Siebel CRM Performance Tuning Guide Siebel Innovation Pack 2017 E24801-01 |
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This chapter describes some issues that affect the performance and throughput of server-based deployments of Siebel Product Configurator, and provides guidelines for tuning this module to achieve and maintain optimal performance and scalability. It contains the following topics:
For more information about Siebel Product Configurator, see the following documents on the Siebel Bookshelf:
Siebel Product Administration Guide
Siebel System Administration Guide
Siebel Deployment Planning Guide
Also see documents for related Siebel Order Management modules:
Siebel Pricing Administration Guide
Siebel Order Management Guide
Siebel eSales Administration Guide
Note: The recommendations in this chapter do not apply to the Siebel Product Configurator integration with Oracle Advanced Constraint Technology. This integration is provided as a developer preview in Siebel Innovation Pack 2017. For more information, see 2112562.1 (Article ID) on My Oracle Support. See also the Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using and Siebel Product Administration Guide. |
Siebel Product Configurator provides product configuration and solution-computing capabilities, and can be deployed as a server-based module. Siebel Product Configurator is one of the Siebel Order Management modules. These modules work together to support various phases in conducting commerce, including online selling.
Siebel Product Configurator uses several infrastructure elements to manage configuration sessions. Siebel Product Configurator is supported in the Siebel Server environment by the following components:
Siebel Application Object Manager. Siebel Product Configurator functions can be performed within the Siebel Application Object Manager, such as Call Center Object Manager (alias SCCObjMgr_enu in a U.S. English environment) for Siebel Call Center.
Siebel Product Configuration Object Manager. An optional component, suitable for some Siebel Product Configurator deployments, that processes configuration requests for user sessions submitted from a Siebel Application Object Manager component.
This component has the alias eProdCfgObjMgr_locale, such as eProdCfgObjMgr_jpn in a Japanese locale. Typically, this component is run on a separate Siebel Server computer than the one running the Siebel Application Object Manager. Multiple instances of this component can be run on a Siebel Server, where it is possible to distribute requests across the various instances. For more information, see "Topology Considerations for Siebel Product Configurator".
Note: The three-letter extension to the alias of the Siebel Product Configuration Object Manager component (such as jpn in the example eProdCfgObjMgr_jpn) must correspond to the value for theLocale Code parameter (alias LocaleCode ) associated with the invoking Application Object Manager. For more information about this requirement, see Siebel Deployment Planning Guide. For more information about the Locale Code parameter, see Siebel Global Deployment Guide. |
For more information about the elements of the internal architecture of Siebel Product Configurator, including Instance Broker (Complex Object Instance Service business service) and Configurator Object Broker (Cfg Object Broker business service), see Siebel Product Administration Guide.
In planning Siebel Product Configurator server-based deployments, or in troubleshooting performance for existing deployments, you must consider several key factors that determine or influence performance. Subsequent topics provide information and guidelines to help you achieve and maintain optimal performance and scalability.
Performance contexts to consider include response times for:
Loading customizable products. This is the time elapsed from the moment a user clicks Customize in a quote or order until the user interface for the customizable product has been loaded and displayed to the user.
Responding to user selections. This is the time elapsed from the moment a selection is made by the user until Siebel Product Configurator returns a response such as an update to the customizable product or a conflict message.
The following factors, particularly customizable product size and complexity, are relevant in both of these contexts.
Some of the key performance factors for server-based deployments of Siebel Product Configurator include:
Number of concurrent configuration users. The number of concurrent users who access customizable product models. This figure will be some percentage of the total number of concurrent users on the Siebel Application Object Manager.
More specifically, you would be concerned with the total number of configuration sessions per hour, and the average length of those sessions.
Size and complexity of product models. The total size and complexity of each customizable product model, particularly where multiple hierarchical levels, many constraints, and a complex user interface are defined.
A major potential performance factor is custom scripting attached to update events on applicable business components, such as Quote, Quote Item, Quote Item Attribute, Order, Order Item, and Order Item Attribute.
