Understanding Refreshable Reporting Content Considerations

Refreshable reporting content is one of the primary drivers of report package processing time. Managing the amount of refreshable content can help maintain responsive report package performance.

The following types of content can be refreshed:

• Report reference doclets
• Microsoft Excel reference doclets
• Report and Microsoft Excel doclets in PDF report packages
• Variables

Report packages that contain large amounts of refreshable content typically require longer refresh processing times. To help identify potential performance issues, monitor the time required for the following operations:

• Data-source refresh
• Report reference doclet refresh
• Microsoft Excel reference doclet refresh
• Available content refresh
• Variable processing
• Doclet check-in
• Total report package refresh

Compare these timings across repeated operations for the same report package, taking changes in content size and complexity into account. Longer processing times or increases from typical timings can help identify operations or content that require further investigation or optimization. Timings are useful diagnostic indicators even when no universal timing threshold exists.

Long-running refresh operations can temporarily lock a report package and prevent users from performing activities such as:

• Checking in doclets
• Adding or deleting doclets
• Updating report package structure