e-Commerce Care & Maintenance

1. Server Processes
2. Daily Maintenance
3. Weekly Maintenance

The following list defines the details for each process:

 
1. Server Processes

   The following programs are designed to be run on the PointForce (PFE) Console Workstation in order to route and process information between PFE & Evolve:

   Replication Server (RP10):

   • RP10 should be started and run continuously on the PFE Console Workstation. Check the console each day and ensure that RP10's on-screen log shows that it has recently been able to connect to each remote subscriber to Import, Purge and Export.

   • The use of RP10 requires several weekly maintenance tasks (see the Weekly Maintenance Procedures section).

   Event Processor (CC33):

   • The Event Processor (CC33) program should be started and run continuously on the PFE Console Workstation. The program monitors the PFE Events table for newly inserted event records and "posts" the event by executing an event-specific process - e.g., emailing the contents of a shopping cart to the contact that checked it out.

   • The Event Processor (CC33) logs various conditions which may require corrective action by PFE Operators. See CC33 under the Daily Maintenance Procedures section.

   • The Events file is purged by the Purge Events (CC70) program. See CC70 under the Weekly Maintenance Procedures section.

   Cart Conveyor (EC33):

   • The Cart Conveyor (EC33) program should be started and run continuously on the PFE Console Workstation. The program monitors Evolve cart file looking for newly checked out carts and converts the carts into orders. Check the status of the EC33 process daily if not more often. Typically, the on-screen log should show recent activity (the Date Time column) and the message "Waiting for Shopping Carts" will appear in the status bar (bottom of screen) while it is idle.

   • The Cart Conveyor (EC33) logs various conditions which will require time-sensitive corrective action by PFE Operators. See EC33 under the Daily Maintenance Procedures section.

   • Checked out carts are purged by the Evolve Diagnostics (EC70) program. See EC70 under the Weekly Maintenance Section.

   Schedule & Print Orders (OE33 or OM33):

   • The Order Scheduling & Printing process (OE33 or OM33) process is run either periodically or continuously depending on the organizations requirements.

   • The processes are often run on a workstation in the warehouse/warehouse manager's office rather than the PFE Console Workstation. If so, the warehouse workstation where they are run should be sufficiently powerful to provide stability and equipped with pcAnyWhere enabled for remote control. If PointForce Support can quickly gain access to the workstation where the Order Scheduling & Printing processes are running it will help to decrease the time required to rectify support issues affecting these mission critical process. Make sure PointForce Support has the most up-to-date information on remote controlling the workstation where the Order Scheduling & Printing process runs.

   EFT Gateway Server (AR38):

   • If you are running WinSol 4.0.3 or higher, you may be using WinSol built in support for automated Electronic Funds Processing gateways (a.k.a.: credit card processing). The automated EFT system requires that the EFT Gateway Server (AR38) be started and run continuously on the PFE Console Workstation.
    
2. Daily Maintenance Procedures

   Cart Conveyor (EC33):

   • At least once per business day (and more often as the number of cart orders per day increases), the Cart Conveyor (EC33) application running on the PFE Console Workstation should be stopped and the Log/Print command used to print the applications log. Once printed, the log should be cleared. Don't forget to re-start the Cart Conveyor (EC33) after you have cleared the log.

   • Review and respond to the time sensitive transaction error messages shown in the Cart Conveyor Log. In some cases orders will have been created - some completely and others only partially - but marked for hold because of a issued marked in the log. In other cases an entire order may have been rejected.

   Event Processor (CC33):

   • At least once per business day (and more often as the number of events per day increases), the Event Processor (CC33) program should be stopped and the Log/Print command used to print the applications log. Once printed, the log should be cleared. Don’t forget to re-start the Event Processor (CC33) after you have cleared the log.

   • Review and respond to the messages shown in the Cart Conveyor Log. A typical error message in CC33's log will be invalid email addresses related to a transaction CC33 attempted to process.

   EFT Gateway Server (AR38):

   • At least once per business day the EFT Gateway Server (AR38) should be stopped and the Log/Print command used to print the application log. Once printed, the logs should be cleared. Restart the AR38 process once this task is completed.
    
3. Weekly Maintenance Procedures

   Purge Transaction Log (CC44):

   • At least once a week (depending on the size and volatility of data changes at your site) run the Purge Transaction Log (CC44) program with the default settings.

   • Following the run of CC44, the individually dated transaction archive files located in your installation's rparchives directory - which is typically located at rparchives/ in your PFE Server's installation directory (e.g., /0/client/rparchves/) should be optionally copied to another system or to semi-permanent media such as a CD-R or DVD-R and the files deleted from the PFE server.