Number of product models. The number of customizable product models accessed by users. It is assumed that each user accesses no more than one customizable product model at one time. A given group of concurrent users can access multiple models, however, each of which must be separately cached.
Type of Siebel Product Configurator deployment. Performance of a customizable product is the same irrespective of whether the deployment is running Siebel Product Configurator in the Siebel Application Object Manager component or running the Siebel Product Configuration Object Manager component on dedicated servers.
This topic describes considerations for defining the topology for Siebel Product Configurator server-based deployments. There are two major topology approaches to deploying Siebel Product Configurator:
Running Siebel Product Configurator in the Siebel Application Object Manager component. For more information, see "Running Siebel Product Configurator in the Siebel Application Object Manager Component".
Running the Siebel Product Configuration Object Manager component on one or more dedicated Siebel Servers intended to run only Siebel Product Configurator. (Dedicated servers are sometimes referred to as remote servers, because they are remote to the computer on which Siebel Application Object Manager is running. In general, this chapter uses the term dedicated servers.) For more information, see "Running Siebel Product Configurator on Dedicated Servers".
The optimal deployment approach for Siebel Product Configurator, and the optimal number of server computers that you require for this module, depends on factors such as those described in "Performance Factors for Siebel Product Configurator". See also "Siebel Product Configurator Infrastructure".
This topic is part of "Topology Considerations for Siebel Product Configurator".
You can run Siebel Product Configurator in the Siebel Application Object Manager component, such as for Siebel Call Center.
If a small number of concurrent users require configuration sessions, or there are a small number of customizable product models, then this deployment option can yield reasonable performance and make the most effective use of your hardware resources.
With this option, you set all parameters for managing Siebel Product Configurator caching on each applicable Siebel Application Object Manager. For more information, see "About Siebel Product Configurator Caching".
This topic is part of "Topology Considerations for Siebel Product Configurator".
You can run Siebel Product Configurator on one or more dedicated Siebel Server computers using a server component other than the Siebel Application Object Manager. This component is Siebel Product Configuration Object Manager (alias eProdCfgObjMgr_jpn in a Japanese locale).
Possible variations on this general topology option include:
Running one eProdCfgObjMgr component with one Siebel Application Object Manager component
Running multiple eProdCfgObjMgr components with one Siebel Application Object Manager component
Running one eProdCfgObjMgr component with multiple Siebel Application Object Manager components
Running multiple eProdCfgObjMgr components with multiple Siebel Application Object Manager components
If a large number of concurrent users require configuration sessions, or there are a large number of customizable product models, then this deployment option (using one or more dedicated servers) can yield the best performance and make the most effective use of your hardware resources.
With this option, you set some parameters for managing Siebel Product Configurator caching on each applicable Siebel Application Object Manager, and some on each applicable dedicated Siebel Product Configurator server. For more information, see "About Siebel Product Configurator Caching".
When you designate one or more dedicated server computers to run the Siebel Product Configuration Object Manager (alias eProdCfgObjMgr_jpn in a Japanese locale) component, then you must configure any Siebel Application Object Manager components from which users will initiate configuration sessions to route configuration requests to these computers.
The Siebel Application Object Manager forwards each configuration session request to the dedicated Siebel Product Configurator server with the fewest concurrent users.
Table 8-1 lists server parameters for managing dedicated Siebel Product Configurator deployments. Using Server Manager, set these parameters on each Siebel Application Object Manager. Do not set these parameters on the dedicated Siebel Product Configurator server computer.
