Tuning Configuration Constraints

The Siebel Product Configurator engine evaluates solutions by traversing the attributes and the relationships of the root customizable product, for example, the product the user adds to the Order or Quote. The engine implements a recursive algorithm to derive at a solution and uses the algorithm to resolve the deepest node of each branch of the hierarchy. Once the deepest node of a given branch has been resolved, the algorithm returns to the previous level of the hierarchy and resolves the next product to the deepest node. This calculation continues until all branches, and all products of the branch, have been resolved.

During this process of branch resolution, the attributes are also resolved. This default evaluation order might result in unnecessary calculation and result in performance issues for some customers. Hence Siebel Product Configurator allows the administrator to adjust the evaluation order for a customizable product by specifying the UI property, GoalMode, under the class or product. The supported values for the GoalMode UI property are described in the following table.

When you define the GoalMode UI property for a class, the entire set of attributes and relationships that define the class is impacted. Classes might be defined with just attribute definitions, or they might be defined with product, attribute, and rules definitions, known as Product Classes. For more information about Product Classes, see About Product Classes.

Every member of the class, including sub classes, inherits the GoalMode UI property. If a member of a sub class also has a GoalMode UI property defined, this overrides the parent class property.

If you define the GoalMode UI property for a customizable product, only the first level attributes and relationships that define the Product Class is impacted. In this instance, the GoalMode UI property does not propagate down through the hierarchy of a customizable product. For example, when a relationship contains another customizable product, the Siebel Product Configurator logic looks for a new GoalMode UI property at the level provided by either the product itself, or at the level provided by the class of the product. If a GoalMode UI property is not defined, Siebel Product Configurator uses the default value of 0.

Value	Description
0	Evaluate relationships first, then attributes (default current behavior).
1	Evaluate attributes first, then relationships (reverse of default).
2	Mixed mode, evaluates relationships and attributes together as a single set.