WebTrac 3.1 Pre-Registration Performance Checklist
Table of Contents
Document Summary
The goal of the fill-able form checklist is to ensure that WebTrac is properly tuned for your next on-line registration session. To ensure your WebTrac registration readiness, refer to this checklist prior to each major registration period. Place a check mark in the box after completing each tuning step described below.
At the end of this document is a Pre-Registration test that must be performed just prior to the start of your registration session.
Note: As all network and server environments are unique, Vermont Systems cannot guarantee performance of a high-volume, condensed online event. RecTrac options are highly customizable, and many directly impact performance. This checklist is simply a guide to areas we feel customers should review. A load test is the best indicator of how your environment will perform under load, but even that may not guarantee success as it cannot exactly simulate how patrons interact with your site. However, we have found load testing to be invaluable, often uncovering unknown configuration issues that will optimize your position for a successful online event. Note: Vermont Systems does not conduct load tests for On-Premise database customers.
Call Vermont Systems Customer Support for assistance, if needed, at 1-877-883-8757. If you have concerns on load, consider a load test on your environment.
Before You Proceed
Note: Skip this section if you are a Fully Vermont Systems-Hosted Customer and/or a Web-Only Hosted Customer. Fully Hosted Customers who expect more than 700 individual households to be online at the same time for Activity Registrations and more than 300 online for any other module to contact Vermont Systems and discuss if a Virtual Waiting Room might be needed.
If you are an On-Premise Customer, this section applies to you.
Bandwidth - Ask your IT department how much internet bandwidth is available for you. The initial rush of a registration period can use many MB's worth of internet bandwidth. Depending on the size of your WebTrac pages and the number of concurrent users, you may need anywhere from a 20MB - 300+MB internet pipe to handle the load. Upload or Upstream is the important factor versus Download.
Proxy Server Used? - Ask your IT department to verify the proxy server timeout settings. The TCP and UDP timeouts must be 90 seconds or higher. Vermont Systems recommends 300 seconds during a heavy online event.
WebTrac/RecTrac Version
Are you up to date with the latest release version? - Vermont Systems traditionally includes fixes and performance tweaks in all program level updates. To ensure you are benefitting from these updates, Vermont Systems recommends remaining up to date with the latest RecTrac 3.1 version. Refer to "Current Release Levels of Vermont Systems Products” on www.vermontsystems.com/news-events/ for the latest release information.
Note: RecTrac version 3.1.10.15.02 includes significant overall performance improvements. Additionally, RecTrac version 3.1.10.18.01 includes Rental/Campsite module-specific performance improvements. To leverage these major enhancements, Vermont Systems recommends that all customers update to the latest RecTrac version.
WebTrac Hardware Configuration
Note: Skip this section if you are a fully Vermont Systems-Hosted Customer.
Place a check mark in the box that represents your WebTrac hardware configuration.
o Web server on one server, Transaction server on one server and Database on one server.
OR
o Web server on one server, Transaction server and RecTrac database hosted on the same server.
If your Transaction server hosts your RecTrac database, you should use a self-service connectio between your WebSpeed broker (wsrtlive) and your RecTrac Database. This option is discussed later in this document.
Note: Vermont Systems recommends AGAINST having the Web server, the Transaction server and the RecTrac database all on the same server as a WebTrac configuration.
o CPUs Allocated to the RecTrac/Transaction Server
Large web registrations use lots of CPU. If you expect fewer than 50 concurrent users, then a 4 CPU server might work, but for registrations with higher concurrent users, 8 CPU is often the minimum, with 12 - 32 necessary. A load test with your expected volume can help determine your needs. If you expect 1,000 concurrent users or more, then the minimum CPU’s is 32. If using a virtualized server, then ensure the machine is set to “High Performance” and NOT “Balanced." Also, make sure the CPU and RAM allocated is not being shared by other VM’s. If you expect more than 1,500 concurrent users, then please speak with Vermont Systems, as most on-premise configurations may struggle with that kind of load without implementing additional steps, including a load test.
WebTrac Parameter Maintenance
Navigate to Static Parameters.
o On the Core Information Tab set WebSpeed Debugging Level to Error Only.
Go to Management • System Management • WebTrac Management > WebTrac Management Screen Management • WebTrac Activity Search Screen
o Expand ARWebsearch_Group4 • Highlight ARWebsearch_Output_Table • Click "Advanced Field Parameters:"
· De-select/Disable the AutoSearch toggle option (first row of left column).
· Set ResultsMax to 100 (midway down the right-hand column).
· Set ResultsPerPage to 20 (immediately below ResultsMax).
Note: When AutoSearch is OFF, you might see Splash page links failing to perform a search if the URL does not include the &search=Yes. Therefore, ensure to include this in your splash page or bypass links.
Navigate to WebTrac Parameters Profile.
o Module Search Settings group • Rule Search Settings: Ensure it is set to None or Limited for modules involved with registration.
o Check WebTrac Splash page: Setting Reports to Email – Your reports should be set to “email." Set your reports to “email” in the comment code(s) for your splash pages: <li><a class="button" href="report.html?option=householdcalendar&output= "><span>Household Calendar</span></a></li>
Proper URL <li><a class="button" href="report.html?option=householdcalendar&output=email"><span>Household Calendar</span></a></li>
WebSpeed Configuration
The following steps are performed on the WebTrac Transaction server where your WebSpeed broker wsrtlive is configured.
o Launch OpenEdge Explorer and stop the WebSpeed broker weblive.
Open Internet Explorer and log in to http://localhost:9094.
Expand Server • OpenEdge • WebSpeed.
Click Weblive.
Click Configuration.
