Simulation Settings landing page

Use the Input definitions facilities to manage the input definitions that configure the input data that can be used in simulation runs. The overview shows information about the input definitions available in your application:

• Name: the name that identifies the input definition. You can open the configuration by clicking its name.
• Input data class: the data class on which the report definition is defined.
• Report definition: the name of the report definition that provides the data to the strategy.
• Subject ID
• Preview Data: preview the data retrieved by the input definition:
  • Sample: select to preview a sample of the data for a number of customers.
  • One customer: select to preview the data for a specific customer.
  • Preview size: size of the data sample in number of records when the option is Sample.
  • Partition Key: displays the field used for partitioning when the option is Sample.
  • Customer ID: provide the ID of the customer when the option is One customer.
  • Fetch for strategy: select to only retrieve the inputs used by the selected strategy.

Click New to create a new input definition. An input definition maps data in a database table to data instances.

Click Preview to preview sample data according to the options you select in the preview dialog:

• Input - provide the required information:
  • Input Data Class - select the data class on which the report definition is defined. Typically, this is also the class where the interaction rule is defined.
  • Report Definition - select the report definition that provides the input data for the simulation. A specific filter pattern is required in the report definition so that simulations can be distributed across Pega 7 nodes. This pattern consists of a filter condition that maps the appropriate column to the param.PartitionKey value. Distributed simulations depend on this filter pattern, as well as how system nodes are configured for that purpose in the topology settings.
  • Fetch additional embedded pages - this option allows you to provide structured input data to the simulations using this input definition. Use the Add Item and Add Child links to define the data structure, and provide:
    • Target Property - select the page.
    • Association Rule - select the association rule.
• Distributed Runs - Select the property to be used as partition key. Only properties of Integer data type are supported for this purpose.

Use the Output Definitions facilities to manage the output definitions that configure how to store the results of the simulation.

The overview of output definitions shows the following information:

• Name: the unique name of the output definition.
• Strategy Result Class: the name of the SR class configured in the output definition.
• Database: the name of the database where to store the output of the simulation.
• Database Table: the name of the database table where to store the results.
• Updated By: the user name corresponding to the last change.

Output definitions determine how data instances (strategy results) map to data in a database table. Use the New button to start the Create new Output Definition wizard. The wizard takes you through the following steps:

• Output Definition: define the name of the output definition, select the strategy result class.
• Database Configuration: define the report class, the database and the database table.
  • Name: the name of the data class created by the output definition. By default, the data class is configured based on the output definition name but you can change it if required.
  • Database: select the database data instance.
  • Database table name: the name of the database table where the results of the simulation are written to. A new table is created in the process of running the simulation if not present in the database. If the table exists, it is dropped before writing the results of the simulation.
  • Create dedicated database table: define how to handle the process of creating the database table. If this option is enabled, the database table is created. If this option is disabled, the process of creating the database table is skipped, and the SQL that allows for creating the expected database table is available in the review step. Use this option if the database connection used for this output definition does not have the rights to create tables. In this case, it is assumed that the necessary steps to create the database table are in place before triggering the simulation using that uses this output definition.
• Properties: specify properties and review default properties.
  • The first list of properties corresponds to properties in the strategy result class selected in the output definition step.
  • If you require properties that are not in the strategy result class, enable the Select additional properties from other classes option, and use the add item and delete actions to define the list of additional properties.
  • This step also displays the list of properties in the Data-Decision-StrategyExecution-ResultOutput class. These properties are inherited from the strategy's base class (Data-pxStrategyResult).

• Review: review the information used to create the records when you press the Create button. If you disabled the option for creating a dedicated database table in Database Configuration step, the Download SQL button allows you to obtain the SQL instructions to create the table in the expected database, something that needs to be in place before triggering a simulation using this output definition.

Use the Topology settings to define the participation and load of Pega 7 system nodes in simulations. In the grid displaying the system nodes, edit the Agent status and Threads columns to configure the system node's participation in simulations. Click Save to submit your changes.

The grid showing the system nodes displays this information for each node:

• Host Name: displays the name of the system node.
• Description: displays the short description as defined in the system node instance. Changing a system node's short description is necessary when multiple system nodes run on the same server.
• Agent status: the status (Disabled or Enabled) of the node's participation in the pool used to distribute a simulation. If the ProcessBatchJob agent is not running in the system node, this field displays Agent Unavailable.
• Threads: select the number of threads that can run in the node. The ProcessBatchJob agent reserves one thread for creating and waiting for requests; the number of threads should be the number of threads for simulation work purposes, plus one (the standard thread that is reserved by the agent).
• Updated and Updated by: the time stamp and the user name corresponding to the last change.
• Node ID: the Pega 7 node ID.