WWI Performance Improvement

[Former Member]

Dear Experts,

We have set up the WWI server and it is running fine at the moment.

However, now business has decided to generate the reports with very high volume.

Daily about thousand documents.

It takes about 40-60 seconds for generation of one report at the moment.

The expectation is that the report should be generated in about 3-5 seconds.

We have got 3 generation servers but only one generation server is active at any time.

We have a separate WWI server for Dev, Quality and Production system.

We are working on SAP EHP7 at the moment, so all the latest SAP patches are already available.

Need guidance on following:

a. Normally how much time system takes for generating a report, based on your experience.?

b. What should be the specification of the WWI server to have higher performance.

c. What should be done to improve the performance, so that the reports can be generated faster.

New Generation Servers.? Enhancing WWI server in terms of its specification.?

I have checked SAP note - 0001061242 & 0001906751.

But wanted to know about above mentioned points.

Thanks & Regards,

Aarohi

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello All,

Thank you very much for your valuable inputs.

I further checked following:

a. WWI SP version

I executed the test server functionality in CG5Z and found following:

WWI Resolve Version            : 3.2 / 2.7B SP29; 2005,110,134,382

So I guess our WWI version is SP29.

b. I have set up the new services on both SAP & WWI server on development environment.

CG5Z shows two generations servers active.

CGSADM also shows two active and running services for WWI.

On WWI server, there are two running services. Both the services as per CGSADM also running fine on WWI server.

Have executed report RC1WWIDS to set up the background job.

There are three background jobs now under Released Status:

a.  WWI-Dispatch-Prozess 010

b.  WWI-Workprozess für SV000 010 - The new one

c.  WWI-Workprozess für SV002 010 - Previously available

However when I generate the reports only the background job which was scheduled earlier is only executed. I have created about 25 reports simultaneously but all the time the background job called is the older one.

System is not taking the new job in consideration for report generation.

I have checked note - 1033594 - WWI server selection for report generation.

But note is not relevant for our system.

Have I missed any step.?

Thank you again for your help.

Best Regards,

Aarohi

[Mark-Pfister · Accepted solution]

Hello Arohi,

However when I generate the reports only the background job which was scheduled earlier is only executed. I have created about 25 reports simultaneously but all the time the background job called is the older one.

System is not taking the new job in consideration for report generation.

Did you create 25 reports at once - meaning you selected 25 substances in CG02 and created documents for them? If yes this might be the issue:

One "action" will just send all requests to one WWI Server / WWI Work-process.

Make a second "action" to generate for the same or other substance other reports - while the first once are still not finished.

The second batch should get assigned to the other WWI Work-process.

If not please check the customizing to ensure both Servers or set up to generate report bodies.

Hope this helps

Mark

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Mark,

Thank you for your prompt response.

I tried both the ways, generating 25 reports simultaneously and creating back to back reports for the same specification but with different language.

In both the cases only the older  WWI work process was executed

The new WWI work process after creating the new service was never executed although it was under released status.

In customizing both the generation servers are having the indicator "WWI active" set.

Is there any other configuration to check, which I am missing.?

Also there are two WWI work process jobs but the dispatcher job is still just one - "WWI-Dispatch-Prozess 010".

I guess that is correct. Right.?

Best Regards,

Aarohi

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Mark,

Thank you for your prompt response.

I tried both the ways, generating 25 reports simultaneously and creating back to back

reports for the same specification  but with different language.

In both the cases only the older WWI work process was executed .

The new WWI work process after crating the new service was never executed,

although it was under released status.

In customizing both the generation servers are having the indicator "WWI active" set.

Is there any other configuraation which I am missing.?

Also there are two WWI work process jobs but the dispatcher job is still just one.

I guess it is correct, right.?

Thanks again for your help.

Best Regards,

Aarohi

[christoph_bergemann · Accepted solution]

Dear Aarohi

in context of:

I executed the test server functionalit7"y in CG5Z and found following:

WWI Resolve Version            : 3.2 / 2.7B SP29; 2005,110,134,382

So I guess our WWI version is SP29."

If I remember correct your statement is correct. Therefore. EXCHANGE WWI VERSION ASAP; The current version is SP38; Your WWI version is that old that you can not profit from improvements done by SAP

SAP Note 1394553 contains detailed instruction for set up of WWI generation server.  This is a "must to read" OSS note. Keep in mind: for asynchronous WWI server you have additional "set up" options to optimize the use of the WWI servers (you can e.g. specify server 1 -4 for generating SDS/MSDS and 5 - 8 for e.g. SOP reports).

If you check Markeplace (https://service.sap.com/sizing) you will get additional information about sizing of EHS and WWI.

Honestly: if you succeed to get WWI installed successfully and any process is up and running you have don e a good job; but you should check from time your performance (and please look for firther WWI related OSS notes; the WWI process as such has been optimized a lot (so that WWI server is "always" up and running or that a responsible person is informed by mail etc. if this is not the case).

C.B.

