Scalability and performance

There are many factors that can affect Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager 2005 performance and scalability. This section of the Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager 2005 Deployment Best Practices Guide describes the level of performance that you can expect from Business Scorecard Manager in various configurations and scorecard scenarios and also describes techniques that you can use to improve performance.

How to estimate performance requirements

To estimate the performance requirements for your installation of Business Scorecard Manager 2005, you will need the following information:

• The average number of concurrent Business Scorecard Manager 2005 users
• The average number of Web pages that will be viewed by the average user each day
• The average time period over which the pages on the Microsoft SharePoint site will be viewed in one business day (in seconds)
• A peak use factor, expressed as the percentage of users above the average number per day, that would accommodate temporary increases in traffic

After you have collected or estimated this information, use the following formula to determine how many requests per second your Business Scorecard Manager deployment must accommodate:

Required requests per second = (Users*Pages*Peak Factor)/Time

For example, a Business Scorecard Manager deployment with 1000 users who are viewing 40 Web pages per day over the course of 8 hours (28,800 seconds), with a peak performance factor of 300%, has a performance requirement of 4.17 requests per second.

Performance benchmark scenarios

Microsoft performance benchmark testing for Business Scorecard Manager was conducted with two deployment scenarios: a three-server configuration without a server farm, and a four-server configuration that includes a server farm. The performance benchmarks assume several constants for each configuration:

• The hardware that is used by each computer is constant—each server is equipped with 2 GB RAM and two hyperthreaded processors that are running at 3.2 GHz, and each client is equipped with 512 MB RAM and one processor that is running at 2 GHz.
• The client and server computers are connected to a private Gigabit Ethernet network.

Performance benchmark testing used a Web page with 40 KPIs displayed in four scorecard views, plus a PivotChart® report that was rendered as an image and displayed in a Business Scorecard Manager PivotChart report view.

Benchmark testing scenarios

The following describes how the servers were used in each test scenario configuration:

• Three-server configuration without a server farm

  The Business Scorecard Manager Web Parts and Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003 were installed on the first server; the Business Scorecard Manager metadata database, Web service, and scorecard alerts component were installed on the second server; and the Microsoft SQL Server™ Analysis Services database that provides the scorecard data sources was installed on the third server.

• Four-server configuration with a server farm

  In this configuration, two of the servers were set up as a server farm by using Microsoft Windows® Load Balancing Services. The Business Scorecard Manager metadata database, Web service, and scorecard alerts were installed on the first server; the SQL Server Analysis Services database that provides the scorecard data sources was installed on the third server; and the Business Scorecard Manager Web Parts and SharePoint Portal Server 2003 were installed on the server farm computers, as shown in the following diagram.

Performance benchmark results

The following performance benchmark results show the number of requests processed per second in each test configuration with different numbers of concurrent users. A higher number of requests per second indicates better performance.

Options for improving performance

There are several options for improving performance, including the following:

• Adding servers to a server farm
• Reducing SQL Server Analysis Services query response time
• Changing the cache settings of Business Scorecard Manager data sources
• Changing the image cache settings of Business Scorecard Manager
• Changing the timeout settings of Microsoft Internet Information Services

Adding servers to a server farm

The performance benchmark results demonstrate that adding servers to a server farm of computers running Windows SharePoint Services or SharePoint Portal Server will reduce your query response time. It does so because this configuration increases the number of servers handling user requests. If you scale up from a configuration where only one server is running the SharePoint Products and Technologies application to a server farm configuration for running the application, you must either set up Microsoft Windows Load Balancing Services or install a hardware load balancer. For more information about setting up a server farm for servers running Windows SharePoint Services or SharePoint Portal, see the online help that is included with the application.

Reducing SQL Server Analysis Services query response time

The best way to reduce SQL Server Analysis Services query response time is to consolidate all of the online analytical processing (OLAP) data that you will need into a single OLAP cube. You can also improve the performance of your Business Scorecard Manager installation by using the Usage-Based Optimization Wizard that is included with SQL Server Analysis Services. For information about how to build OLAP cubes and use the Usage-Based Optimization Wizard, see SQL Server Books Online.

