Resource optimization

Alteryx balances the memory, CPU use, and disk I/O to optimize its resources and run at peak levels. There are options we will review that can control resource utilization. This will help identify areas in your workflow where applying various settings could be very useful in processing data faster. The system, user, and workflow level are the three options to limit the amount of memory that is used. Let's look at the various settings.

The Engine sort/join memory setting focuses on the minimum allocated memory the engine will expend when operations such as sorts and joins are performed. Other tools forge ahead with long maximum times, using memory outside the sort/join domain.

Most users don't need to change the default sort/join memory settings, depending on resource expenditure within the workflow and resource location, where resources are driven from memory, CPU use, and disk I/O. Set your sort/join memory usage higher or lower depending on your workflow and computer usage. The sort memory derives from the sort tool and other tools to reorder your data. Any processes within your workflow that contain joins, such as utilizing the join tool and the join multiple tool, refer to the join memory. If your workflow contains in-depth sorting, then increase the memory usage, and if your workflow doesn't have intensive sorting, then decrease the memory usage.

A sort will run faster if it is run entirely in memory instead of using temp files; but if it must switch to using virtual memory, performance will decrease, which is why the setting should not be too high.

The system level settings for the global default sort/join memory usage option can be located at Alteryx | Options | Advanced Options | System Settings | Engine | Default Sort/Join Memory Usage (MB). The snapshot for the system settings screen is as follows:

An alternative to edit the Default Dedicated Sort/Join Memory Usage can be found under the user settings once the option Override System Settings is selected in the Engine settings.

The user level settings for the Default Dedicated Sort/Join Memory Usage option can be found at the Options | User Settings | Edit User Settings | Defaults tab. The snapshot for the user settings screen is as follows:

The last option to manage sort/join memory is at the workflow level. Navigate to Workflow Configuration | Runtime tab | Dedicated Sort/Join Memory Usage | Use Specific Amount. The following is the snapshot for managing the sort/join memory: