel speed units than what you have available for any specific type of job, and you require at least that number of floating speed units, or reservations, for the required parallel speed units required.

  • Engine reservations:This area is used to reserve engines specifically for certain types of jobs. Reserved engines cannot be used by any other type of job.

    • Floating: Read-only box indicating the number of floating engines that can be used for any type of job. This number is equal to the Total Engines Available - Reservations. For example if 6 engines are launched and 4 are reserved for small jobs, 2 will be Floating.
    • Small job speed unit reservations: Enter a number of engines reserved for small print jobs.
    • Medium job speed unit reservations: Enter a number of engines reserved for medium print jobs.
    • Large job speed unit reservations: Enter a number of engines reserved for large print jobs.
    • Email engine reservations: Enter a number of engines reserved for Email jobs.
    • HTML engine reservations: Enter a number of engines reserved for Web jobs.
  • Maximum concurrent engine per type: This area defines the maximum possible Engines used for any specific job type. The limit needs to be at least the number of reservations or parallel speed units, whichever is lowest.
    • Small print job limit: Enter the maximum number of engines that can run small print jobs.
    • Medium print job limit: Enter the maximum number of engines that can run medium print jobs.
    • Large print job limit: Enter the maximum number of engines that can run large print jobs.
    • Email limit: Enter the maximum number of engines that can run Email jobs.
    • Maximum Email limit in license: Read-only box indicating the maximum number of engines useable for Email content creation.
    • HTML limit: Enter the maximum number of engines that can run Web jobs.
    • Maximum HTML limit in license: Read-only box indicating the maximum number of engines useable for Web content creation.
  
  • Last Topic Update: 08, January, 2018 12:05 AM
  • Last Published: 23, May, 2019 01:55 PM