Optimizing performance in FastMap

Applies to: All deployment types

You can optimize the performance of FastMap by using the following techniques.

Configuring a lookup key

If you are importing data from an external system, you can use a field other than the Name field to identify objects.

Use the settings described in Table 1 to configure a lookup key for FastMap and set the scope of the lookup. This technique is most useful when you want to update data with existing records from an external system and synchronize it with records in OpenPages®.

Note: You can use object fields with the data type of Simple String, Integer, or Enumerated String as lookup keys.

For example, you want to import risk data from an external system into the OpenPages repository. Data from the external system has a unique ID field that you want to keep and use as a lookup key within OpenPages.

You would create a custom field group and field definition within OpenPages for the Risk object type (SOXRisk) for the ID field in the external system, for example, ExternalSys_A.Risk_ID.

You would then use the custom field group and field definition, ExternalSys_A.Risk_ID, to configure the Key setting for FastMap. After this setting is configured, you would add a column to your FastMap template for the Risk_ID field and populate it with values from the external system's ID field. When you import data from the external system, FastMap would then match records based on this field.

You can also scope the update of Risk data under a specific parent object. By setting the Scoped value to true, FastMap would update only objects under the parent that is specified in the worksheet.

Procedure

  1. For each object type for which you want a lookup key, configure a field group and field definition (see Fields and field groups).
  2. Configure the key fields settings for FastMap as follows:
    1. Access the Settings page (see Viewing the Configuration and Settings page).
    2. Expand the Applications > GRCM > FastMap > Key Fields folder hierarchy.
    3. Navigate to the object type folder that you want and then expand the folder to see its settings.
    4. For each object type for which you want to define a lookup key, modify the following settings as needed:
      Table 1. Lookup key settings
      Setting Name Description
      Key Used by FastMap to lookup objects when the name is not provided in a worksheet. Generally used in scenarios when objects are auto-named.

      The format is

      
field_group.field_name

      Where:

      field_group is the name of the field group.

      field_name is the name of the object field.

      Example 

      
ExternalSys_A.R_ID

      If you have multiple fields, use a comma to delimit the fields. For example:

      
field_group.field_name,field_group.field_name
      Scoped Used by FastMap to determine whether to look up the value in the Key setting only under the parent objects or across all objects.

      If the value is set to:

      • true - the lookup is scoped only under parent objects. This is the default.
      • false - the lookup is not scoped and is across all objects.
    5. Click a setting.
    6. In the Value field, type a value.
    7. When finished, click Done.

      The effect of the change is immediate.

  3. In the FastMap template:
    1. For each field name that matches a <field name> value in the Key setting from step 2.d, add a corresponding column to the template.
    2. Populate each corresponding column with values from your external system.
    3. When finished, import the template into FastMap.

Limiting the rows for import

Applies to: On premises On Cloud Cloud Pak for Data

You can use the Maximum Workbook Rows setting to limit the number of rows that can be imported from a FastMap template.

By default, the value is set to 20000 rows, which is the recommended maximum.

Note: Setting the number of rows for import higher than the recommended maximum of 20000 rows might result in slower performance and longer processing time. However, if you choose to set this value higher, then the processing timeout value in the Transaction timeout setting must also be increased (see Setting a transaction timeout for details).

If the number of rows that are imported exceeds the set value, then a validation error is displayed stating that the workbook exceeds the allowable size.

For example, if the Maximum Workbook Rows setting has a value of 2500 and a user wants to import data into IBM OpenPages for Risk and Control objects, the workbook for the FastMap template contains:

  • A worksheet for Risk objects with 1,000 rows of data
  • A worksheet for Control objects with 2,000 rows of data
  • A Definition worksheet with 5 rows of data

The total number of rows with data in the workbook is 3,005. Since the workbook exceeds the allowable size, a validation error is displayed to the user.

