Serendipitous Cerebration (Part 2 – Project Planning)

Serendipitous Cerebration as a problem solving technique can only be applied in the rare cases when normal logical troubleshooting has failed.  As much as we hate to admit it, when all logical problem solving avenues have been exhausted and our troubleshooting prowess to a flummoxed state of tentation, this is when we begin to enter the realm where serendipitous cerebration hides in dark, dank crevasses.  In reviewing this project, our hopes are that you can see how the process of Serendipitous Cerebration can develop.

The Project was to integrate a line of Accounting Software (PeachTree) to an Imaging Document Repository (ILINX®Content Store).  The purpose for the integration was to speed the process of document retrieval.  We selected ILINX Integrate to work as a gangplank stretching out from the PeachTree Galleon to the ILINX Content Store docks for the transferring of cargo, Account Payable and Account Receivable (AP and AR) Customer and Invoice Numbers for a seamless document look up.  The mechanism for initiating the document retrieval process will be a set of floating pop up buttons, one for AP & one for AR.  So when an end user opens an invoice in PeachTree, the type of invoice is recognized and prompts a “Magic Button” to materialize like a Superhero to save the day (think Batman and gadgets, cause gadgets are cool.  Unfortunately this has no real relation to this project).  One button press and clickety-clack you’re looking at the requested document in a browser window.

 

 

 

Once we understood what the involved components were, what the final expected behavior of said components should be, and set our timelines, and formulated a plan of attack, we were ready to get started on the construction phase.  So please stay tuned for the next thrilling installment in this 5 part series!

 

Co Authors: Random Kurt-Patrick Duncan McParks & John Hart
ImageSource Inc.

Serendipitous Cerebration (Part 1)

I recently worked on a team tasked with a software integration project that connects invoices from between some Accounting software to ILINX®  Content Store.  The integration software was used for pulling invoice values from both our AP and AR invoices for modifying the image indices for the stored content in ILINX Content Store.  Following a series of patches for Windows, Content Store, and the accounting software, Murphy’s Law began rearing their ugly heads and the integration solution in place that retrieved and updated indices flat quit working.

Most of the issues resolved themselves in short order, but ONE issue – the ability to read one field.  We were able to connect and pull values from every other field on the Accounting form.  To complicate issues more, 2 of the fields from the invoices are used to identify the proper document in Content Store and the broken field was one of these.  Trying to isolate the cause of the issue quickly started feeling like wrestling with a squamous Kimono dragon bent on devouring as much time and resources as a large Monitor lizard can muster.

A couple of techs, multiple attempted connector types, some choice language, and a forehead sized dent in my keyboard later it connected and started pulling.  After all of the hair pulling and frustration I’m left with one of those moments when things started working for no reason and continued to function as originally expected, and while you still need to determine what happened you’re just too ecstatic that the software is no longer harassing you with error messages.

I’d never advise using Serendipitous Cerebration as a preferred method of problem solving.   In fact, if Serendipitous Cerebration is your preferred method of problem solving, chances are there is a lot of floundering around before isolating the issue down to a workable solution.  Which is why I’m guessing that most of us try and not go that route, but I’d bet that there are not many techs out there that have had similar moments when, out of the blue, an issue seemingly resolves itself and all you want to do is jump up and start cheering before attempting to figure out what really corrected the issue.

Please check back for the Part 2 of this 5 part blog on 9/30/11!

 

Co Authors: Random Kurt-Patrick Duncan McParks & John Hart
ImageSource Inc.

Slowing Down?

For those of you with Enterprise Content Management systems, you know that a lot (if not all) of your data is stored in a database.  A lot of times, performance issues are not a result of your Content Management system itself, rather your database is not tuned properly.

Most of what I have to work with is Microsoft SQL Server.  There are a few tips for making sure that your database is performing at its best.  Every system is different, but there are some basic fundamentals that need to be checked.

1)      Memory.   SQL will eat up all the memory you give it.  Make sure that the host machine has plenty available and tune the SQL memory usage so that it does not use up all available memory on the host and slow the whole system.

2)      Network.  Your database server needs to have good connectivity to your client machines.  This means that the network has to have adequate speed and a low enough latency for all SQL connections and data streams to be maintained.

3)      Indexes.  A database uses a basic structure to store information.  Every search it performs has to find a single row, which can be like finding a needle in a haystack.  Fortunately, in addition to rows, SQL also has indexes to aid in searching.  Most systems will use indexes.  However, indexes have a tendency to become fragmented if they are not maintained, so part of your SQL maintenance should be to tune the indexes.

I hope this gets you going in the right direction!  If you feel that your content management system is not performing adequately, let the ImageSource Support Department know!

 

Mike Peterson, MCTS
Support Engineer
ImageSource, Inc.