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Why is the initial loading time of the printing component slow?

Updated

Introduction

When working with the printing component in VertiGIS Studio Web, users may occasionally experience a significant delay (>20 seconds) the first time they open it. This behavior typically occurs for the very first user who opens the print functionality after the system has been idle for some time. Once the initial load has completed and the necessary components are initialized, subsequent openings of the printing component perform much faster. However, if the printing component remains unused for a prolonged period, the system may revert to this slower first‑load state as it needs to reinitialize the resources required for generating a print.

 

Understanding Layout Info Retrieval in VertiGIS Printing Tools

To present layout‑specific fields (e.g. those listed under 'Advanced Options') the printing component must retrieve detailed layout information from the ArcGIS Server. This is accomplished through the geoprocessing task:
VertiGIS_Utilities/VertiGIS_Printing_Tools/GPServer/Get Layout Templates Info Task.

When observing this process in your browser’s Developer Tools, you will typically see the following request sequence:

  1. A submitJob request is initiated.
  2. The client sends several polling requests to check job progress.
  3. Once the task completes, the result is retrieved and the layout information is populated in the interface.

Under normal circumstances, this sequence is completed within a few seconds. However, following long periods of inactivity or after system cold starts, the ArcGIS Server may require additional time to initialize the resources and services needed for this task, resulting in the delayed first‑time load the introduction describes.

 

Improving Performance of the printing component

If layout information retrieval is consistently slow or users frequently experience delayed first‑time load behavior, there is one setting that can be changed to improve performance. This approach tackles the issue of both ArcGIS Server cold starts and limitations in service capacity.

Adjusting ArcGIS Server Geoprocessing Service Settings

One of the most common reasons for slow layout info retrieval is insufficient capacity on the ArcGIS Server. The printing geoprocessing service can only handle as many requests as the number of ArcSOC instances assigned to it. 

To improve performance, consider increasing the minimum and maximum number of service instances for the VertiGIS Printing Tools geoprocessing service. Please also refer to ArcGIS Server documentation: Configure service instance settings.

We recommend defining the following settings:

  • Minimum number of instances: 2 or more 
  • Maximum number of instances: 4 or 5 or more 

Example:
If the service is configured with only two maximum instances, and both are busy handling long‑running print jobs, any new layout info retrieval request must wait in the queue, resulting in noticeable delays. By increasing the maximum instance count (e.g., from 2 to 5), the service can process more requests in parallel, leading to faster responses.

Important: Higher instance counts increase CPU and memory consumption. Aim for a balanced configuration that matches the workload while preserving system stability.

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