Changing the cache settings of Business Scorecard Manager 2005 Data Sources

By default, Business Scorecard Manager caches the data that is provided by data sources for a period of 10 minutes. Increasing this cache time to 20 or 30 minutes might improve performance because it reduces the number of queries to the data source databases. Use the following procedure to increase the data source cache time.

To increase the cache time of Business Scorecard Manager

1. Open Business Scorecard Builder.
2. In Workspace Browser, right-click the data source, and then click Edit.
3. In the left pane of the Data Source Editor, click Connection.
4. In right pane of the Data Source Editor, in the Cache interval in minutes box, type the number of minutes to use for caching data.
5. Click OK to close the Data Source Editor.

Changing the image cache settings of Business Scorecard Manager

Business Scorecard Manager can either present live data in a PivotChart report view or render a PivotChart report view as a static image. By rendering the PivotChart report view as a static image, users are not required to have Microsoft Office 2003 Web Components installed on their computers.

By default, a rendered image is cached for a period of 60 seconds. If the underlying data that is used to generate the PivotChart report view changes less frequently, you can improve performance by configuring Business Scorecard Manager to cache the images for a longer period of time. Use the following procedure to increase this cache time on each server that is running Windows SharePoint Services or SharePoint Portal Server.

To increase the Business Scorecard Manager report view image cache time

1. On the server that hosts Windows SharePoint Services or SharePoint Portal Server, open the Windows SharePoint Services Web.config file. By default, this file is located at c:\inetpub\wwwroot. You can use Notepad to open and edit the file.
2. In the <appSettings> section, set the value attribute of the BPM.ReportViewImageCacheTime key to the number of seconds that you want to use for caching images. If the entry does not exist, you must create it. It should look like the following example:

   <add key="BPM.ReportViewImageCacheTime" value="3600" />

3. Save the Web.config file, and then close it.

Changing the timeout settings of Internet Information Services

You might need to increase the amount of time that Internet Information Services (IIS) waits before it times out a session on the Web site that hosts Business Scorecard Manager. Use the following procedure to increase the IIS session timeout setting on this Web site.

To increase the IIS timeout setting

1. On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. Under Internet Information Services, expand the server name, expand Web Sites, right-click the name of the Web site where the Business Scorecard Manager Web parts are installed, and then click Properties.
3. On the Home Directory tab, click Configuration.
4. On the Options tab, in the Session timeout box, type the number of minutes that you want IIS to wait before it times out the session.
5. Click OK.

Using Microsoft Visio to build strategy maps

In business performance management solutions, strategy maps can play an important role in the initial design of a scorecard and can also help users visualize the data that is contained in the scorecard. They support the articulation of causal relationships among Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager 2005 key performance indicators (KPIs) and their objectives. Microsoft Office Visio® 2003 provides functionality you can use to create both standard and data-driven strategy maps.

Create and display a standard strategy map

A strategy map that you create in Visio can be rendered as a Web page that has embedded hyperlinks, search capabilities, and custom properties and also an overview with zoom and pan capabilities. By using this functionality, you can display the Web page in a Business Scorecard Manager report view, which makes it possible for users to consult the strategy map as they view and analyze data in a scorecard.

To create and publish a standard strategy map in a scorecard report view

1. Create the strategy map in Visio by using standard shapes. Each shape should correspond to a KPI or an objective in the scorecard.
2. For each shape, add a hyperlink and also add descriptive text that is displayed in a pop-up window when the user holds the pointer over the shape:
   1. Click in the area of the shape to which you want to add a hyperlink.
   2. On the Insert menu, click Hyperlink.
   3. In the Address text box, type the URL of the Web page to which this shape will link.
   4. In the Description box, type the descriptive text that will be displayed when a user holds the pointer over the shape.
3. Create a Web site by using Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, and then publish the strategy map there, as described later in this document in the section "Create a Web Page to Display the Strategy Map."
4. Map a Web page report view to the URL of the strategy map, as described later in this document in the section "Create a Business Scorecard Manager Report View to Display the Strategy Map."

