IBM FileNet P8, Version 5.2.1            

Managing workflow indexes

The workflow system uses indexes to facilitate and speed up searches.

About this task

Before you can use a workflow field value in an index, you must add the corresponding database field to a workflow roster, queue, or event log. You cannot change or delete a mandatory system-defined index.

By default, the workflow system creates an index for user queues called PWDefaultOrder. This index determines the order in which work assigned to users appear in their inboxes. You can modify this index to change the default order.

Use more indexes sparingly because they affect the space and performance of the system. 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 that are 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 that are used in the definition is important; generally, the most commonly accessed or most selective columns go first.

Important:
  • An index must not exceed the maximum index key size.
  • Some system indexes appear with no index key fields defined. The fields that are indexed are not available for querying and are not displayed in the list.
  • A roster index must contain the F_WobNum field. If this field is not included in your indexed fields, it is added.
  • An event log index must contain the F_TimeStamp and F_SeqNumber fields. If these fields are not included in your indexed fields, they are added
  • Do not use F_QueueWPClassId as the first or only field for an index on a queue because the system uses this index internally for cases where two queues share a physical table.

Procedure

To add an index:

  1. Access the Indexes tab in the administration console:
    1. In the domain navigation pane, select the object store.
    2. In the object store navigation pane, click the Administrative > Workflow System > Isolated Regions folder and click the isolated region that you want to modify.
    3. Click the workflow queue, roster, or event log folder you want to work with.
    4. Click the item in the folder to which you want to add a system or user workflow field. For example, if you clicked the User Queues folder, click Inbox
    5. In the details pane, click the Indexes tab.
  2. Click New.
  3. Configure the index that you want to add.
  4. Save your changes.


Last updated: October 2015
p8pcc301.htm

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