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Performance Tips and Guidelines

Yaniv Dayan
  • Updated

In this article:

To achieve maximum performance from SkylineGlobe Server, it is important to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the sections below.

Hardware Considerations

Since SkylineGlobe Server relies on a hard disk cache, it is very important that the cache directory (configured via the Settings page) be on a very fast hard drive in order to optimize performance. For an SGS working in a cluster it is recommended to use a different local disk for each server, and not a shared network drive.

In addition, since SGS also uses a memory cache to further optimize performance and to minimize unnecessary access to the disk cache, a large and fast memory will also improve performance when SGS is serving many layers.
More about: Software and hardware requirements >

Determining an Appropriate Block Width for Feature Layers for TE4W Project

Block width is one of the most critical parameters in streaming a feature layer efficiently. In TE4W the block width value determines not only the block width of the stream requests sent from client to the remote server, like in TerraExplorer Desktop, but also the maximal distance from the camera above which the data disappears (i.e., Max Visibility Distance).

When a feature layer is loaded into TerraExplorer Desktop, the Suggested Block Width is set to ‘Auto’ by default. If the user does not set a block width manually, during the publishing process, the server automatically determines an appropriate block width value according to performance-related criteria. For optimized performance, however, it is recommended to manually set the block width in TerraExplorer Pro, prior to publishing the layer, or on the server side, after the layer was published. A layer’s block width should be calculated using the TerraExplorer Block Width tool. After calculating the block width, use this value to select the the appropriate value in the layer’s property sheet in the Suggested Block Width field.  

blockwidth2compiled.png

There are two key factors in selecting a block width for a layer, for TE4W projects:

  • Density and Precision Level – The denser and more precise the data, i.e., the average number of points or vertices per area, the smaller the block width should be. Note that polygon and polyline feature layers are usually denser than point feature layers.
  • Layer’s Maximum Visibility Distance – The higher you want to view the data, the greater the block width should be.

In a case where the two factors contradict each other, i.e., you want to view very dense and precise data from a high altitude, it is advised to simplify the layer. More about: Precision Level > and Zoom Level >

Subdomains

The use of subdomains is highly recommended as a means of significantly increasing the number of concurrent connections to TerraExplorer for Web permitted by the browser. Since most web browsers only allow six simultaneous requests per domain, this limitation is likely to result in a significant queuing of resources that increases page load time. The creation of subdomains spreads the requests to several domains which are mapped to the same your domain server or load-balancer by the DNS server. The number of permitted concurrent connections is directly proportional to your number of subdomains. More about: Setting TerraExplorer for Web settings >

Precision Level

If you have a very dense and precise data layer that you want to view from a high altitude, it is recommended to create a simplified version of the layer for viewing from a high altitude with a large block width. The original should be used for viewing from a low altitude using a small block width.

Zoom Level

If you want to view a layer’s features from several different zoom levels, divide the layer into multiple layers based on zoom level. Set a small block width for the low altitude layers, and a large block width for the high altitude layers. 

Altitude Mode

When creating a project for TE4W, it is recommended to set the layer’s Altitude Mode to “On Terrain” or “Absolute” rather than “Relative to Terrain”. This is recommended particularly for layers with dense features per block width. If “Relative to Terrain” must be used, it is recommended to decrease the block width.

Field by Attributes

No more than four Fields by Attribute classifications should be used per layer.

Recommended Browser

We recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome browser to browse TE4W.

DirectConnect

When working with a server cluster for load balancing and failover, DirectConnect uses the TerraBuilder fuser on each of the servers to distribute each TBP’s load. In this situation, multiple processes may simultaneously access the same source files on a shared local or network hard drive that is not fast enough, and a bottleneck can occur. More about: DirectConnect performance issues >

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