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Process Configuration Console
Getting started
Isolated regions
Queues
  Manage user queues
  Configure work queues
    Create a work queue
    Modify queue properties
      Edit description
      Manage system fields
      Manage data fields
      Manage indexes
      Set security levels
      Define queue operations
    Move queues across servers
  Configure component queues
    Configure a component queue
    Define component queue operations
    Modify component queue properties
    Enable Content Engine operations
Rosters
VWServices
Process Engines
Workflow database
Events and statistics
   

Manage indexes

The Process Engine uses indexes to facilitate and speed up searches. When you create a roster, queue, or event log, the Process Configuration Console automatically creates the indexes, marked with a system icon. The indexes that the Process Engine needs in order to function properly are indicated by the tooltip that appears when you hold the cursor over the icon. You cannot change or delete a mandatory system-defined index.

You can define indexes, depending on the needs of your system. You can add, change, or delete user-defined indexes on rosters, queues, and event logs.

By default, the Process Engine creates an index for user queues called PWDefaultOrder. This index determines the order in which a user's work appears in his Inbox. You can modify this index to change the default order.

You should use additional indexes sparingly as they add to the system overhead, both in space and performance. Indexes are the primary means of reducing disk I/O when properly used. Retrieval performance of indexed data remains almost constant, even as new rows are inserted. However, the presence of many indexes on a table decreases the performance of updates, deletes, and inserts because the system must also update the indexes associated with the table.

You can create simple or composite indexes. A composite index (also called a concatenated index) is an index that you create on multiple columns in a table. Columns in a composite index can appear in any order. Composite indexes can speed retrieval of data for search filters in which the filter conditions reference all or the leading portion of the columns in the composite index. Therefore, the order of the columns used in the definition is important; generally, the most commonly accessed or most selective columns go first.

An index must not exceed the maximum allowable size.

To change an index

  1. If the Properties dialog box is not already displayed, select the icon of the queue, roster, or event log you wish to modify and click Properties on the toolbar.
  2. Select the Indexes tab.
  3. Select the user-defined index you wish to change.
  4. Click Edit .
  5. To add fields to the index, select one or more items in the Available items list and click Add . To remove fields, select one or more items in the Selected items list and click Remove .
  6. To change the order of the indexed fields, select one or more field names from the Selected items list, then click Up or Down .
  7. Click OK when done.
  8. Click Commit Changes on the toolbar to apply this change to your isolated region. You can commit the changes immediately, or you can wait until you have finished all your changes.

    NOTE The commit process suspends all other database transactions within the isolated region until it finishes. We strongly recommend that you accumulate all changes and commit them once when you're done, or that you commit changes when the isolated region is relatively inactive. Avoid committing changes after every modification whenever possible.

To add an index

  1. If the Properties dialog box is not already displayed, select the icon of the queue, roster, or event log you wish to modify and click Properties on the toolbar.
  2. Select the Indexes tab.
  3. Click New .
  4. Enter the name of the index in the Index name box. The index name must meet the Process Engine naming requirements.

    TIP The name you enter is a logical name. The Process Engine dynamically determines the physical table and index names, to prevent collisions with existing table and index names.

  5. To add fields to the index, select one or more items in the Available items list and click Add . To remove fields, select one or more items in the Selected items list and click Remove .
  6. To change the order of the indexed fields, select one or more field names from the Selected fields list, then click Up or Down .
  7. Click OK to close the New Index dialog box.
  8. Click OK when done.
  9. Click Commit Changes on the toolbar to apply this change to your isolated region. You can commit the changes immediately, or you can wait until you have finished all your changes.
To delete an index
  1. If the Properties dialog box is not already displayed, select the icon of the queue, roster, or event log you wish to modify and click Properties on the toolbar.
  2. Select the Indexes tab.
  3. Select one or more indexes you wish to delete. You cannot delete mandatory system-defined indexes, indicated by the tooltip associated with the system icon.
  4. Click Delete .
  5. Click Yes or Yes to All to confirm.
  6. Click OK when done.
  7. Click Commit Changes on the toolbar to apply this change to your isolated region. You can commit the changes immediately, or you can wait until you have finished all your changes.

     

   

NOTE Some system indexes appear with no index key fields defined. The fields actually indexed are not available for querying, and therefore do not appear in the list.

NOTE A roster index must contain the F_WobNum field. If this field is not included in your indexed fields, it will automatically be added for you when you close the Index Properties dialog box.

Related topics

Edit the description

Manage system fields

Manage data fields

Set security levels

Define queue operations