Dashboards Server Performance Test

Users often expect the Dashboards Processing Server to accept all the dashboard requests they receive, process the requests in record time, and return EPF pages to them quickly, so that they can access just the pages of interest to them on demand, without waiting too long for reports that provide more information than they require. If a Dashboards Processing Server fails to live up to this expectation – i.e., if requests to a Dashboards Processing Server keep failing or if the server takes hours to process the requests it receives -  user confidence in that server and in the SAP BOBI platform services in general will be destroyed. Also, constant request failures and consistent processing slowdowns on the server will also increase the length of the pending request queues on the server, choking that server eventually. In summary, processing bottlenecks with the Dashboards Processing Server can prove to be detrimental not only to the health of the server but also to the user experience with the SAP BOBI platform. This is why, it is imperative that administrators spot a probable slowdown or outage of the server early in its life cycle, so that they can avert such fatalities well before they occur. The Dashboards Server Performance test helps administrators with this.

This test closely tracks dashboard requests to the server, observes the rate at which the server processes these requests, rapidly isolates probable failures/slowdowns, and promptly alerts administrators to them. This way, the test provides administrators with a heads-up on potentially serious processing bottlenecks on the Dashboards Processing server, so that administrators can work towards preventing them.

Target of the test : A SAP BOBI Node

Agent deploying the test : An internal/remote agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for the Dashboards Processing server running in the node monitored.

Configurable parameters for the test

Parameter	Description
Test period	How often should the test be executed.
Host	Host name of the server for which the test is to be configured.
Port	Enter the port to which the specified host listens. This should be the port at which the web application server hosting SAP BOBI listens.
JMX Remote Port	Specify the RMI port number of the BOBI monitoring application.To know the RMI port number of the monitoring application, refer to Enabling the Monitoring Application of the SAP BOBI Platform.
JNDI Name	Specify the lookup name for connecting to the JMX connector of the BOBI monitoring application. To know the JNDI name, refer to Enabling the Monitoring Application of the SAP BOBI Platform.
JMX User and JMX Password	Enter the credentials of an enterprise authenticated BOBI user belonging to the default monitoring users group.
Confirm Password	Confirm the password by retyping it here.
Node Name	Specify the name of the BOBI node being monitored.

Measurements made by the test

Measurement	Description	Measurement Unit	Interpretation
Requests served rate	Indicates the rate at which the server services the dashboard requests it receives.	Requests/Sec	A consistent drop in the value of this measure could indicate a probable processing slowdown.
Number of open jobs	Indicates the number of jobs that the server and its child processes are currently processing.	Number	This is a good indicator of the current workload of the server.
Average processing time	Indicates the average time taken by the server to process a request (taken over the last 500 requests).	Millisecs	Ideally, the value of this measure should be low. A high value or a consistent rise in this value is a cause for concern, as it indicates a slowdown in request processing.
Maximum processing time	Indicates the maximum time spent by the server for processing a request (taken over the last 500 requests).	Number
Minimum processing time	Indicates the minimum time spent by the server for processing a request (taken over the last 500 requests).	Number
Number of queued requests	Indicates the number of requests waiting to be processed or are being processed.	Number	A steady rise in the value of this measure is a sign of a request queue that is growing. This means that the server is unable to process page requests as quickly as it receives them. You may want to check the value of the Busy server threads measure of the Dashboards Processing Server Status test to know if the lack of free threads in the thread pool is the reason for the slowness.
Number of open connections	Indicates the number of connections open between the server and its clients.	Number
Percentage requests failed	Indicates what percentage of the last 500 requests have failed.	Percent	Ideally, the value of this measure should be 0. A non-zero value is a sign of trouble. A value close to 100 could hint at a critical problem condition that warrants an immediate and thorough investigation.
Data transfer rate	Indicates the rate at which data is transferred from the server to its clients.	KB/Sec