Create and display a data-driven strategy map

Instead of creating a strategy map that must be updated manually, you can create a data-driven Visio strategy map for use in Business Scorecard Manager. To create a data-driven strategy map, you must complete the following tasks, which are described in detail in subsequent sections of this topic.

1. Create a data-driven strategy map, which is a Visio diagram that contains embedded code for querying scorecard data, as described later in this document in the section "Create a Visio Diagram That Contains Embedded Code."
2. Create a Web site by using Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, and then publish the strategy map there, as described later in this document in the section "Create a Web Page to Display the Strategy Map."
3. Map a Web page report view to the URL of the strategy map, as described later in this document in the section "Create a Business Scorecard Manager Web Page Report View to Display the Strategy Map."

Create a Visio diagram that contains embedded code

To create a data-driven Visio diagram, you can embed logic in the Visio strategy map diagram that will query scorecard data sources and adjust the appearance of the diagram to reflect that data. To embed code in the Visio diagram, you can use a language such as Microsoft Visual Basic® for Applications (VBA). VBA is an appropriate choice for this code because the VBA code can be developed within the Visio–VBA interface. The embedded code must accomplish the following:

1. Retrieve KPI data from the scorecard data source.
2. Set the size and color of each geometric shape in the strategy map to reflect the status of the KPI that corresponds to that shape.
3. Display the appropriate text in the strategy map, including labels and KPI values.

For information about how to write this embedded code, see the Microsoft Office Developer Center.

Create a Web page to display the strategy map

After you have finished creating a Visio diagram, you must create a Web page by using Internet Information Services Manager to display the strategy map. You should create this Web page on a server with IIS installed.

To create a Web page to display the strategy map

1. On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. In IIS Manager, expand <COMPUTER NAME> (local computer), right-click the Web Sites directory, point to New, and then click Web Site.
3. Click Next.
4. In the Description box, type the name for the Web site, and then click Next.
5. In the TCP port this Web site should use box, type an unused port number (for example, 8091), and then click Next.
6. Click Browse, navigate to c:\Inetpub\wwwroot, and then click Make New Folder.
7. Type StrategyMap, and then click OK.
8. Click Next.
9. Click Next again to provide read permissions to this Web site.
10. Click Finish.
11. In Visio, open the Visio diagram that you created previously.
12. On the Visio toolbar, click File, and then click Save as Web Page.
13. In the File name box, type a name for the strategy map file (for example, map.htm).
14. Browse to c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\StrategyMap, and then click Save.

    Internet Explorer opens with the strategy map displayed.

15. In Internet Explorer, copy the URL from the Address box.

    You will use this URL in the next procedure to create the Business Scorecard Manager Web page report view.

Create a Business Scorecard Manager Web page report view to display the strategy map

Now that you have created a Web Part page that contains your strategy map, you must create a report view in Business Scorecard Manager that will display the data for the relevant scorecard in the strategy map.

To create and display a strategy map report view in Business Scorecard Manager

1. In Business Scorecard Builder, in Workspace Browser, click the appropriate scorecard.
2. In the right pane of the window, click the Report Views tab.
3. Click Add, click New Definition, and then click Next.
4. In the Report view name box, type a name for the report view.
5. In the Report view type list, select Webpage, and then click Continue.
6. In the navigation pane of the Report View Editor, click Configuration.
7. In the URL box, type the URL of the new Web page that contains the Visio diagram.
8. Click OK to close the Report View Editor.

   The name of the new report view appears under Listing of Report Views.

