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This chapter describes configuration options that affect the performance and throughput of the Siebel Web Client and provides guidelines for tuning the client to achieve and maintain optimal performance and scalability. It contains the following topics:
The following chapters in this guide also relate to Siebel Web Client performance:
For performance considerations for Application Object Manager, see Chapter 3, "Tuning the Siebel Application Object Manager for Performance."
For performance considerations related to configuring Siebel applications, see Chapter 12, "Tuning Customer Configurations for Performance."
For performance considerations related to Web servers and server operating systems, see Chapter 13, "Tuning Operating Systems for Performance."
For more information, see the following documents on the Siebel Bookshelf:
Siebel Deployment Planning Guide
Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using
Deploying Siebel Open UI
Siebel System Administration Guide
Siebel Security Guide
Siebel Remote and Replication Manager Administration Guide
Certifications tab on My Oracle Support
A Siebel Web Client is a browser in which you run Siebel Business Applications, accessing data and services by way of one or more servers. The Siebel Web Clients allow users to access information managed by Siebel applications.
The main Siebel Business Applications client type covered in this book is the Siebel Web Client. This client runs in a browser on the end user's client computer. The browser must support HTML5 and be W3C-compliant. Additional client functionality is supported through software such as Desktop Integration Siebel Agent.
Using HTTP, the browser connects to a Web server over the Internet. Through the Web server, the Siebel client connects to a Siebel Application Object Manager component on a Siebel Server, which executes Siebel application business logic and accesses data. Data is accessed from the Siebel database and can also be accessed from other data sources using virtual business components and a variety of integration methods.
Only the Web-based user interface of the Siebel Business Applications architecture resides on the client computer.
For more information about the Siebel Web Client and about Desktop Integration Siebel Agent, see the Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using and Siebel System Administration Guide. For information about deploying Siebel applications in the browser, see Deploying Siebel Open UI. See also the Certifications tab on My Oracle Support.
Some performance considerations for Siebel applications involve processing or tuning activities on servers only, and are described elsewhere in this guide. Some of these factors do not directly affect Siebel client performance, while others, such as SQL queries in use, do affect Siebel client performance. This chapter highlights some of the factors most directly related to the performance of the Siebel Web Client. For additional information about these topics, see applicable documents on the Siebel Bookshelf.
Depending on the specific Siebel Business Applications that you are using and how you deploy them, these applications have different requirements and characteristics.
Employee applications, such as Siebel Call Center.
Customer applications, such as Siebel Self Service or Siebel eSales.
All Siebel Business Applications use Siebel Open UI. All Siebel applications have many architectural elements in common. Multiple applications can use the same Siebel repository file (SRF). Each application uses its own Siebel Application Object Manager component. You might need to define, configure, and test multiple instances of each application to verify that your requirements are met in each usage scenario.
The performance of your Siebel applications will vary according to how you have configured the applications using Siebel Tools, custom browser scripts, or other methods. See "Following Configuration Guidelines".
Client performance will also vary according to which Siebel modules that you deploy. The performance of the Siebel client is highly dependent on feature functionality. Therefore, performance characteristics of Siebel modules will differ.
Some modules add special processing requirements. For example, Siebel CTI uses the Communications Session Manager (CommSessionMgr) component, and supports the communications toolbar and displaying screen pops in the client. Server and local resources support this functionality.
Supporting users who are dispersed in offices around the country or around the world introduces special deployment factors that can affect performance.
Consider your hardware resources and requirements carefully prior to rolling out configuration changes, to make sure that business requirements have been met and the client performs as anticipated in the design phase.
Review guidelines presented elsewhere in this book, particularly in Chapter 12, "Tuning Customer Configurations for Performance," and in other relevant documents on the Siebel Bookshelf.
Ongoing testing and monitoring of your system performance is strongly recommended, because database characteristics change over time. To maintain an optimally performing system over time, you must plan for growth or other changes in your deployed application.