Procedure

  1. Access the Settings page (see Viewing the Configuration and Settings page).
  2. Expand the Applications > GRCM > FastMap folder hierarchy.
  3. Click the Maximum Workbook Rows setting.
  4. In the Value field, type a number greater than zero (for example, 2500).
  5. Click Done.

Limiting FastMap imports by object type

You can limit the object types for which users can import data.

About this task

By default, users with the FastMap application permission can import any object types that they can create or update. You can use settings to adjust this default behavior.

You can prevent users from importing data for object types, even if the object types are in their profile. For example, you might want to restrict imports of business entities.

You can also specify a group, such as administrators, who are exempt from the object type restrictions that you set.

Procedure

  1. From the Administration menu Open Administration menu, click System Configuration > Settings
  2. Expand Applications > GRCM > FastMap > Uploadable Object Types
  3. To limit the object types that are available for FastMap imports, click Permitted Object Type. In the Value field, enter a comma-separated list of object type names.
    Example: SOXRisk,SOXControl
  4. To maintain the default behavior for members of a group, such as administrators, select Bypass Group. In the Value field, specify a single group.
    Members of this group are not impacted by the Permitted Object Type setting.

Setting a transaction timeout

If you set the value in the Maximum Workbook Rows setting higher than the recommended maximum of 20000 rows, you can use the Transaction timeout setting to increase the maximum time that a process can run before it times out and stops.

By default, the value is set to 7200 seconds (2 hours).

Procedure

  1. Access the Settings page (see Viewing the Configuration and Settings page).
  2. Expand the Applications > GRCM > FastMap folder hierarchy.
  3. Click the Transaction timeout setting.
  4. In the Value field, type a number greater than 7200 (the value represents seconds).
  5. Click Done.

Adding a processing delay

To reduce the processing impact of FastMap data imports on a system, you can use the Process Delay setting to set a delay in milliseconds between each record. If a value is set, the time to process the imported data is extended.

By default, the value is set to 0 (zero).

Procedure

  1. Access the Settings page (see Viewing the Configuration and Settings page).
  2. Expand the Applications > GRCM > FastMap folder hierarchy.
  3. Click the Process Delay setting.
  4. In the Value field, type a number greater than zero.
  5. Click Done.

Securing FastMap import templates stored on the server

You can use the Encrypt FastMap Files setting to configure security on FastMap import templates that are stored on the server.

By default, the value is set to true, which encrypts FastMap import templates that are stored on the server.

Note: Before you change the value of the Encrypt FastMap Files setting, check the status of FastMap import jobs to verify that no FastMap imports are pending processing. For more information about checking import status, see Accessing FastMap to import data and view status.

If you change the value of this setting while FastMap processes are pending, the import fails even if the templates passed data validation.

Procedure

  1. Access the Settings page (see Viewing the Configuration and Settings page).
  2. Expand the Applications > GRCM > FastMap folder hierarchy.
  3. Click the Encrypt FastMap Files setting.
  4. In the Value field, type one of the following values.

    If the value is set to:

    • true - FastMap import templates are encrypted when stored on the server. This value is the default.
    • false - FastMap import templates are not encrypted when stored on the server.
  5. Click Done.

Cleaning up import templates stored on the server

You can use the Delete After Days setting to configure the maximum number of days that a FastMap import template can remain on the server before it is automatically deleted.

FastMap import templates that will automatically be deleted from the server include templates that have:

  • Finished processing - either successfully or with errors/warnings
  • Exceed the maximum number of days that are specified in the Delete After Days setting. By default, this value is set to delete FastMap import templates after 1 day.
    Note: A FastMap import template that is older than the default value of 1 day will be automatically deleted regardless of whether the template has completed processing. Use a higher value for this setting if you upload large amounts of data that use FastMap import templates.

Procedure

  1. Access the Settings page (see Viewing the Configuration and Settings page).
  2. Expand the Applications > GRCM > FastMap folder hierarchy.
  3. Click the Delete After Days setting.
  4. In the Value field, type a number greater than zero. By default, this value is set to 1.
  5. Click Done.