[Mark-Pfister · Accepted solution]

Hi Aarohi,

There is exactly one dispatcher per system and client - so this is correct.

Please check the customizing activity called "Check WWI Destinations and Assign Generation Servers" - both WWI Servers (SV000 and SV002) need to be assigned to the same WWI dest. if you want them to do the same things.

Hope this helps

Mark

[christoph_bergemann · Accepted solution]

Dear Aarohi

may be check:

Very good document to get some "understanding" about "dispatcher" and "workprocess"

May be as well documents like:

could may be of interest to yo. Same as e.g.: Batch Job and Output Type | SCN

and may be:

C.B .

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Christoph, Hello Mark,

Thank you very much for your valuable inputs.

We are now able to increase the WWI performance significantly.

We have done following:

a. Support Package upgrade from SP29 to SP37

b. Added additional WWI services

Below are the step by step process which we followed:

1	WWI Folder back up
2	WWI Service stop
3	WWI upgrade from SP29 to SP37
4	Restart WWI server
5	Services Start – Man. Service, WWI Generation Servce
6	One report Testing
7	Create RFC Destinations
8	Additional Services in CGSADM
9	Activation of generation servers via CG5Z
10	Background Job Creation - SM36/SM37

Thank you all, this is really a great learning.

Best Regards,

Aarohi

[former_member406294]

Good morning,

you raise very valid points.

Here we do generate more than five thousand documents per day, most of then are SDS (so more than ten pages) and the rest are cover sheets and one or two pages documents.

We do have two windows boxes, each running four WWI services (eight entries in CG5z, then).

It's true that only one WWI service runs at a time on a given box (apparently because only one instance of Winword can run at a time).

My experience is that the generation of a RAW report in the range of 60 (sixty) seconds.

The generation of a final report in the range of 10 (ten) seconds.

To go faster could be (I think) to spread load on several smaller windows boxes, which lower resources but higher CPU speed.

And importantly ... as analysed on our systems, the time to read data for SAP EH&S is indeed the longuest part of the processing. It might be one lead to investigate further ... (indexes refreshed, database statistics up-to-date, ...)

Hope this helps.

[Mark-Pfister]

Hello,

Stream Compliance Outlook wrote:

It's true that only one WWI service runs at a time on a given box (apparently because only one instance of Winword can run at a time).

This is not true anymore - but was for the longest time .

Check SAP Note 1061242 - EH&S: Verfügbarkeit und Leistung von WWI und Expert Servern

Stream Compliance Outlook wrote:

My experience is that the generation of a RAW report in the range of 60 (sixty) seconds.
The generation of a final report in the range of 10 (ten) seconds.

To go faster could be (I think) to spread load on several smaller windows boxes, which lower resources but higher CPU speed.
And importantly ... as analysed on our systems, the time to read data for SAP EH&S is indeed the longuest part of the processing. It might be one lead to investigate further ... (indexes refreshed, database statistics up-to-date, ...)

100% Agreed!
Try to run performance traces and check if you can speed up things in SAP by DB tuning (Statistics and additional indexes).

Furthermore make sure that the access to the files stored in SAP DMS (or via KPRO or Archive Link in an External DMS) is fast.

The transfer time between SAP and WWI can take quite some time as well.

Never the less - you need more WWI Servers - especially if you generate thousands of report bodies. (Make sure you understand the difference between report body (50-100s) and final report (3-15s).

Regards

Mark

[former_member406294]

Thank you very much indeed, Mark,

Mark Pfister wrote:
This is not true anymore - but was for the longest time  .
Check SAP Note 1061242 - EH&S: Verfügbarkeit und Leistung von WWI und Expert Servern 

<< As of WWI Support Package 31, WWI can call multiple Word instances in parallel. >>

I missed that info. Thanks for the tip!

[christoph_bergemann]

Dear all

if you check deeper in SAP marketplace you will finde some OSS notes regarding WWI sizing and WWI performance.

But one should take care to separate the topic a "little" bit. The WWI process has these steps (on high level)

1.) Select data in EHS

2.) Pass the EHS data together with template etc. to WWI server

3.) generate RAW report on WWI server

4.) pass back to SAP the raw report

If you do a "trace" then you will notice that not WWI is the limiting factor but SAP (read the data). I did not check the current / recent status and I am pretty sure that soem OSS notes might not be available in oru system but you according to my last check here (may be threee years ago) the ratio (in performance) between the SAP process and WWI process is 5:1. So the WWI process as such is "fast"; but not the selection of data.

The set up of many WWI servers is therefore in most cases only of "benefit" if yo would like to speed up the SDS/MSDS distribution as here you have only to generate the final report.

Regaridng to the statement:

Here we do generate more than five thousand documents per day,

Here I am not sure if we talk about "final rreports" or "raw reports". For fina. reports this might be a good number; but I have never seen that somebody generate by day thus number of raw reports

Conclusion: implement any kind of OSS note which do speed up the performance in read of data (and tehre are some of the); implement the recent WWi patch and use the customizing set upoptions etc. to set up a "suitable" number of WWI servers (and keep inmind taht we always talk (in most cases) about two types of WWI server; asynchron and synchron

C.B.

