Limit Settings

Limit Settings configure the way large amounts of data are read from the database.

Limit Settings can be made on two levels:

• Settings which apply to the currently logged user

  For these settings, go to menu: User settings\Representation\Limit Settings

• Settings which apply to all users unless specific settings for a particular user have been made.

  For these settings, go to menu: Global settings\Representation\Limit Settings

Important note: It is strongly recommended to keep the default values. Do not modify limit settings unless there are specific reasons and you are fully aware of potential consequences. Changing the settings in an inappropriate way can cause performance degradation and memory problems.

Initial Load - Load Increment - Maximum Load

These are the main settings influencing catalog behaviour when large amounts of data are to be handled. For more information on the underlying mechanics see the Incremental Data Retrieval and How It Works topics.

Default values for these settings are: Initial Load=100, Load Increment=100, Maximum Load=500.

Settings Explanation

Limit Settings configure the way data is read from the database by setting limits for the Incremental Data Retrieval method.

1. When a large number of objects is to be displayed (when opening/refreshing a catalog or performing a search), the objects matching the search condition are first sorted in the database, then just a first batch containing a limited number of objects is read to memory.

   Initial Load specifies the number of objects in this first batch. The catalog start-up time is influenced by this number. (The lower the number is, the less objects need to be sorted in the database, (possibly) transferred via a network and stored in memory.)

2. The remaining objects (belonging to the catalog and/or matching the search condition) are read only if more objects need to be displayed (e.g the end of the vertical scroll bar has been reached). In such case, another batch of objects is read to memory and added to the previously read one. The number of objects in this batch is given by the Load Increment setting.
3. If still more objects are needed (scrolling continues), more objects are read batch by batch. The number of objects in each of these batches is also given by the Load Increment setting.

   Load Increment specifies the number of objects read whenever more objects are needed (that is the second batch and each consecutive one). The increment loading time is influenced by this number.

4. More batches of additional objects are read until a certain limit on the number of objects in memory is reached. This limit is specified by the Maximum Load setting. When Maximum Load is reached, some objects have to be discarded before another batch of objects is read.
   • When the bottom of the catalog list has been reached (scrolling downward), objects at the top of the list will be discarded from memory.
   • When the top of the catalog list has been reached (scrolling upward), objects at the bottom of the list will be discarded from memory.

See How It Works for a graphical overview of the above described process.

Object Types / Technical Object Types

On both the global and user levels it is possible to make the settings separately for all business object types and all technical object types.

Setting the limits higher for technical object types might be used, for instance, to postpone partial sorting (the "red scroll bar" occurrence) when translated attributes are used for sorting in catalogs of technical object types such as Workflow catalogs. (See Limitations for more on partial sorting.)