Configuring and reviewing user-defined Time Slice requests to avoid duplicate definitions

Products

• Clarity PPM SaaS
• Clarity PPM On Premise

Issue/Introduction

We want to create some additional user-defined Time Slice Definitions. What 'Best Practices' or information is helpful in managing and defining Time Slice Definitions?  

This article will help you identify stock, out-of-the box Time Slice Definitions that already exist and any user-defined slices so that you can review the current configuration and manage your Time Slice Definitions to avoid creating duplicate time slices.

  

Environment

Release: Any

Resolution

Instructions:

The bulk of the processing time the Time Slicing job takes is due to deleting and inserting the slice data rows. Therefore to ensure the job runs efficiently limit the range and numbers of periods of time slice data. Avoid Time Slice requests that define the same type of data for the same period time. These would be considered duplicate slice requests, as they would most likely cover the same range. For example, having 2 Time Slice requests that process Actuals for Weekly periods would be considered duplicate requests. As a best practice, one of the slice requests should be deleted. In the cases where the duplicate involves a custom slice request and a stock slice request, the stock slice request should be the one to keep.

Identify Duplicate Time Slices:

Download this attachment file. It contains a SQL query and a workbook with sample results.

Execute the SQL query to compare the existing Time Slice requests with user-defined slices configured for the same 'field name' and same 'period type'.

Examine the results of the SQL query. 

Analyzing Results:  

Looking at the (sample) results, you can see that some user-defined slices have been created which match a system-defined slice (IS_SYSTEM=1).  The user-defined slices (IS_SYSTEM=0) should be reviewed to see if the data is used in any portlets or reports.  If so, consider changing them to use the system-defined slice data and remove the user-defined slice.  By cleaning up the list of Slice Definitions, you will improve the Time Slicing job performance and reduce the amount of redundant data stored in the database.

SLICEID	SLICENAME	FROMDATE	NUMPERIODS	EXPIRYDATE	TIMELASTRUN	IS_SYSTEM	PERIOD_TYPE	FIELD_NAME	RUN_FREQUENCY	TABLE_NAME
4	MONTHLYRESOURCEACTCURVE	01-MAR-15	12	01-MAY-15	30-APR-15	1	Monthly	Actuals	Monthly	PRJ_BLB_SLICES
5003002	ReportingSelfBillingAct	01-APR-15	15	01-MAY-15	30-APR-15	0	Monthly	Actuals	Monthly	PRJ_BLB_SLICES
5005001	Reporting - Monthly Actuals	28-JAN-15	36	29-APR-15	28-APR-15	0	Monthly	Actuals	Daily	PRJ_BLB_SLICES
1	DAILYRESOURCEAVAILCURVE	25-JUN-15	365	25-JUL-15	17-JUL-15	1	Daily	Availability	Monthly	PRJ_BLB_SLICES
5003003	DailyTimesheetCalendar	01-SEP-14	365	01-AUG-15	17-JUL-15	0	Daily	Availability	Monthly	PRJ_BLB_SLICES
7	MONTHLYRESOURCEAVAILCURVE	01-JUN-15	12	01-AUG-15	17-JUL-15	1	Monthly	Availability	Monthly	PRJ_BLB_SLICES
5003001	ReportingSelfBilling	27-JUN-15	36	27-JUL-15	17-JUL-15	0	Monthly	Availability	Monthly	PRJ_BLB_SLICES
5005003	CapacityManagementETC	01-JAN-13	8	01-JUN-15	31-MAY-15	0	Yearly	Estimates	Monthly	PRJ_BLB_SLICES
5006001	Program Status Report - ETC	01-JAN-13	8	01-JAN-16	17-JUL-15	0	Yearly	Estimates	Yearly	PRJ_BLB_SLICES

To remove a user-defined Time Slice request:

1. Login to the application as an administrator user 
2. Navigate to Administration, Time Slices Management page 
3. Check the box next to the user-defined slice request
4. Click 'Delete' button