9. In Workspace Browser, right-click the scorecard name, and then click Publish.
10. On the Business Scorecard Builder Tools menu, point to Deploy Scorecard, and then click To SharePoint.
11. Click Specify Scorecard on Server.
12. In the Select Scorecard dialog box, click the Details tab, and then click the appropriate scorecard.
13. Click OK, and then click Next.
14. In the Scorecard view name list, select the scorecard view that you want to use, and then click Next.
15. In the Page Name box, type a name for the page that you are publishing on the SharePoint® site.
16. In the Layout list, select the layout that you want to use for the page on the SharePoint site, and then click Next.
17. In the SharePoint Site URL box, type or select the URL of the SharePoint site to which you are deploying the scorecard.
18. In the Document Library list, select a document library.
19. Click Finish.

    The strategy map that you created in Visio is displayed on the scorecard Web page.

Migrating from Business Scorecard Accelerator to Business Scorecard Manager

If you are using Microsoft® Office Business Scorecard Accelerator but would like to migrate to Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager 2005, this topic describes the options available for doing so. Examples of strategies for migrating from one application to another are included in the discussion.

Migrating from Business Scorecard Accelerator to Business Scorecard Manager is a four-step process:

1. Evaluating installation options.
2. Taking an inventory of the organization's current Business Scorecard Accelerator assets (objects), and after the inventory is complete, evaluating the effectiveness of these assets.
3. Evaluating migration alternatives.
4. Migrating objects by doing the following:
   1. Creating new assets either by using Business Scorecard Builder or by developing a migration script with the use of the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service and the Business Scorecard Manager Web service.
   2. Migrating the Business Scorecard Accelerator objects to Business Scorecard Manager.

Evaluating installation options

Business Scorecard Accelerator and Business Scorecard Manager can be installed side-by-side. This allows users to migrate scorecards as needed from one environment to the other. To add Business Scorecard Manager to a server on which Business Scorecard Accelerator is already installed, you only have to run the Business Scorecard Manager Server installation. Side-by-side installation is possible because Business Scorecard Manager does the following during installation:

• Creates a new Web site for the Business Scorecard Manager Web service. This Web site uses a different port number from that of Business Scorecard Accelerator, thus allowing both services to exist on the same server.
• Installs all necessary DLLs and Web service files with unique names and directory locations that do not conflict with those of the Business Scorecard Accelerator installation.
• Creates a new Microsoft SQL Server™ 2003 database to store scorecard metadata. This database has a name that is unique, thus differentiating it from the Business Scorecard Accelerator database.
• Installs Microsoft Office 2003 Web Parts for the organization's SharePoint® site that are unique to Business Scorecard Manager.

You can use the Windows® SharePoint Services or SharePoint Portal Server 2003 infrastructure that exits for a Business Scorecard Accelerator implementation to migrate new Business Scorecard Manager scorecards as needed. Business Scorecard Accelerator Web Parts can be removed and replaced with Business Scorecard Manager Web Parts, or the Business Scorecard Accelerator and Business Scorecard Manager Web Parts can reside side-by-side on the same page of a SharePoint site.

You can also deploy Business Scorecard Manager on a separate server. This option might be appropriate if you want to do a complete overhaul of your scorecard environment. Or you can develop new pages for your SharePoint site and deploy new scorecards to them without affecting the existing infrastructure. However, this option could increase overall migration time.

Taking inventory of scorecard objects

Your migration from Business Scorecard Accelerator to Business Scorecard Manager should start with gathering an inventory of your current scorecard objects. These include the scorecard elements, scorecards, and data sources that you defined in Business Scorecard Accelerator.

The first step in taking inventory is gaining an understanding of the objects that need to be migrated from Business Scorecard Accelerator and how they relate to objects in Business Scorecard Manager. Table 1 is a list of the major Business Scorecard Accelerator objects and the equivalent Business Scorecard Manager objects.

