Understanding Performance Considerations within Financial and Supply Chain Management Search

This topic discusses performance considerations when enabling component search within Financials and Supply Chain Management (FSCM). It provides topics to consider that could improve the end user experience and support when customizing your system. Topics include:

  • Enabled facets

  • Enabled attachments

  • Enabled attributes (including ChartField security)

  • Enabled queries

Financials and Supply Chain Management (FSCM) have enabled certain field attributes within the search definitions (and related search categories) as facets within PeopleSoft Search Framework.

Note: The search framework requires that faceted values are populated, meaning that there cannot be blank values sent for any field defined as a facet.

When search attributes are defined as facets in PeopleSoft Search Framework, performance degradation can occur when building the index and when performing the search. As a general rule, fields that contain a large number of values should not be enabled as facets. Depending on your FSCM environment, this can include facet values such as Supplier Name or Entered By. If you have thousands of possible faceted values, system performance can be compromised if these types of attributes are enabled as facets. Depending on your environment and volume, you should consider enabling, or disabling, additional facets to balance functional needs against system performance.

Note: Changing faceted values within a search definition is considered a minor customization. Any changes you make to existing Search Definitions, or other PeopleSoft delivered objects should be tracked as with any customization.

Within PeopleSoft Search Framework, attachments are allowed for some search definitions that are used within FSCM. For example attachments are enabled within the purchase order, requisition, and contract search definitions. If large numbers of attachments are enabled, performance degradation can be incurred when building the index and performing the search.

To remove attachments from being included in an index, delete the attachment from the Search Definition - Attachment Properties page. However, if you decide to include attachments in the Search Definition at a later time, then you should track the current settings of the page so you know how to add the reference back if needed.

Note: Removing attachments within a search definition is considered a minor customization. Any changes you make to existing search definitions or other PeopleSoft delivered objects should be tracked as with any customization. For more information on Search Definitions, see PeopleTools: PeopleSoft Search Technology.

FSCM has included a prioritized list of primary and related tables that support search definitions. This is implemented using connected query, which supports more complex data structures such as a purchase order. Within the search definition, only a subset of prioritized attributes is activated in order to support reasonable search framework build performance. There is some incremental cost for including more attributes within PeopleSoft Search Framework. Reducing the number of attributes can improve system performance.

ChartFields

PeopleSoft delivers certain attributes, such as ChartFields, which are disabled within most search definitions. This is for security purposes as opposed to performance reasons. When ChartField attributes are enabled within PeopleSoft Search Framework, any user who has the ability to search using the search definition can also search for ChartField values.

For example, searching all purchase orders by project number is possible with the delivered product. The PeopleSoft Search Framework implementation does not support the ChartField row-level security that can be implemented within PeopleSoft system. Therefore, you should carefully consider whether your organization will allow users who have access to the search category, to search using those values, before enabling ChartFields for Global Search or Component Search.

Depending on your FSCM environment and volume, you may want to consider disabling search attributes to balance functional needs against system performance.

Note: Enabling or disabling attributes within a search definition is considered a minor customization. Any changes you make to existing search definitions or other PeopleSoft delivered objects should be tracked as with any customization.

Note: If a ChartField is disabled for query access, and a search definition is using this field, you must manually deselect the Field to Index check box on the Search Definition page (PTSF_FIELD_MAPPING). If this step is not performed when a ChartField is disabled, then the Build Search Index process will not be successful.

FSCM has included a prioritized list of primary and related queries and connected queries that support the search definition. This is performed using connected query, which supports more complex data structures such as a purchase order. Not all related tables and information are included in these connected queries.

Depending on your FSCM environment and volume you should consider removing or adding queries to the connected queries and search definitions in order to balance functional needs against system performance.

Note: Adding or removing queries to a connected query, which affects attributes within a search definition, is considered a significant customization. Any changes you make to existing connected queries and search definitions, or other PeopleSoft delivered objects, should be tracked as with any customization.

For more information on PeopleSoft Search and customizations, see PeopleTools: Search Technology.