Click Edit.
o On the Agent tab the Initial number of servers to start, the Minimum servers, and the Maximum servers should all be set to 25*. *If more than 25 agents have been authorized, then set the max to that level. Note, generally, a single broker cannot effectively handle more than 60 agents. This depends on server CPU, RAM, network, and disk i/o. If more than 25 agents are used, additional ports may need to be assigned on the agent and firewall adjusted. Also, the Max Users on the Live database may need to be increased. See below.
o Verify dynamic port ranges of CLIENTlive and WEBLive. Standard dynamic ports for these are listed below. If you are not currently set to these ranges, then verify both ranges are open on your firewall. Once verified, update the ports and restart the OpenEdge resources at your earliest convenience.
CLIENTLIVE: 2700-2749*
WEBLIVE: 2750 - 2799
*Enterprise customers may need additional ports.
Other Processes
o Verify the accuracy of Max Users value for your RecTrac database in OpenEdge Explorer. The value should equal the product of your Number or Licenses + 25 x 2, so the Max Users value for a department licensed for 23 Uses would be 96 (23 + 25 = 48. 48 x 2 = 96) Go to: OpenEdge Explorer • Resource Tab •RecTrac database • Configuration • configuration.rtlive.defualtconfiguration
o Enterprise accounts that expect more than 600 simultaneous WebTrac users. Contact Vermont Systems support to see if other specific database tuning items might benefit your environment.
o Check Scheduled Events Maintenance for events that may run during the registration. Log in to RecTrac and check Scheduled Events Management. Consider temporarily inactivating scheduled events that take several minutes to run and are scheduled during peak registration times. Database backup and Household Imports can tie up a database and strain the database server while running. If you do inactivate, make certain you return and re-activate.
o Disable or re-schedule any Virus Scan software set to scan your RecTrac/WebTrac Servers during the Registration period.
o Verify that you are leveraging Registration Web Events for Activities. Linking a Registration Web Event code to available programs enhances your system performance leading up to and during a registration. Linking one Registration Web Event code to a program eliminates the checking of each record and rule, wherein streamlining registration, even for residents and non-residents with different registration dates and times. Additionally, the Registration Web Event improves your communication with patrons by allowing you to customize the program description language. Lastly, the Registration Web Event can be linked to many sections through the Bulk Update program.
o Note: You can modify your URL to pass a registrationevent = filter to link search results directly to your registration event code(s), ensuring a cleaner and more performant search filter. You can add this URL parameter to any direct WebTrac links or search buttons on your splash page. Adding this URL parameter will create a direct path to programs linked to your registration event(s).
o Check Daily Profile: Is user’s WebTrac Receipt Creation set to “Scheduled Event”? Unless specific business reasons compel you to do otherwise, on the Daily Profile linked to the web user, ensure that their WebTrac Receipt Creation is set to “Scheduled Event.”
Pre-Registration Test
o Can you log in to WebTrac?
o Does the list of activities list the correct classes for this registration session? Are the fees correct?
o Can you sign up for a class?
o Can you make a credit card payment in WebTrac?
o At the end of the transaction, did you receive the confirmation receipt via email?
Note: The email should be sent the next time your queued emails scheduled event runs.
o Is WebTrac Debugging disabled? From anywhere in RecTrac, press and hold the <Ctrl> key and press F9 on your keyboard. The resulting message will tell you whether WebTrac debugging is enabled or disabled. IF enabled, press and hold the <Ctrl> key and press F9 on your keyboard again. WebTrac debugging should be disabled for the registration period.
o Is Session Cleaner working?
Session Cleaner is configured as a scheduled event in RecTrac spawned by the Progress AppServer. To monitor if this event is being spawned correctly, log in to RecTrac and go to Scheduled Events Management. If the event is running correctly, the date for this event should be today's date and the time should be within the last minute. If not, contact Vermont Systems Support.
To ensure the WebTrac session stays active while the patron is on the Credit Card Entry screen, check to ensure the WebTrac “In Cart Time-Out in Static Parameters Session Cleaner” settings is set to 30 minutes or higher.
o Do you know the file size of your Receipt Documents (if you use them)?
Receipt documents can impact the speed of email and by extension the speed of RecTrac/WebTrac during the registration period. If you have large receipt documents and/or limited bandwidth, consider not attaching receipt documents during the registration period. Receipt documents can be sent/emailed to patrons later using the RecConnect or simply giving them a link to a site for download. For a heavy registration, you do NOT want to link any documents.
o Do you have a logo on your receipt? Note: The following applies only if you ARE NOT leveraging the “Scheduled Event” to create receipts:
"Bad" receipt logos are one of the biggest performance killers for web registrations. If you have not specifically tested the logo, then Vermont Systems recommends you remove ALL logos from receipts and reports for the heavy registration periods. Test receipts in RecTrac GUI processing and WebTrac to see how long it takes for the PDF to appear in a preview. Receipts in RecTrac should preview in less than five seconds and normally less than two seconds on a LAN. To address concern regarding speed, remove the logo and test.
If you are running RecTrac 3.1.08.01 or higher, then Vermont Systems recommends using logo .jpg files that are 30kb or smaller. This will minimize receipt file size and generating time: The smaller the better for performance and disk space. The receipts are stored in the database, and if you generate a lot of receipts, then the logo is added to that size every time.
If you are running RecTrac 3.1.08.00 or earlier, then Vermont Systems recommends using logo .jpg files that are 10kb or smaller. This will minimize receipt file size and generating time.
o Do you know the file size of your WebTrac Splash Page Images?
Vermont Systems recommends keeping the file size of your images at or below 100kb. When patrons hit your WebTrac site, all images must be downloaded to the patron's browser. Larger images tax your Web Server and result in longer/slower page load on the patron's browser.
See Also: Best Practice for WebTrac Images