Travel Cache & Maintenance

ProTrack Warehouse uses a method of caching in order to optimize performance when computing shortest-path travel calculations. A dual-stage caching methodology has been implemented as of ProTrack Warehouse version 7.3, which first caches node-to-node travel, and then caches travel routes between unique pairs of locations. Once both stages are completed for a pair of locations, that particular pairing is considered to be "fully cached."

ProTrack Warehouse utilizes two methods in order to build the cache. First a node-to-node cache is ALWAYS primed (ahead of the time that it is actually needed during standards calculation). Additionally, some degree of location-to-location cache can be primed. The process of building these two pre-caches is referred to as "priming the cache." Secondly, as travel time is calculated between two locations, the shortest path is cached "on-the-fly" for location pairing without a pre-existing cache.

Priming the NodeCache and LocationCache - Overview

Node caching and location caching can both be independently "primed" ahead of time before standards are being calculated. This results in a huge performance gain when calculating standards involving travel.

"Priming" the cache means that there will be a "history" generated of travel combinations between two locations and nodes before travel actually occurs between those locations in the live production environment.

The priming processes of both node cache and location cache are handled independently. It is required that Node Cache ALWAYS be primed; location priming is considered optional. However in environments with pre-download assignments, location priming is recommended.

Priming the Node and Location Caches

As mentioned briefly earlier, the Caching screen is used to create and delete the Node and Location Caches.

^{Fig.196 Maintain Facility Layout - Caching}