PS: The expectation is that the report should be generated in about 3-5 seconds. => nice expectation: you can be lucky if you need fo SDS/MSDS only 30 s.

PPS: Remarks from Mark:

Try to run performance traces and check if you can speed up things in SAP by DB tuning (Statistics and additional indexes). => good idea and is the first choice

Furthermore make sure that the access to the files stored in SAP DMS (or via KPRO or Archive Link in an External DMS) is fast. => this is only relevan for final reports (in my opinion) but not for the "raw report"

The transfer time between SAP and WWI can take quite some time as well. => according to my experiendce this is not true as well. The most time neded is to read the data;the tarnfer timne etc. can be ignored here.

[Former Member]

Hello All,

Thank you very much for your helpful replies.

I will try to set up the performance trace. I guess it should be done from ST01 tcode. Correct.?

I will get in touch with my basis team to enable the system trace.

As I have mentioned earlier, we have one WWI server for each quality & production system.

And have following three generation server.

SV001

SV002

SV003

Out of these three generation servers which are displayed in CG5Z t code, only one generation server SV002 is configured correctly & active at the moment.

Can I activate the other two generation servers, SV001 & SV003?

I can activate them from CG5Z t code.

But before that what all activities should be done.?

As per my knowledge, I will have to set up following configuration first:

a. Specify Generation Servers

Here can I use the same RFC Destination and WWI root as per SV002, for SV001 & SV003.?

Or I will have to set up the new RFC Destination and root.?

b. Check WWI destinations and assign generation servers.

Here also I need to assign SV001 & SV003, along with SV002.??

c. On the CGSADM t code currently there is only one entry for WWI Server Service.

With service parameter

GENPC     SV002

Here also there should be three WWI server services.? For each SV001, SV002, SV003.?

Or within the existing service, I can have three parameters:

GENPC     SV001

GENPC     SV002

GENPC     SV003

I guess three services should be required here and will also have to set up three RFC destinations as well.?

d. There are following RFC destinations displayed in SM59 for WWI:

EHS_MANSRV1_WWI

EHS_WWI_GENSRV1

Here also there should be 4 new RFC destinations are required to be set up.?

Let me know if I am missing any steps, which needs to be taken care.?

Forgive me, if I am asking very basic questions but I am not quite familiar with this.

Thanks again for all your help.

Best Regards,

Aarohi

[Mark-Pfister]

Hello Christoph,

Christoph Bergemann wrote:


The set up of many WWI servers is therefore in most cases only of "benefit" if yo would like to speed up the SDS/MSDS distribution as here you have only to generate the final report.

I disagree:

If you need to generate 1000 report bodies and each takes 60 seconds you need with one WWI Server 1000 minutes.

If you have two servers the reports can be generated in parallel and you need only 500 Minutes etc...

This of course only works if SAP system has enough processing power to run two job at the same time - without doubling the run time of each job. But this is in my experience allays the case.

Christoph Bergemann wrote:

Furthermore make sure that the access to the files stored in SAP DMS (or via KPRO or Archive Link in an External DMS) is fast. => this is only relevan for final reports (in my opinion) but not for the "raw report"

The transfer time between SAP and WWI can take quite some time as well. => according to my experiendce this is not true as well. The most time neded is to read the data;the tarnfer timne etc. can be ignored here.

The Transfer time could be long: Depending on your system landscape and it infrastructure - i.e.: SAP Application Server that is running the background jobs is located in the US and the WWI Servers are located somewhere in Europe.

But you are right - in a correctly set up system landscape this should not have an impact.

I just wanted to point out that one should check this is a well as it might be an issue.

Kind Regards

Mark

[Mark-Pfister]

Hello,

Please read the WWI Cookbook (search here or SAP Notes) to get a full understanding of the WWI setup.

You should in my opinion not use SV001 and SV003 in your production environment.

These are for DEV and QA - and if you want to test a new WWI Version in DEV or QA you would impact PROD immediately.

You need new WWI Servers/Services on the windows side!

You can use CGSADM to install additional WWI Services on the one WWI Generation Server linked to PROD (SV002). You need new RFC for these additional WWI Services. Please see the cookbook for details.

Regards

Mark

[christian_hund]

I can just confirm that reading the EHS data in most cases is the longest part in report generation. Therefore have a look at the performance traces of the WWI Background jobs (Program RC1WWIWP).

Search for performance notes for the relevant function groups.

There have been made quite a lot of performance improvements in the ABAP part.

I would also consider ~1 Minute as an average value for an MSDS raw report.

One performance issue on WWI side which remains is the merging of Includes, if you are using WWI templates using the include-feature. If you need maximum performance merge the templates manually first.

The only other option is parallelization. You can set up parallel WWI jobs/WWI services as many as you need (until your DB or App Servers go out of resources). Some customers are running 10 and more parallel jobs.