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i4connected Knowledgebase 5.6

The Maintenance Server Module

Abstract

This article describes the i4connected Maintenance Server Module role and responsibilities. Open it for more details!

This article describes the i4connected Maintenance Server Module role and responsibilities.

The Maintenance Module is a i4connected Server component (service) that handles the OLAP cube reprocessing, manages the time database entries and keeps the database in check by deleting old records. The Maintenance Module's responsibilities are aggregated in the following three management roles:

  • Cube Management

  • Dimension Management

  • Database Cleaning Management

Cube Management

The Maintenance Module is responsible for the automatic reprocessing of the cube.

The cube reprocessing is done based on a time interval defined in the database, in the ProcessingInterval field of the Settings table.

Processing_Interval.jpg

ProcessingInterval setting

The value of the ProcessingInterval field represents the number of minutes between two consecutive OLAP cube automatic reprocessing actions. If the value of the ProcessingInterval is NULL, the automatic cube reprocessing is disabled.

The automatic reprocessing will be done only if the time interval specified in the ProcessingInterval field passes and there is at least one request for reprocessing coming from a client application. The communication with the client applications is done using the web service exposed by the Maintenance Module, which contains a method for requesting the OLAP cube reprocessing.

Dimension Management

Another responsibility of the Maintenance Module is the generation of time entries in the Time table of the database. The time entries are used in the OLAP cube for all the calculations and aggregations and are automatically generated daily in order to ensure the required time entries for the next 180 days.

The time entries are generated according to the enabled time zones (set in the TimeZones database table) and the defined aggregation period (set in the AggregationPeriod field of the Settings database table).

The automatic time generation is enabled or disabled by adjusting the value of the GenerateTime field inside the Servers database table.

Agreggation_Period.jpg

GenerateTime settings

This setting is done for each server instance.

Database Cleaning Management

The Maintenance Module is also responsible for periodically deleting records from the Measurements and EventOccurrences table. This action keeps the two tables within reasonable size limits.

The database cleaning is enabled or disabled by adjusting the value of the RetentionDays field inside the Servers database table.

Retention_Days.jpg

RetentionDays setting

This setting is done for each server instance.

All the rows of the Measurements and EventOccurrences tables that reach the time limit set in the RetentionDays field will be automatically deleted.