Table 8-1 Server Parameters for Dedicated Siebel Product Configurator Server Deployment
Parameter Name | Display Name | Data Type | Default Value | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
eProdCfgRemote |
Product Configurator-Use remote service |
Boolean |
|
Set this parameter to Set this parameter to |
eProdCfgServer |
Product Configurator-Remote Server Name |
Text |
Not applicable |
Note: Instead of using this parameter, customers are now advised to configure dedicated Siebel Product Configurator servers by using the Administration - Product screen, Cache Administration view. When you have not enabled explicit product mapping for products to a Siebel Product Configurator server, set this parameter to the names of the dedicated computers on which you are running eProdCfgObjMgr. Otherwise, set the value of this parameter to NULL. |
eProdCfgTimeOut |
Product Configurator-Time out of connection |
Integer |
20 |
Sets the length of time, in seconds, that the Siebel Application Object Manager tries to connect to a dedicated Siebel Server running eProdCfgObjMgr. After the timeout has been reached, an error is returned to the user. |
eProdCfgKeepAliveTime |
Product Configurator - Keep Alive Time of Idle Session |
Integer |
900 |
Setting in seconds to determine the maximum interval of inactivity during a configuration session. If the interval of inactivity reaches this value, then the user session is stopped and the worker returns to the pool. If this parameter is not set, then an infinite interval is assumed. Set this parameter on the Siebel Application Object Manager only. It does not apply on the remote Siebel Product Configurator server. Note: On the remote Siebel Product Configurator server (eProdCfgObjMgr component), set the parameter |
Using your hardware resources optimally, and configuring your system appropriately, can help you to achieve your performance goals. Consider your resources and requirements carefully, and test and monitor system performance on a continual basis.
Review information presented in Siebel Product Administration Guide, Siebel System Administration Guide, and other sources.
Activities that you can perform to achieve performance and scalability goals include:
Adjusting your system topology. For more information, see "Topology Considerations for Siebel Product Configurator".
Configuring Siebel Server server components for Siebel Product Configurator.
Designing and deploying your customizable product models. For more information, see "Defining Customizable Product Models and Classes".
This topic applies to deployments using Siebel Web Client. It contains the following information:
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Product Configurator Tuning".
How you configure your Siebel Server components for Siebel Product Configurator server deployments, for appropriate tuning, depends in part upon which deployment method you use, as described in "Topology Considerations for Siebel Product Configurator".
If you deploy Siebel Product Configurator on the Siebel Application Object Manager, then your Siebel Product Configurator tuning calculations must be made in combination with your Siebel Application Object Manager tuning calculations.
If you deploy Siebel Product Configurator using the Siebel Product Configuration Object Manager (eProdCfgObjMgr) server component on a dedicated Siebel Server computer, then your Siebel Product Configurator tuning calculations will be only indirectly related to your Siebel Application Object Manager tuning calculations and will be determined primarily by configuration-related concurrent users and request loads.
In particular, note that, for a dedicated Siebel Product Configurator server, the MaxTasks
parameter is generally set much lower than it is for a Siebel Application Object Manager. By default, the ratio of MaxTasks
to MaxMTServers
is 20:1 for eProdCfgObjMgr. In addition, depending on the request load, MaxTasks
is generally set lower for a Siebel Application Object Manager running Siebel Product Configurator than it is for a Siebel Application Object Manager that is not running Siebel Product Configurator.
You can follow this general procedure to determine how to set these parameters:
Determine what percentage of users for your Siebel application are also users of Siebel Product Configurator. For example, for every 100 users, 60 work with Quotes.
Calculate what percentage of time these users spend using Siebel Product Configurator. For example, out of the 60 users mentioned previously, only 30 are concurrently using Siebel Product Configurator.
Maintain the default ratio of 20:1 for MaxTasks
divided by MaxMTServers
.
If you deploy Siebel Product Configurator using eProdCfgObjMgr on a dedicated Siebel Server computer and the database connection (login and logout) is slow, then it is recommended that you do the following:
Enable database connection pooling
To enable connection pooling, set the parameters MaxSharedDbConns
and MinSharedDbConns
to positive integer values (at least 1) that are no higher than MaxTasks
minus 1.
This setting pools all user connections without sharing and avoids the creation and deletion of a new database connection for each eProdCfgObjMgr session. For more information about database connection pooling, see "Configuring Database Connection Pooling for Siebel Application Object Managers".
Use third-party user authentication
Using third-party user authentication, such as LDAP, rather than database authentication avoids creating an additional database connection for authentication. For more information about authentication options, see Siebel Security Guide.
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Product Configurator Tuning".