Activities that you perform to achieve performance and scalability goals might include the following:
Adjusting your system topology
Configuring the Siebel application in Siebel Tools or through other methods
Configuring Siebel Server components, particularly the Siebel Application Object Manager
Adjusting hardware resources available on local computers
Adjusting operating system settings on server or client computers
Adjusting Web server settings or network settings
Setting user preferences for Siebel applications
This topic contains the following information:
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Web Client Tuning".
Make sure that your Web server is appropriately configured to meet your performance requirements. See also "Specifying Static File Caching on the Web Server".
Make sure that your network capacity (bandwidth) meets your performance requirements, and that your environment supports full duplex Ethernet. In addition, it is highly recommended that you install all Siebel Servers on the same subnet. For more information, review the general requirements for Siebel Enterprise Server installation and configuration in the Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using.
The following factors impact decisions regarding network bandwidth:
Application configuration. Large, complex views will require bigger templates, more controls, and more data to be sent from the Web server to the client. If bandwidth is an issue, then it is important to consider user scenarios to determine the optimal size and layout per view.
For example, for views used frequently, reduce the number of fields displayed. Rather than assuming a specific set of columns to display in list applets, provide the minimal number of columns required in the base configuration and let users decide which columns to display. For more information, see Chapter 12, "Tuning Customer Configurations for Performance."
Login. The first login is generally the most expensive operation for the Siebel client. The client infrastructure caches the main components of the application on first login. Subsequent logins require far fewer resources. Cached objects remain on the client computer until the cache is cleared or a new version of the application configuration is available.
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Web Client Tuning".
Oracle Advanced Customer Services offers general guidance based on information known about the characteristics of the configured Siebel application. Contact your Oracle sales representative to request assistance from Oracle Advanced Customer Services.
Customer testing is advised in any case, because assumptions are based on general data. Actual experience can vary due to use-case scenarios. Select a few of the most common scenarios: those that represent the highest percentage of activity. Collect the overall bandwidth used.
Make sure that you are testing with warm views (already visited and cached) if this is how the application will be used most of the time, assuming that users log in and use the application for four to eight hours at a time before logging off and starting a new session.
When you estimate bandwidth required for several users sharing a low-bandwidth connection, consider use-cases carefully and plan accordingly. Rather than planning for worst-case network-performance scenarios (such as all users simultaneous pressing the Enter key or visiting a new view), it is likely that very few users are actually using the network at the same time. For more information about performance monitoring, see Chapter 14, "Monitoring Siebel Application Performance with Siebel ARM."
Web client performance also depends on browser performance. For general information about this issue, see Deploying Siebel Open UI.
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Web Client Tuning".
For best client performance for employee applications, provide sufficient or generous hardware resources to your end users. Requirements can vary according to your deployment.
The more memory that is available on your client computers, the greater the number of views that can be cached. For more information, see "Specifying Static File Caching on the Web Server".
The speed of the processors (CPU) on your client computers will affect how quickly the Siebel application user interface is rendered.
For best performance for Siebel applications, it is generally recommended to use recent versions of browsers that support all applicable standards in your testing and in your user deployments. More recent versions often include fixes and performance enhancements.
For Siebel client hardware and other platform requirements and recommendations, see the Certifications tab on My Oracle Support. For information about deploying Siebel applications in the browser, see Deploying Siebel Open UI.
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Web Client Tuning".
Overall end user performance is affected by the processing on the client as well as by everything from the Web server to the Siebel database and back. Explore all applicable areas for opportunities to improve overall performance.
Most performance tuning involving Siebel Server components focuses on the Siebel Application Object Manager. For more information, see Chapter 3, "Tuning the Siebel Application Object Manager for Performance."
You can use Siebel ARM to monitor transactions through the Siebel infrastructure. Note areas which require substantial time and resources, and investigate them further for tuning opportunities.
For example, a custom configuration might have resulted in an unintentionally complex SQL statement for which the database instance has not been optimized. Small configuration adjustments in Siebel Tools, or database tuning, can improve both client performance and application scalability on Siebel Servers. For more information about Siebel ARM, see Chapter 14, "Monitoring Siebel Application Performance with Siebel ARM."
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Web Client Tuning".
For best performance by the Siebel client, carefully assess all customer configuration initiatives. All configuration changes must be justifiable in terms of the cost of configuration itself, and in terms of possible impact on performance.
