Various processes and the limitations
Switch performance is affected by
such actions as file handling, network transfers and external processes. Following is a summary
of each with its limitations, available settings and which flow elements are affected by each
process. Note that these limits are only for concurrent processes executed at the same time.
Computer specifications and network speeds 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: Apple Automator, Export metadata, Job dismantler, Recycle bin, XML pickup, XMP
pickup, JDF 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 . The default is set to two (2) and the maximum limit is one hundred (100).
Flow elements: FTP send, FTP receive, Mail send, Mail receive and Checkpoint via mail.
File processing tasks
The number of tasks required to process files by
using one of the many flow elements, listed below, simultaneously can be set in the Switch . By default this preference is set to one (1) and is limited to four (4)
simultaneous processes but licensing additional processes can expand this limit to a maximum of
one hundred (100).
Flow elements: Most elements in the Configurator sections of the Flow
Elements pane, Assemble job, Execute command, Set hierarchy path, Split multi job, Ungroup job,
Monitor confirmation, Pack job, Unpack job, Database connector, Hold job, Inject job, Log job
info, Merge PDF, Rename job, Sort by preflight state, Sort files in job, Sort job, Split PDF,
Compress and Uncompress.
Note: Custom scripts (script element) are affected by the number of
Concurrent external processes as soon as the script is a "heavy script". A script is
determined to be "heavy" if it takes longer than one second to execute and therefore is passed
on as an external process.
Note: Custom scripts (script element) using AppleScript can
never be executed simultaneously.
Also The Quark Xpress and Microsoft Word
configurators (on Mac) use AppleScript. Therefore 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.
Accumulative Limitation
Each task listed has it's own upper limit. In
addition to this, Switch is limited to an upper limit of two hundred (200) for all simultaneous
tasks. This is the accumulation of File Handling, Network Transfers and External
processes.