The Siebel Product Configuration Object Manager, running on a dedicated Siebel Server computer, can use a Siebel File System directory to cache all configuration-related object definitions. The server parameter, Product Configurator - FS location
(alias eProdCfgCacheFS
), specifies the location of this directory. Specify a value for this parameter to reference a directory path that has write permission. For example, you might specify \\MyServer\SiebFS\SiebConfig
. Note the following considerations:
Although you can specify any network-accessible directory for caching object definitions, it is strongly recommended that you specify the full path to a directory that is local to the dedicated Siebel Product Configurator server, such as C:\siebel\SiebConfig
on Microsoft Windows. Do not specify a top-level directory of a network directory. For example, if SiebFS
is a top-level directory (at a location like \\MyServer\SiebFS
), then specify a subdirectory, such as \\MyServer\SiebFS\SiebConfig
, as the value for the eProdCfgCacheFS
parameter.
If you do not specify a value for eProdCfgCacheFS
, then Siebel Product Configurator attempts to use the location of the Siebel File System directories, as configured for the Siebel Server, for caching object definitions.
Note: If your deployment uses the File System Manager (alias FSMSrvr) component, however, then Siebel Product Configurator cannot cache object definitions in the Siebel File System directories, and you must specify a location using theeProdCfgCacheFS parameter. For more information about the Siebel File System, see the Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using and Siebel System Administration Guide. |
For more information about caching in the Siebel Product Configurator File System, see "About Siebel Product Configurator Caching".
This topic is part of "Guidelines for Siebel Product Configurator Tuning". It describes some guidelines about creating customizable products and classes in a manner that will optimize performance:
To maintain good performance, do not make your customizable products or classes any larger or more complex than absolutely necessary.
Complexity is a function of the number of hierarchical levels and constraints built into the customizable product models and of the structure of the class.
For defining class relationships, use specific classes as much as possible. For example, avoid defining class relationships without specifying classes, or use a subclass rather than a parent class if it is so defined.
Minimize the complexity of user interface elements that you associate with your customizable product models.
Generally, using interactive or automatic pricing updates for customizable products is recommended. If performance is adversely affected, consider switching to manual pricing updates.
When creating rules, using the Set Preference template allows you to create soft constraints that guide the Siebel Product Configurator engine in producing solutions, but which the engine can ignore if needed to avoid conflicts or performance problems.
By default, when you add a customizable product to a quote, for example, default products and selections will be included, and Siebel Product Configurator can be invoked to create this default instance. If the customizable product default selections are large and complex, and if users are required to immediately customize the product, then turning off the Default Instance Creation feature will enhance performance with no loss of functionality.
For more information about these issues, see Siebel Product Administration Guide.
Siebel Product Configurator supports several types of caching of customizable product information, to optimize response time for configuration-session users. Caching options include:
Caching in memory
Siebel Product Configurator caches versions of customizable products, product classes, and attribute definition objects in memory. When the size limit for this cache is reached, the versions of the objects that were least recently used are discarded. For more information, see "Default Caching Behavior for Siebel Product Configurator".
Note: The memory resources for your Siebel Product Configurator server computer must be sufficient to support your caching requirements. |
Caching in the Siebel Product Configurator File System
This Siebel Product Configurator File System directory caches versions of the customizable products, product classes, and attribute definition objects that were loaded into memory. This is default behavior. For more information, see "Specifying the Siebel Product Configurator File System Location" and "Default Caching Behavior for Siebel Product Configurator".
In addition to these caching options, you can also specify which server or component caches versions of customizable products, product classes, and attribute definition objects.
The specified cache can be updated at regular intervals. Using these options can improve response times to requests for a specific customizable product. For more information, see "Cache Management for Siebel Product Configurator".
This topic contains the following information:
This topic is part of "About Siebel Product Configurator Caching".
The default caching behavior for Siebel Product Configurator is as follows:
When a user starts a configuration session, Siebel Product Configurator looks for new cache update requests that affect objects in the cache. If there are new cache update requests that affect objects currently in the cache, then Siebel Product Configurator updates or removes these objects.
Siebel Product Configurator checks whether the requested customizable product is cached in memory.
