Since the last update on performance issues (January 11):

• The Performance Team "unclogged" the database, resulting in major improvements in Web stability and response times. The vast majority of drop/add transactions occur in the 4 to 7 second range. Additional "unclogging" was implemented last weekend.
  
  
• Senior managers from the U and seven other Big 10 schools implementing PeopleSoft met with PeopleSoft CEO Craig Conway. A number of action items resulted from the meeting, that will improve the way patches are sent or reposted, include more documentation, and document performance improvements. [A summary of that meeting is at http://www1.umn.edu/enterprise/whatsnew.html.]
  
  
• The Andersen Consulting study brought clarity to our infrastructure capacity (we have lots of it and it's configured effectively) and two Andersen experts in PeopleSoft performance worked hands-on with staff on methodologies to identify and fix performance problem processes. These approaches can be used on many of the worst problems (see below). [A summary of this report will be mailed to you soon.]
  
  
• The Performance Team and the student functional teams identified their worst problem processes (Web, PeopleSoft panel and/or batch). That list follows at the end of this message. The ones with an asterisk are being worked on right now.
  
  
• Several problems with batch processes have been solved, but many stubborn ones remain. A big improvement is the use of AutoSys to schedule batch jobs one after another, saving lots of time in the "batch window."
  
  
• One process, the Delete/Change Employee ID, is slowing production for all users. Employees who use this process are coming in very early or staying late so they change/delete while the system has few users. The team has a multi-approach solution, which will be implemented shortly. A previous fix took several minutes off the process (from 24 minutes to 7 minutes for each transaction).
  
  
• The 7.6 upgrade which will take place in a few weeks, is essentially a bundle of fixes for existing bugs and broken processes. Performance improvement will be measured by comparing performance of specific processes in the current Version 7.5 to the upgraded Version 7.6. The Web fix mentioned in the first bullet theoretically (and anecdotally) improved PeopleSoft panel response, but there's no way at this point to measure the incremental improvement.
  
  
• The developers and programmers on the project teams have also been fixing bugs and broken processes on an ongoing basis. Literally hundreds of fixes have been made.

So there is progress, and the "worst" processes will be fixed first, but there's a long way to go.


TOP PROBLEM PROCESSES: (* indicates process is being tuned).

STUDENT RECORDS
*Web SQL ("clogged" database)--went live 1/18, more fixes live on 1/31
*ID Delete & Change (on-line)--solution in testing
Enrollment Request (on-line)
Demographic Data (on-line)
Residency Data (on-line)
Term Activation (on-line)
Student Program/Plan (on-line)
*Tuition Calc (on-line) -- problem being analyzed
*Transcripts (on-line) -- patch coming from PeopleSoft; temporary work-around in place
Study List push button (on-line)
*Course (on-line)--solution in testing

FINANCIAL AID
ISIR Load (batch)
FA Term
ISIR Correction (on-line)
Award Entry (on-line)
Customer Accounts
Packaging (batch)
Disbursements (batch)
Checklist Summary (on-line)
Budget Maintenance (on-line)
Disburse Aid (on-line)

STUDENT FINANCIALS
*Payment Applier--went live 1/28
Tuition Calc (on-line/batch)
Quick Enroll (on-line/batch)
Quick Post (on-line/batch)
Payment Reversal (on-line)
Credit History (batch)
Billing (batch)