The performance of Switch is affected by the processes that are being executed, such as
file handling, network transfers and external processes.
To avoid that Switch slows down because too many processes are running at the same time, there
are limits set to the number of concurrent processes. Changing these limits allows you to tune
the Switch performance.
Note: Do not forget that other aspects, such as computer specifications and network speed can
also affect overall performance.
File handling tasks
Handling files, such as copying or moving files and folders is limited to three simultaneous
tasks. It is not possible to change this number of concurrent file transfers.
Flow elements involved:
- Apple automator
- Export metadata
- Job dismantler
- Recycle bin
- XML pickup, JDF pickup, XMP pickup, Opaque pickup
- Problem jobs
- Submit hierarchy
- Submit point
- Checkpoint
- Generic application
- XSLT Transform
- Archive hierarchy
- File type
- Folder element
Network transfer tasks
The number of concurrent network file transfers can be set in the Switch preferences (). The default is set to 2 and the maximum limit is 100.
Flow elements involved:
- FTP send
- FTP receive
- Mail send
- Mail receive
- Checkpoint via mail
File processing tasks
The number of tasks required to process files by
using one of the flow elements listed below simultaneously can be set in the Switch preferences ().
By default this preference is set to 4 simultaneous processes (that is the
maximum available with a regular Switch Core Engine license), but licensing additional processes
can expand this limit to a maximum of 100.
Flow elements involved:
- All flow elements in the Apps and Configurators sections
- The following elements in the Basics section:
- Set hierarchy path
- Ungroup job
- Split multi-job
- Assemble job
- Execute command
- The following elements in the Tools section:
- Sort by preflight state
- Archive
- Unarchive
- Split PDF
- Merge PDF
- Hold job
- Inject job
- Rename job
- Sort job
- Log job info
- Sort files in job
- The Script element in the Scripting section:
Custom scripts are affected by the
"Concurrent processing tasks" preference as soon as the script is a "heavy script". A
script is considered to be "heavy", if it takes longer than one second to execute.
Light scripts and so-called 'TimeFired' calls belong to separate categories and
these processes are calculated in a different way. For more details, see Execution slots.
Note:
- Custom scripts using AppleScript can never be executed simultaneously. Since
the Quark Xpress and Microsoft Word Configurators (on Mac) use AppleScript, it
is not possible to run both the Quark Xpress and Microsoft Word Configurator and
a custom script using AppleScript at the same time. Switch will always process
jobs through these elements in a serial way.
- Starting from Switch 2017, it is no longer possible to create new scripts
using AppleScript. However, Switch 2017 will still be able to execute the
scripts created in older Switch versions.
- The following elements in the Communication section:
- HTTP request
- Pack job
- Unpack job
- Monitor confirmation
- The XMP inject element in the Metadata section.
- The Database connect element in the Database section.
-
The following elements in the Legacy section:
Accumulative limitation
Each task listed has its own upper limit. In
addition to this, Switch is limited to an upper limit of 200 for all simultaneous tasks. This
is the accumulation of File Handling, Network Transfers and External processes.