If the customizable product is not already cached in memory, then Siebel Product Configurator looks in the Siebel Product Configurator File System.
Note: The location of the Siebel Product Configurator File System is specified by the value of theProduct Configurator - FS location parameter (alias eProdCfgCacheFS ). For more information about the Siebel Product Configurator File System, see "Specifying the Siebel Product Configurator File System Location". |
If the customizable product is not in the Siebel Product Configurator File System, then it is loaded from the Siebel database. The product is added to the memory cache and to the Siebel Product Configurator File System.
Thereafter, when a configuration session starts, the customizable product is loaded from the memory cache or from the Siebel Product Configurator File System.
Before loading the customizable product from the Siebel Product Configurator File System, the system checks the Siebel database to make sure each item in the product is the current version.
If the cached product has changed in the database, then the current version of the item is loaded from the database. This makes sure that the most recent version of a customizable product and its contents are loaded.
When the product administrator releases a new version of a customizable product, the changes are written to the Siebel database and a cache update request is posted for the modified customizable product. The memory cache and the Siebel Product Configurator File System are not updated with the changes until the next configuration session is requested for the customizable product.
Note: It is recommended that you avoid the use of start or end dates in rules for customizable products. The arrival of a date does not cause the customizable product to be refreshed in the cache. |
This topic is part of "About Siebel Product Configurator Caching".
When a user starts a configuration session, Siebel Product Configurator loads the requested customizable product into memory. You can specify a cache (server or component) to serve requests for frequently requested customizable products to improve response times. This requires that you select the setting Explicit Product Mappings Only on the specified cache. The specified cache loads the customizable products that are mapped to it into memory before any user requests are received.
You can also specify a time interval so that the specified cache updates the customizable products it holds at regular intervals. This reduces the possibility that a user request requires the retrieval of data from the database and the loading of a revised customizable product. To specify the time interval, you set values for the following parameters on the eProdCfgObjMgr component:
Server Session Loop Sleep Time
(alias ServerSessionLoopSleepTime
)
Product Configurator - Cache Engine Objects
(alias eProdCfgCacheEngineObjects
)
For more information on these parameters, see Table 8-2.
Requests for other customizable products that are not mapped to a specific cache are served by a cache that has the setting Explicit Product Mappings Only disabled.
The following procedure describes how to configure product caching by mapping a product to a cache that has the setting Explicit Product Mappings Only enabled.
To configure product caching
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Cache Administration view.
The Cache Administration view appears.
In the Cache applet, select a cache.
Note: Only one cache can be active at a time. |
In the Cache Type field, select a value as described in the following list:
Server. Select Server as the cache type to route configuration requests to the Siebel Servers associated with the cache.
Component. Select Component as the cache type to route configuration requests to the components associated with the cache. These components can span multiple Siebel Servers depending on where components are active.
Note: If you select Component as the cache type, then you must set the same value for the component parameterEnable internal load balancing (alias EnableVirtualHosts ) on both the Siebel Application Object Manager and on the eProdCfgObjMgr component. For example, if EnableVirtualHosts is set to TRUE on the Siebel Application Object Manager component, then it must also be set to TRUE on the eProdCfgObjMgr component. |
In the Components applet, specify a Siebel Server name or a component name to associate with the cache that you selected in Step 2.
The value that you specify depends on the value that you selected for Cache Type in Step 2. For example, if you set Cache Type equal to Server, then you enter the name of a Siebel Server. If you set Cache Type equal to Component, then you enter the name of a component.
If you want a server cache or component cache to only serve products that are mapped to that server cache or component cache, then select Explicit Product Mappings Only.
In the Product applet, select the product(s) that you want to associate with the component that you selected in Step 4.
In the Cache applet, click Validate.
The application validates that the Siebel Server or component names that you select are valid for the cache type that you specified.
If the configuration that you created validates correctly, click Release to enable the cache that you selected cache instances of the products that are mapped to it.
This topic is part of "About Siebel Product Configurator Caching".
