Optimization of the Operating Environment

You can adjust various settings, whether operating in UNIX, Linux®, or Windows environments, to shorten your cube build times.

Tip: When specifying the preference settings in the installation_location/configuration/cogtr.xml file, use the installation_location/configuration/cogtr.xml.sample file as a reference.

Optimize your system by changing the following default settings:

  • Sort buffer size

    The sort buffer size used for local processing is specified as a preference setting on Windows and UNIX/Linux. The default is 8000000; however, you can raise the amount of physical memory available for sorting data during the consolidation and auto-partitioning process.

    • On Windows, specify this setting using the Work file sort buffer size preference on the Files tab of the Preferences dialog box, or the WorkFileSortBufferSize preference in the cogtr.xml file.
    • On UNIX/Linux, set the sort buffer size using the WorkFileSortSize preference in the cogtr.xml file.
    Note: This preference applies only when the Cognos® Transformer Version 8.4 sort method is used (WorkFileSortMethodis set to 0). This preference does not apply when the Cognos Transformer Version 10.1.0 sort method is used (WorkFileSortMethodis set to 1).
  • Maximum number of transactions per commit (Windows only)

    This setting limits the number of records that can be processed in temporary files before a checkpoint is inserted and records are committed to the PowerCube. To reduce cube build time, try raising the setting from its default (500000) to 800000. Or, if you get error message TR0112 during a cube build, lower the setting so records are committed more frequently, thereby freeing up space.

    You change this setting using the Maximum number of transactions per commit preference on the General tab of the Preferences property sheet, or the MaxTransactionNum preference in the cogtr.xml file.

  • Ulimit (UNIX/Linux only)

    Typically, you specify a value for this setting, such as 67 MB for a 2 GB-capacity server, so that system resources get shared effectively among competing processes. However, when operating Cognos Transformer on HP-UX, set this environment variable to unlimited to provide the cube build process with as much physical memory as possible. For other UNIX platforms or Linux, consult your operating system documentation to learn how you can best tune your kernel settings to allocate sufficient memory for Cognos Transformer.

    Note: To specify this setting, type the command ulimit -a to determine the currently assigned values for Cognos Transformer. The time, file, and memory settings should show a value of unlimited.