Table 1

Taking inventory could consist of creating a spreadsheet that identifies each of the items above, or it could consist of developing an automated tool that uses the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service to import information. Below is a sample that demonstrates a call to the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service and retrieval of a list of Business Scorecard Accelerator scorecards and their related KPIs.

This sample uses a Microsoft Visual C#® Console application in Microsoft Visual Studio® 2005. The name you assign to the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service in this project is BSAService. Because the Web service interface has no relation to the development tool, the same code will work in Visual Studio 2003 also.

To call the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service, you must add a reference in Visual Studio. (For more information about adding Web references to your Visual Studio projects, see the information at the following URL: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d9w023sx.aspx.) To find the URL for the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office Business Scorecards Accelerator, and then click Scorecard Web Service. The default installation link for this service is: http://servername:46785/ScorecardManagerService.asmx

After you add the Web reference, you are ready to create an instance of the ScorecardManagerService object. This object is the primary interface for retrieving information from the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service. The sample code that follows shows how to add the statement for the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service and create an instance of the ScorecardMangerService object.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using BSAtoBSMConversion.BSAService;

namespace BSAtoBSMConversion
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            ListScorecards();
        }

        static void ListScorecards()
        {
            //Create an instance of the Scorecard Manager Service
            ScorecardManagerService bsa = new ScorecardManagerService();
        }
    }
}

After you create the instance of the ScorecardManagerService object, you are ready to retrieve a list of scorecards from the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service. The next code sample builds on the ListScorecards method to return and iterate through an array of scorecard objects.

// Write a list of scorecards with related data sources and
// KPIs to the console window
static void ListScorecards()
{
    // Create an instance of the Scorecard Manager Service
    ScorecardManagerService bsa = new ScorecardManagerService();
    // Return an array of scorecard objects
    Scorecard[] scorecards = bsa.GetScorecards();
    foreach (Scorecard scorecard in scorecards)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Scorecard Name: " + scorecard.Name);
        Console.WriteLine("Data Source: " + scorecard.DataSource.Name);
        // Write out a list of the KPIs
        // Need to reload the scorecard to get all child objects
        // The fill flags allow you to load additional information
        // about the object
        Scorecard deepScorecard = bsa.GetScorecard(
        scorecard.ObjectId,
        FillFlags.KpiCustomProperty |
        FillFlags.KpiChildren |
        FillFlags.Kpi |
        FillFlags.KpiName);
        // Write header
        Console.WriteLine("KPIs (Type):");
        WriteKPIs(deepScorecard.Kpis, 1);
    }
}

// Write the KPI name and its type to the console window
// NOTE:  Perspectives, objectives, and KPIs are all treated
// as KPIs in the object model.  You must refer to the 
// KPI's type property to determine which object it really is
static void WriteKPIs(Kpi[] kpis, int depth)
{
    foreach (Kpi kpi in kpis)
    {
        // Create spacing for the display
        string space = new string(" ".ToCharArray()[0], depth * 2);
        Console.WriteLine(space + kpi.Name + " (" +
        kpi.Type.ToString() + ")");
        // Recurse through the child KPIs
        WriteKPIs(kpi.Children, depth + 1);
    }
}

Evaluating migration options

After you create the list of items that you want to migrate, you can evaluate how best to move those items. You should decide on a good migration strategy before you implement Business Scorecard Manager. Choose a migration strategy that is the most efficient in terms of your organization's needs. You can do one of the following:

• Manually migrate the objects.

  Manual migration sometimes sounds like a less desirable choice for migrating objects, but in a number of scenarios, it is a very appropriate method. If you have only a small number of scorecards that you must transfer, it is often faster to re-create the objects in the new tool, in this case Business Scorecard Builder, than to develop an automated migration utility. Manual migration has two additional advantages:

  • It is a great introduction to Business Scorecard Builder.
  • It helps you re-evaluate the usefulness of the information that you are presenting to users.
• Develop an automated tool to migrate the objects.