Siebel Product Configurator caching is enabled by default (eProdCfgSnapshotFlg
is set to TRUE
). Other parameters must be sized following guidelines such as those described in "Determining Rough Sizing for Caching Parameters".
Table 8-2 lists the server parameters for configuring Siebel Product Configurator caching. Set these parameters on the Siebel Application Object Manager component for a Siebel Application Object Manager deployment of Siebel Product Configurator. For a dedicated Siebel Product Configurator server deployment, set these parameters on the Siebel Application Object Manager and on the eProdCfgObjMgr component, unless otherwise stated. For information on how to configure server parameters, see Siebel System Administration Guide.
Table 8-2 Server Parameters for Configuring Siebel Product Configurator Cache Behavior
Parameter Alias | Parameter Name | Data Type | Default Value | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
eProdCfgCacheFS |
Product Configurator - FS location |
String |
Not applicable |
Specifies the location of the Siebel Product Configurator File System. If no value is specified for |
eProdCfgAttrSnapshotFlg |
Product Configurator - Collect and Use the snapshots of the ISS_ATTR_DEF Ob |
Boolean |
|
Set to |
eProdCfgNumOfCachedAttrs |
Product Configurator - Number of Attribute Definitions Cached in Memory |
Integer |
100 |
Sets the number of attribute definitions kept in memory at any given time during configuration. |
eProdCfgClassSnapshotFlg |
Product Configurator - Collect and Use the snapshots of ISS_CLASS_DEF Ob |
Boolean |
|
Set to |
eProdCfgNumOfCachedClasses |
Product Configurator - Number of Class Definitions Cached in Memory |
Integer |
100 |
Sets the number of class definitions kept in memory at any given time during configuration. |
eProdCfgProdSnapshotFlg |
Product Configurator - Collect and Use the snapshots of ISS_PROD_DEF Ob |
Boolean |
|
Set to |
eProdCfgNumOfCachedProducts |
Product Configurator - Number of Product Definitions Cached in Memory |
Integer |
1000 |
Sets the number of product definitions kept in memory at any given time during configuration. |
eProdCfgSnapshotFlg |
Product Configurator-Collect and use snapshots of the Cfg objects |
Boolean |
|
Set to |
eProdCfgNumbOfCachedCatalogs |
Product Configurator-Number of cached catalogs |
Integer |
10 |
Sets the maximum number of Model Manager catalogs that can be cached in memory. |
eProdCfgNumbofCachedWorkers |
Product Configurator-Number of workers cached in memory |
Integer |
50 |
Sets the maximum number of workers that can be cached in memory. This number applies to all Model Manager catalogs. |
eProdCfgCacheEngineObjects |
Product Configurator - Cache Engine Objects |
Boolean |
|
Set to Note: This parameter supports precaching. Set this parameter only on the dedicated Siebel Product Configurator server. Precaching does not apply on the Siebel Application Object Manager. See also "Cache Management for Siebel Product Configurator". |
ServerSessionLoopSleepTime |
Server Session Loop Sleep Time |
Integer |
300 |
Specify an interval time (in seconds) to refresh cached products that are mapped to a Siebel Product Configurator server cache or component cache using the explicit product mapping setting.
Note: This parameter supports precaching. Set this parameter only on the dedicated Siebel Product Configurator server. Precaching does not apply on the Siebel Application Object Manager. See also "Cache Management for Siebel Product Configurator". |
This topic is part of "About Siebel Product Configurator Caching".
To help you to determine how to set the Siebel Product Configurator caching parameters, a general suggestion is to measure the incremental memory required for a customizable product.
Requirements for Model Manager and Worker caching are more relevant than those for object caching. Object caching has a small requirement, and applies to multiple users. Model Manager caching applies to multiple users (using the same customizable product). Worker caching also applies to multiple users.
You can try this on a Siebel Developer Web Client (similar to the Siebel Mobile Web Client, but using a dedicated database connection) by checking the memory used by the siebel.exe process before and after you click Customize for a customizable product included in a quote or order, and again after you have further configured the customizable product (to reach the maximum likely memory usage).
For example, X might be the before-loading memory size, Y might be the after-loading size, and Z might be the memory size after additional product configuration.