   EC Diagnostics (EC70):

   • Each week, run the EC Diagnostics (EC70) using the default settings. This application will do a combination of analyzing information related to contacts to ensure it is still relevant to them and purge expired Evolve Session records.

   Event Purge (CC70):

   • The Events Purge (CC70) program will scan through the Events table and purge any Event record that is older than the Event's Days Until Eligible for Delete attribute (CC05). Please review the CC70 section of this document for the recommended CC05 settings for this program.

   • The program should be run in off peak hours and only after a validated backup. Purged Events are not archived. Use ODBC against EVNTS if you wish to retain data for analysis before they are purged.

   • The Stop button can be used halt the program at any time.

   Recommended Settings for Eligible for Deletion Days (CC05):

   Event Code	Description	Eligible for Deletion Days
   CART CHECKOUT	Cart Checkout	730 (2 years)
   CART INVOICE GENERATED	Cart Invoice Generated	730 (2 years)
   CART ORDER GENERATED	Cart Order Generated	730 (2 years)
   EC LOGIN	EC Login	730 (2 years)
   CART DELETE	Cart Deleted	730 (2 years)
   CART NEW	Cart Created	730 (2 years)
   CART APPROVE REQUEST	Cart requiring Approval was checked out	730 (2 years)
   CART APPROVE DECLINE	Cart Approval request was declined	730 (2 years)
   CART APPROVE CHECKOUT	Cart Approval request was accepted	730 (2 years)
   EC LOGIN FAILED	EC Login failed	730 (2 years)
   EC LOGOFF	EC Logoff	730 (2 years)

   *High Volume Sites may wish to consider reducing the 2 year settings to 1 year or lower

   Search Word/Search Index Diagnostics (EC71):

   • The Search Word/Search Index Diagnostics program (EC71) regenerates Search Words. This activity will detect any changes in related search word criteria such as Category Names, Commodity Code Names, Supplier Names, Manufacturer and etc and re-applies the Stop Words. Once the words are regenerated a new set of indexes is created and compared against the live indexes - adjustments are made only where differences between the regenerated and live indexes are detected. These adjustments will transaction logged and cause some bulk updates to replicate out to the replicated Evolve web site - therefore this update should be scheduled during off-peak hours - e.g., as part of the WEEKEND Job Stream.

   Purge or Archive PFE Application Logs (logs/):

   • At least once a week the previous week's application log files can be deleted. These logs are found on your PFE Server in the logs directory below your installation directory - e.g., /0/client/logs/

   • Sub-directories for specific company applications exist under the logs/ directory. Within each sub-directory will be individually dated log files: - e.g., 10rp10/20040401_10rp10.log. Typically you should keep one full week of logs on file as they are helpful in analyzing the activity of various PFE systems and - for example the performance of your Replication Server (RP10).

   • From time to time, PointForce Support may request that you keep online and/or archive offline and forward a series of log files for a specific application.

   Microsoft IIS Logs:

   • If your installation is running Microsoft Internet Information Services to serve up graphics and you have enabled http header logging you will need to archive and delete the WC3 log files which are typically created at C:\windows\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1 by IIS6.

   • The log files are date-based on GMT time - you should be able to archive all but the last log file which will be locked in use. Archive the logs to another location (or burn them to a disk) for analysis and delete them from the web server.

   ProvideX Web Server Logs:

   • HTTP header logging is an optional feature of the ProvdeX Web Server version 6.0 or higher (as of 2004.04.01 version 5.14 was shipping; these instructions are included now for future consideration.) If the feature is enabled then each week the Systems Administrator is responsible for archiving and deleting the logs files which will be located in one or more directories in C:\pvxwww###\lib\_web\ named after the individual web servers. E.g, if the installation has two web servers named "http" and "https" then there will be files to archive and clear from two directories:

     http: c:\pvxwww###\lib\_web\http
     https: c:\pvxwww###\lib\_web\https

   • The log files are date-based on GMT time - you should be able to archive all but the last log file which will be locked in use. Archive the logs to another location (or burn them to a disk) for analysis and delete them from the web server.

   ProvideX SMTP Email Logs:

   • Once a week - while the PFE processes list below are not running, the PFE Server's ProvideX Email logs should be deleted. The most efficient way of clearing these logs is to simply delete the outbox directory - which is why it is critical to ensure that no PFE processes are using ProvideX SMTP services when you do this. Those PFE Processes are:
     • Event Processor (CC33)
     • Customer Mail Merge (SU22)
     • Contact Mail Merge (CM12)
     • Any custom program that sends email from within PFE.

   • To purge the log carefully remove the following directory along with the files and sub-directories it contains (if any):

     Linux or Unix-based Servers:		/0/pvx/lib/_web/outbox
     Windows-based Servers:		c:\pvx\lib\_web\outbox