JR47434: CMVC 225022 - Some redundant Best Deal promotion evaluations can be avoided.

7.0.0.9 for Developer Express
7.0.0.9 for Developer Professional
7.0.0.9 for Developer Enterprise
7.0.0-WS-WCServer-FP009
WebSphere Commerce Version 7.0.0.9 Fix Pack

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Best Deal processing involves evaluating the same group of
  promotions many times in different combinations.  When there are
   5 promotions in the same "group" (stackable and with the same
  priority), then 5 factorial (or 120) combinations are evaluated.
    With 7, there are over 5000 combinations.  With 10, there are
  over 3 million combinations.
  
  Many of the combinations are similar, in that they start with
  the same combination, and only vary near the end.  For example,
  for a group of 4 there are the following combinations:
  1 2 3 4
  1 2 4 3
  1 3 2 4
  1 3 4 2
  1 4 2 3
  1 4 3 2
  2 1 3 4
  2 1 4 3
  2 3 1 4
  2 3 4 1
  and so on.
  
  Notice that the first two combination both start by evaluating 1
  and 2.  So the second evaluation of these promotions is
  unnecessary since it has already been done.  Similarly the next
  two rows both start with 1 3, and so on.
  
  By avoiding such unnecessary re-evaluation of promotions,
  response times for Best Deal processing can be improved.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• USERS AFFECTED:
  WebSphere Commerce version 7 customers using the Best Deal
  promotion logic (configured using a FlowControl setting of 1 in
  the WCSPromotionEngineConfiguration.xml promotion configuration
  file).
  
  PROBLEM ABSTRACT:
  Some redundant Best Deal promotion evaluations can be avoided.
  
  BUSINESS IMPACT:
  Response times are generally slow when the number of
  combinations is 5 or more.
  
  RECOMMENDATION:
  

Problem conclusion

• This fix adds a new FlowControl value for the
  WCSPromotionEngineConfiguration.xml file.
  
  Currently, FlowControl value 1 indicates Best Deal processing.
  
  Now, to enable these Best Deal performance enhancements,
  FlowControl value 2 must be specified.
  
  The reason the performance enhancements are not enabled by
  default is that they impose some restrictions on the kinds of
  customization that can be done to Promotion related java
  objects.
  
  In particular, the following kind of object should not be
  extended:
  
  com.ibm.commerce.marketing.promotion.runtime.PromotionContext
  
  And the following kinds of objects should not be extended in any
  way that would result in the clone method returning a clone that
  references data from the original object that can be changed
  during Best Deal processing:
  
  com.ibm.commerce.marketing.promotion.runtime.PromotionExecutionR
  ecord
  com.ibm.commerce.marketing.promotion.reward.DefaultChoiceOfFreeG
  iftAdjustment
  com.ibm.commerce.marketing.promotion.runtime.PromotionArgument
  com.ibm.commerce.marketing.promotion.choice.RewardOption
  any class that implements the
  com.ibm.commerce.marketing.promotion.reward.Adjustment
  interface.
  
  Be sure to check custom Java classes to ensure these
  restrictions are met before enabling FlowControl 2.
  -------------------------------------------------------------
  The latest available maintenance information can be obtained
  from the Recommended Fixes for WebSphere Commerce technote:
  http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=3046&uid=swg21261296
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  WC BUS EDITION

• Fixed component ID

  5724I3800

Applicable component levels

• R700 PSY

     UP