Of the incremental memory observed, consider the following breakdown:
The size of a Model Manager for a customizable product is about 75% of the incremental memory required to instantiate the product (that is, 75% of Y minus X).
The size of a Worker for a customizable product varies during runtime, generally increasing as user selections are made. This size can be approximated by subtracting the Model Manager size from the difference of Z less X.
Siebel administrators or product administrators can refresh or update the Siebel Product Configurator cache in several ways. The following topics describe procedures to refresh or update the Siebel Product Configurator cache with changes for customizable products, product classes, and attribute definitions.
This topic contains the following information:
"Refreshing the Siebel Product Configurator Cache with Product Changes"
"Updating the Siebel Product Configurator Cache with Product Class Changes"
"Refreshing the Siebel Product Configurator Cache with Product Class Changes"
"Updating the Siebel Product Configurator Cache with Product Class Changes"
See also "About Siebel Product Configurator Caching".
This topic is part of "Administering the Siebel Product Configurator Cache".
You can refresh the Siebel Product Configurator cache with changes made to customizable products, product classes, and attribute definitions in one operation. Consider performing the task described here as part of standard maintenance for your Siebel Product Configurator deployment or, for example, if you intend to migrate data from a development to a production environment.
Related topics describe how you can update the Siebel Product Configurator cache with changes you made to customizable products, product classes, and attribute definitions in separate operations.
To refresh the entire Siebel Product Configurator cache
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Cache Administration view.
Select the record for the cache that you want to refresh.
Click the Menu button in the Cache list, then choose Refresh Product Cache.
This topic is part of "Administering the Siebel Product Configurator Cache".
While editing a product record, a product administrator can select Refresh Product Cache to refresh the Siebel Product Configurator cache with changes made to the selected product. The next time a user requests the customizable product, the user receives a freshly instantiated version reflecting the product change and the cache is refreshed with this version. For example, you could change the product description and then refresh the cache.
To refresh the cache with product changes
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen.
Select the record for a customizable product that has been changed or that is to be refreshed.
Click the Menu button in the Products list, then choose Refresh Product Cache.
This topic is part of "Administering the Siebel Product Configurator Cache".
While editing a product class record, a product administrator can select Update Cache to remove the version access keys of a cached product class from the Siebel Product Configurator cache for all versions of the selected product class. This forces the application to consult the database the next time it requires a version access key. A product administrator must select Update Cache if he or she modifies a nonversioned cached property such as, for example, a product name. If the product administrator does not select Update Cache, then a Siebel Application Object Manager that has a version already cached uses the old version.
To update the cache with class changes
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Product Classes view.
The Product Classes list appears.
Select a product class and modify it or its attribute definitions as needed.
From the menu in the Product Classes list, choose Update Cache.
This topic is part of "Administering the Siebel Product Configurator Cache".
While editing a product class record, a product administrator can select Refresh Cache to refresh the customizable products in the Siebel Product Configurator cache with changes made to the product class record. The next time a user requests the customizable product, the user receives a freshly instantiated version reflecting the product change and the cache is refreshed with this version. This new instance reflects the changes you made to the product class.
To refresh the cache with class changes
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Product Classes view.
The Product Classes list appears.
Select a product class and modify it or its attribute definitions as needed.
From the menu in the Product Classes list, choose Refresh Cache.
This topic is part of "Administering the Siebel Product Configurator Cache".
While editing an attribute definition record, a product administrator can select Update Cache to remove the version access keys of an attribute definition record from the Siebel Product Configurator cache for all versions of the selected attribute definition. This forces the application to consult the database the next time it requires a version access key. A product administrator must select Update Cache if he or she modifies a nonversioned cached property such as, for example, an attribute definition name. If the product administrator does not select Update Cache, then a Siebel Application Object Manager that has a version already cached uses the old version.
To refresh the cache with attribute definition changes
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Attribute Definitions view.
The Attribute Definitions list appears.
Select an attribute definition and modify it as needed.
From the menu in the Attribute Definitions list, choose Update Cache.