Performance issues

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If PARS Connect seems to be running slowly then you should follow the instructions on this page. Each of the sections below describes the common causes and resolutions of speed issues.

If, having followed the sections on this page, you are still experiencing performance issues then please create a ticket on our Online Helpdesk and our technical team will look into the issue for you. Our technical team will need to see the results of the checks you have performed for each of the sections in this page, therefore you should export the results of each section as you go (instructions to do so are explained in the sections); these exports will be requested if you open a ticket on the helpdesk regarding performance issues.

Step 1 - Large SIMS .ldf file

Having a SIMS ldf file that is larger than 1Gb can cause performance issues. There is a report in PARS that displays the SIMS ldf file size, amongst other performance factors:
PARS main menu > System management > Management reports > Performance > Performance

Performance1.jpg

If the ldf is more than 1Gb you should shrink it (instructions to do so can be found on Google) then review your backup policy; using simple recovery as the backup policy can prevent the ldf growing to an undesirable size.

Exporting results
When your ldf file is below 1Gb you should export the report from above, and save it as the result of this section.

Step 2 - Automated tasks or reports running during busy times

Automated tasks or reports should not run during peak times as they will increase the load on the server. You can find a list of the automated jobs and their scheduled run times via:
PARS main menu > System management > Automation > Job list

Performance2.jpg

If any of your jobs are scheduled to run during busy times (typically 8am - 5pm) then you should reschedule them to run at a quieter time. Jobs can be rescheduled by clicking the magnifying glass button next to their title. These changes will not take effect until the following school day, so you will need to wait until then to observe the performance of PARS.

Exporting results
Go to:
PARS main menu > System management > Automation > Status

Click the Export button at the top left of the page and save the file as the result of this section.

Step 3 - The IIS server

There is a feature in PARS called the performance monitor which will show you the SQL and IIS server resources and an overview of how the IIS server is coping. To access this, go to:
PARS main menu > System management > Performance monitor

Performance3.jpg

If you see and error on this page, on the IIS server open an elevated CMD Prompt and type: LODCTR /R to restore the corrupt performance indicators.

  1. The SQL server's resources should at least match those recommended for running SIMS. The Web server's resources should at least match those recommended on our minimum specifications page. If either of the servers are not up to spec, upgrade them as necessary.
  2. Check the performance monitor during the times of day where you experience performance issues. All four of the LEDs should be green. If they are not, address any issues according to the performance monitor page.

Exporting results
Take a screenshot of the performance monitor during the time of day where you experience performance issues. The screenshot must include the SQL server resources, the Web server resources and the CPU performance section.

Step 4 - Table speed test times

There is a report in PARS that test the SQL server's ability to update and delete rows in the SQL database. To access this report go to:
PARS main menu > System management > Management reports > Management > Performance > Table speed test

Performance4.jpg

Run this report (which will take a few minutes), the updating and deleting sections shown in the report should each be around 2 minutes. If the times shown are longer than this then you need to address your SQL server. The following is a list of suggestions to improve the performance of your SQL server; you do not need to perform all of these suggestions as long as you can reduce the updating and deleting times to around 2 minutes each.

  • Turn off antivirus on the SQL server
  • Install the latest Virtual Machine NIC drivers
  • Use the BIOS to turn off Power Management for guest and host Operating Systems
  • Host the SIMS ldf and mdf files on separate physical drives (not on separate partitions of the same physical drive)
  • Use RAID 10 to maintain the SIMS ldf file over two separate drives. This requires specialist hardware and may be costly - you should examine the alternatives above first

Exporting results
Run the table speed test report at 5 times during the day when you are experiencing performance issues. Export the report each time. The updating and deleting sections of the report should not be much higher than 2 minutes each during any of the 5 runs.

Step 5 - Register loading times

The time taken to open a register can provide meaningful information. For the next steps you will need to record the amount of time taken to open a register during the time that you are experiencing performance issues. To open the register, go to:
PARS main menu > Attendance > Take a register

Single click on any register then click the link at the top of the page to open the register, and record how long this takes. Once the register opens, compare the time you recorded to the Page gen time shown at the top right of the page.

Performance5.jpg

If there is a large discrepancy between the times and the page gen time is low (approx. 2 seconds)

This means there is a problem with your network, which is not something we are able to fix. You may be able to diagnose the issues by pressing the back button on your browser to go to back to the Take a register page. Press F12 on your keyboard to open the Developer Tools window and go to the Network tab. Now open the same register again. The Developer window will show a breakdown of the times taken to perform each stage of loading the register.

If the times are both large both large

You should perform the following steps 5 times: append the following to the register's URL and refresh the page:

&trace=yes

A window will open showing the times taken for each step of loading a register. Use the farthest right column to examine the times taken for each step. Take a note of which of these steps are taking a long time.

If the same steps are always taking a long time
This means a specific function in PARS is taking a long time. Our technicians will investigate this for you. Please create a ticket on the Online Helpdesk, attaching all of the results from the previous steps on this page and a screenshot of the trace window showing the step(s) that is taking a long time.

If different steps are taking a long time
This means that some database requests are being delayed in a queue. Go to:
PARS main menu > System management > Performance monitor

Click on the Blockers tab to identify specific database requests that are holding other users up. Some blocking is normal, but if you see one command with high values in the Number blocking and Ticks columns, then that will likely be the issue. Click the Export blocker table button at the top of the performance monitor page and create a ticket on the Online Helpdesk, attaching all of the results from the previous steps on this page and the export from the performance monitor page.