  When you have a larger number of objects to migrate to the Business Scorecard Manager, the more efficient alternative is to develop an automated tool for migrating the objects. This process is supported by both the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service and the Business Scorecard Manager Web service.

Manually migrating objects

To migrate the Business Scorecard Accelerator objects manually, use the inventory of current Business Scorecard Accelerator objects and the information in Table 1 as references to create new objects in Business Scorecard Builder.

Building an automated migration utility

To create an automated migration utility, you must map the Business Scorecard Accelerator objects to their Business Scorecard Manager counterparts. You can use the listing in Table 1as a reference for the mappings. Start by collecting Business Scorecard Accelerator scorecards, and then from each scorecard, retrieve a list of the related KPIs and other scorecard elements. Then map properties of each Business Scorecard Accelerator object to properties of the related Business Scorecard Manager object. After you have created the Business Scorecard Manager objects, invoke the Business Scorecard Manager Web service to publish the new objects on the Business Scorecard Manager server.

The next code sample is a walk-through of the process for migrating Business Scorecard Accelerator data source objects to Business Scorecard Manager. The process uses the Business Scorecard Accelerator Web service to return a list of scorecards. From this list of scorecards, the code then retrieves data source information for the scorecards and publishes new Business Scorecard Manager data sources by using the Business Scorecard Manager Web service.

static void MigrateDataSources()
{
    // Create an instance of the Scorecard Manager Service
    ScorecardManagerService bsa = new ScorecardManagerService();

    // Get an array of scorecards
    Scorecard[] scorecards = bsa.GetScorecards();

    // Create an array to store the data sources
    System.Collections.Hashtable dsCollection = new System.Collections.Hashtable();

    // Enumerate each scorecard and retrieve the data sources
    foreach (Scorecard scorecard in scorecards)
    {
        // Retrieve the Business Scorecard Accelerator data source
        BSAService.DataSource sourceDs = scorecard.DataSource;

        // Create a new Business Scorecard Manager data source
        BSMService.DataSource destDs = new BSMService.DataSource();

        // Check to make sure the Business Scorecard Accelerator data source 
        // has not been added to the collection
        if (!dsCollection.ContainsKey(sourceDs.ObjectId))
        {
            destDs.ConnectionString = sourceDs.ConnectionString;
            destDs.CreatedBy = sourceDs.CreatedBy;
            destDs.CreatedDate = sourceDs.CreatedDate;
            destDs.CubeName = scorecard.CubeName;
            destDs.DatabaseName = sourceDs.DatabaseName;
            destDs.Folder = "Migrated Sources";

            // Create a new unique id for this item
            destDs.Guid = Guid.NewGuid();
            destDs.ServerName = sourceDs.ServerName;

            // All Business Scorecard Accelerator sources are ADOMD.NET
            destDs.SourceName = "ADOMD.NET";
            destDs.UseConnectionString = sourceDs.UseConnectionString;

            // Add the data source to the hash table
            dsCollection.Add(sourceDs.ObjectId, destDs);
        }
    }

    // Enumerate the hashtable and create each data source
    // using the Business Scorecard Manager Web service
    foreach (System.Collections.DictionaryEntry de in dsCollection)
    {
        // Create an instance of the BSM Web service
        BSMService.PmService bsm = new BSMService.PmService();

        //Set the user credentials to the current user
        bsm.Credentials = System.Net.CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials;

        // Get the data source from the hash table
        BSMService.DataSource ds = (BSMService.DataSource)de.Value;

         //Create the data source
        bsm.CreateDataSource(ds);
        Console.Write("Added: " + ds.DatabaseName);
    }
}

To view the data sources that you migrated to Business Scorecard Manager, open Business Scorecard Builder and view them there, or invoke the Business Scorecard Manager Web service.

There are many variations of the automation process that has been described here. Hands-on guidance is often shared among professionals in the Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager 2005 community. For additional guidance, consult related newsgroups and other on-line sources for the latest peer resources.

Additional information

Find more information about Business Scorecard Manager 2005.