Server Transaction Times – Logging and Reporting
Automic Automation Engine: Measuring & Optimizing Server Transaction Times
If you are responsible for the stability and performance of an Automic Automation Engine, you know that system health is everything. However, one crucial metric often remains hidden: the duration of server transaction times. Since Broadcom (Automic) does not offer a publicly available tool to evaluate these times by default, many administrators are left in the dark.
This is exactly where our exclusive PEM Performance Tool comes in. We provide you with an automated solution to precisely determine the transaction times of your server nodes, automatically log them, and seamlessly integrate them into professional dashboards.
What Exactly Are "Server Transaction Times"?
To process data and tasks, the server of the Automic Automation Engine uses so-called "server routines." The runtime of each individual routine is a direct indicator of your system's load and overall performance. By specifically extracting a minimal trace of the Work Processes (WPs), exactly these transaction times can be determined.
Why Is Monitoring These Times So Important?
Until March 2020 (Version 12.3.2), the official Automic documentation provided clear guidelines for the average duration of such a server routine. This recommendation was later removed simply because the official measurement tool was missing. However, the physical limits for a healthy system still apply!
The official Automic guidelines state:
- Critical State: 0.2 seconds
- Needs Improvement: 0.05 seconds
- Good State (OK): 0.02 seconds
- Perfect Performance: < 0.02 seconds
Without an appropriate monitoring tool, you often only notice that your system has reached the critical range of 0.2 seconds when noticeable delays in job processing have already occurred.
How the PEM Tool for Automic Works
We have developed a tool for our PEM members that closes this monitoring gap. It is an intelligently configured Action Pack that takes the complex scripting work off your hands and is ready for immediate use. The tool offers you the following advantages:
- Automated Measurement: You can perfectly align the measurement intervals (e.g., several times a day for a few minutes) with your system load without disrupting ongoing operations.
- Scalability: Whether you run a single-server system or a complex architecture with up to four server nodes—the tool comes with pre-built templates for your environment.
- Resource-Friendly Logging: The measured values are structured and stored in a static VARA. An automatic cleanup function ensures that old data volumes do not burden your system.
- Visual Reporting: Raw numbers are good, but dashboards are better! The tool includes a ready-to-use demo dashboard. Here, you can see the performance of all your server nodes visually prepared. A red threshold line shows you at a glance if a server is approaching the critical range.
Conclusion: Proactive Monitoring Instead of Reactive Troubleshooting
By automatically tracking server transaction times, you transform your Automic monitoring from a reactive approach to a proactive strategy. You can identify performance bottlenecks on individual server nodes long before they have a critical impact on your job processing.
The tool is available exclusively to all our members. If you want to dive deeper into the subject and learn how to take your entire Automic infrastructure to the next level, become a member now.
Learn Automic with PEM!
Would you like to learn more about Automic without having to travel across the country for workshops? At PEM, you decide when and how you want to continue your education! In interactive courses, tutorials and videos, you will learn everything you need to know about Automic – and more! And we are always there for you via comment function or email.
Does that sound interesting? Then get started today with PEM, Automic Training 2.0 and year-round Automic support!
FAQ about Automic Training on PEM
PEM is the most innovative and fastest growing Automic learning platform. It offers PEM members a comprehensive range of online training courses that can be accessed 24/7 and from anywhere. The platform includes dozens of videos and interactive courses and is aimed at beginners and professionals alike.
To meet different needs, PEM offers different types of content: courses, tutorials, learning paths, labs and tools.
- In the courses and tutorials you will learn everything about Automic in entertaining and interactive videos.
- The learning paths offer comprehensive training on a specific Automic topic. For example, the 11-part operator learning path is suitable for beginners. Are you already an Automic expert? Then you will definitely learn something with the database SQL learning path.
- Labs are automated environments that are available at the touch of a button and where what has been learned can be put into practice.
- Tools with appropriate instructions are regularly provided on PEM . This allows Automic processes to be automated and simplified even further.
In our library, you’ll find all content items currently available on PEM. And every week, we add more items to learn Automic.
PEM Labs are comprehensive, pre-configured Automic environments designed to provide users with a hands-on and immersive experience. These labs offer instant access to multiple Automic versions, allowing users to experiment with functionality and explore new features effortlessly. Available on demand and at no additional cost for members, PEM Labs eliminate the need for complex setups or extra expenses. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional, they serve as realistic sandbox environments ideal for learning and experimenting with Automic.
Labs are provisioned on demand with a single click and are automatically deleted after 24 hours.
There are two different deployment-variants for the Labs:
- Labs for Operator and Designer
These provide access to a dedicated Automic Client via the Automic Web Interface (AWI). - Labs for Admins
These labs include OS-level access through a browser, enabling members to perform all administrative tasks, including those at the operating system level.
PEM Labs are available in three formats:
- Test Labs
These labs are empty Automic clients or systems that members can use for their experiments. - Course Labs
These labs include one or more scenarios where users are tasked with solving practical exercises, similar to classroom training sessions. - Story Labs
Story Labs are like Course Labs but incorporate a storyline to make the experience more engaging and entertaining. Think of them as small adventure games where you solve puzzles using Automic.
The Operator, Designer, and Admin roles in PEM align closely with the roles available within Automic itself. Each role is tailored to specific responsibilities, ensuring users focus on the skills and knowledge most relevant to their work:
- Operator:
Operators are responsible for monitoring, executing, and managing workflows in Automic. In PEM, the Operator role covers topics like workflow execution, troubleshooting, and day-to-day operations to ensure smooth automation processes. - Designer:
Designers are the architects of workflows and automation solutions in Automic. The Designer role in PEM includes content on creating, optimizing, and maintaining workflows and objects, with a focus on best practices for efficiency and scalability. - Admin:
Admins handle system-level configurations, user management, security settings, and advanced maintenance tasks in Automic. PEM’s Admin role offers in-depth training on system setup, troubleshooting, and managing complex environments, including OS-level access through PEM Labs.
By mirroring Automic’s role structure, PEM ensures that members can seamlessly apply what they learn to their actual responsibilities within the software, making the training practical and highly relevant.
We host live sessions called Solution Corners 12 times a year, offering direct interaction with our experts. These sessions are open for questions on any Automic topic, and members can submit questions in advance for a more in-depth discussion.
Additionally, we provide online consulting—exclusive video conference sessions with our Automic specialists. Members with a consulting quota can book appointments directly via the experts’ calendars, ensuring flexible and personalized support.
In normal Automic training courses, the trainer is available to you for a few days. If you’re lucky, you might be able to provide input before the training, and if you’re particularly lucky, you might be able to ask 1-2 questions in the weeks following the training.
Our members can send us an email at any time. We answer questions immediately by email. If our members have questions about specific topics, they can also use the comment function. We call this “year-round Automic support”.
You always sign up for a membership for one year. After that, it is usually renewed automatically.
You can cancel at any time up to one month before the end of the contract with a simple email. Of course, you can limit the membership to one year at the beginning of the contract.