Some application administration tasks might also affect application performance, and must also be carefully assessed.
Follow guidelines presented in Chapter 12, "Tuning Customer Configurations for Performance," or in other books on the Siebel Bookshelf.
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Web Client Tuning".
Siebel application elements are stored in the browser cache, to improve performance when users log in or access Siebel views.
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Note: When measuring performance, take caching into account. For example, performance is better where application elements are retrieved from the browser cache than when the same elements are not cached and must be retrieved from the system. |
Browser caching behavior is also subject to Web server settings for static file caching. Appropriate settings allow files that are rarely updated, such as image files, JavaScript files, or style sheet files, to be cached on the browser. Caching static files reduces network utilization and enhances Siebel Web Client response time.
Instructions follow for specifying static file caching on Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), Apache Web Servers, and Oracle iPlanet Web Server. You must restart your Web server for the settings to take effect. For more information, see your third-party Web server vendor documentation.
For more information about supported Web servers and versions, see the Certifications tab on My Oracle Support. For more information about tuning Web servers, see Chapter 13, "Tuning Operating Systems for Performance."
For Siebel client hardware and other platform requirements and recommendations, see the Certifications tab on My Oracle Support. For information about deploying Siebel applications in the browser, see Deploying Siebel Open UI.
For Microsoft IIS, use the following procedure to specify static file caching and content expiration.
To specify static file caching on Microsoft IIS
On the Web server computer, choose Start, then Settings, then Control Panel, and then Administrative Tools.
Run Internet Service Manager.
In Internet Service Manager, right-click Default Web Site.
In Default Web Site Properties, click the HTTP Headers tab.
Check the Enable Content Expiration check box.
Select Expire After, and specify the value of 7 (to expire static files after 7 days), or another value appropriate for your deployment.
For supported Apache Web Servers (including Oracle HTTP Server, IBM HTTP Server, and HP Apache Web Server), use the following procedure to specify static file caching and content expiration.
To specify static file caching on an Apache Web Server
On the Web server computer, open the file httpd.conf for editing. This file is located in the Web server installation directory.
Verify that the following line is included and not commented out:
LoadModule expires_module modules/mod_expires.so
Add the following lines, if not already present, to the file (below the line shown in Step 2). Or, instead of 7 days, specify another value appropriate for your deployment.
################################################################ ExpiresActive On <IfModule mod_expires.c> ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 7 days" ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 7 days" ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 7 days" ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 7 days" </IfModule> ################################################################
Save the file.
For Oracle iPlanet Web Server, use the following procedure to specify static file caching and content expiration.
To specify static file caching on Oracle iPlanet Web Server
From a browser, connect to the Web server administration page (for example, http://web_server_name/8080).
Select the server, and click Manage.
Click the link for Class Manager, in the upper right area.
Among the horizontal tabs at the top, click Content Mgmt.
Click the link for Cache Control Directives, in the left tab area.
Under Cache Control Response Directives, select Maximum Age (sec), and input 604800 (seconds) for a valid cache of 7 days.
Click Apply to apply the change.
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Web Client Tuning".For the Siebel Developer Web Client, Siebel Business Applications use HTTP requests and responses to exchange information between the browser and the internal Web server that is part of the siebel.exe executable program. You can change the maximum length of the HTTP request data that is passed. By default, the maximum limit for the HTTP request is 524288 bytes (512 KB), which is typically sufficient. However, you can change this limit by configuring the DataBlockSize parameter in the [Siebel] section of the application configuration file, such as uagent.cfg for Siebel Call Center. If you change the value of this parameter, and restart the Siebel Developer Web Client, then the siebel.exe memory usage will reflect whatever value you set.
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Web Client Tuning".
Employee applications such as Siebel Call Center include the message notification feature. The display of messages in the Siebel client requires network resources and local resources on the client computer to continually update the displayed text.
If your deployment does not require it, then turn off the message notification feature to save processing resources.
If some of your users require message notification, then you can specify that users will be able to turn it off by choosing Tools, then User Preferences, and then Message Notification.
For more information about message notification, see Siebel Applications Administration Guide.
