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Improving GUI performance

To optimize the Content Manager Explorer Web-based interface, cache resources that rarely change, disable monitoring of configuration files, and manually trigger updating of static resources.

Caching resources that change rarely

Various types of resources in your system typically change rarely after the system has been implemented and is in use. Examples of such resources are Schemas, Categories, Publications and MIME types. Especially when retrieving lists of these items, Content Manager Explorer benefits from caching these for a longer period.

To change the caching duration of specific types of items, do the following:

  • Access the subfolder web\WebUI\Models\TCM54\Configuration\ of %TRIDION_HOME%. In this folder, open TCM54.config in a plain-text or XML editor.
  • Find the resources element with its cache attribute set to true. Within this section, find a <cfg:caching> element with a number of cfg:cache elements, many commented out. Each element has two attributes: implementation, indicating the type of item being cached, and max-age, indicating the maximum cache duration in seconds. There is a generic max-age specified for all lists, specified for the type Tridion.ContentManager.List (defaults to the value 3600). Unless you explicitly specify a max-age for a type of list (such as, say, Tridion.ContentManager.ListSchemas), the system will implicitly set the max-age of that list to 3600 also.
  • Now, for those types of lists that you expect to change rarely or never, uncomment the corresponding cfg:cache element and set max-age to a higher value. For example, if your Schemas are implemented and unlikely to change any time soon, uncomment the line with implementation set to Tridion.ContentManager.ListSchemas and set its max-age to, say, 86400, so that the line reads:

    <cfg:cache implementation="Tridion.ContentManager.ListSchemas" max-age="86400" />
  • Save and close TCM54.config.
Disabling monitoring of configuration files

By default, Content Manager Explorer monitors changes to all configuration files and all included related files that affect generated resources (JavaScript, CSS and so on). This is useful while you are installing and possibly customizing the interface. But once the system is stable, monitoring of these files needs to happen rarely or never.

To minimize or disable monitoring, do the following:

  • Access the subfolder WebUI\WebRoot\Configuration\ of %TRIDION_HOME%. In this folder, open System.config in a plain-text or XML editor.
  • In this file, in the element Configuration/servicemodel/server, find the filemonitor element.
  • To minimize monitoring, leave the enabled attribute set to true and set the frequency attribute to a higher value. This value specifies the period within which the servers will start serving the new contents to clients. For example, a frequency of PT5M0S sets this period to 5 minutes.
  • Alternatively, to disable monitoring altogether, removed the frequency attribute and set enabled to false.
Triggering an update of static resources through version update

By default, the period in which the browser caches Content Manager Explorer resources (images and JavaScript, CSS, XML, and XSLT files) is configured to always remain cached. In the event that you want to force the client to request the resources again (for example, because you modified, added or removed an extension, or because you upload a new icon for a Multimedia Type), do the following:

  • Access the subfolder WebUI\WebRoot\Configuration\ of %TRIDION_HOME%. In this folder, open System.config in a plain-text or XML editor.
  • In the Configuration/servicemodel location, increase the value of the modification attribute.