Optimizing Dashboard Performance

                 

 
Special Edition Using Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server
By Robert  Ferguson

Table of Contents
Chapter  14.   Customizing Dashboards


To optimize the dashboard performance, caching of Web Parts or even the whole dashboard page can be enabled. For Web Parts, three caching modes are available:

  • No caching ” This default option will ensure that the information presented in the Web Part is as accurate as possible, because the content is generated each time the page is requested .

  • Per user caching ” In this mode, the Web Part is cached on a per-user basis, such that, for example, the Web Part can take the user's context into account. Any request made to display the dashboard within the cache timeout period will contain the same data. This setting can be useful for personalized, not highly volatile information, such as the list of subscriptions.

  • For All Users caching ” Web Parts that are configured for caching across all users will generate their content for all users upon the first request within the timeout period. Any personalization must be avoided, only general information, such as News or Announcements, should be generated by Web Parts configured with this setting.

With Service Pack 1, significant enhancements of the dashboard performance have been accomplished, mainly due to two new caching algorithms that you can use. It is now possible not only to cache Web Part information, but in addition you can cache recently-used dashboard information or even the whole dashboard content itself.

The drawback of these enhancements is the loss of some personalization features. Applying Dashboard Definition Caching will cause the list of all Web Parts and sub-dashboards to be based on the access permissions of the first user who requests the dashboard page. Full-page caching goes much further, and will cache the whole dashboard page with all its content relative to the first user requesting that page. Take for example the out-of-the-box Subscription Web Part that can be found on the default dashboard; it shows the subscriptions of the currently logged-in user. If this Web Part would be included in a full-page cache, all users will see the subscriptions of the first user. Thus with full-page caching enabled, such per-user personalization cannot be handled in server-side script. To bypass this, you can consider client-side scripts or use Web Parts that run in Isolated mode.

NOTE

You can easily recognize whether a dashboard has been customized with some of the advanced caching options available in Service Pack 1. If in the top right corner, four little squares are visible next to the Help link, caching has been enabled. Otherwise, Coordinators will see individual links to modify "Content Layout Settings Help", and regular users will just see "Help". With advanced caching enabled, this personalization is hidden by the four little squares, and you will notice that clicking the squares will generate a URL with a ?showadminlinks=1 query parameter, causing the caching to be temporarily disabled such that the appropriate customization and help links can be generated.



                 
Top


Special Edition Using Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server
Special Edition Using Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server
ISBN: 0789725703
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 286

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net