Element Caching Terminology

The following terminology is helpful in understanding the concept of element caching:

• Element Request/Browse Query: A SQL request issued to the data warehouse to retrieve a list of attribute elements. This request accesses the attributes lookup table, which is defined when the attribute is created in Architect. If the key to the lookup table is the attribute itself, a SELECT is issued for the element request. If the attributes lookup table is in a lower-level lookup table (for example, month in the lookup date table) a SELECT DISTINCT is used for the element request. Element requests may also contain a WHERE clause if resulting from a search, filtered hierarchy prompt, drill request on a hierarchy prompt, or a security filter.
• Element Cache Pool: The amount of memory Intelligence Server allocates for element caching. In the interface, this value is called Maximum RAM usage, set in the Project Configuration Editor in the Caching: Auxiliary Caches: Elements category. The default value for this setting is 1 MB. Intelligence Server estimates that each object uses 512 bytes; therefore, by default, Intelligence Server caches about 2,048 element objects. If an element request results in more objects needing to be cached than what the maximum size of the element cache pool allows, the request is not cached.
• Element Incremental Fetch Size: The maximum number of elements for display in the interface per element request. On Developer, the default for the Element Incremental Fetch setting is 1,000 elements; on Web, the default is 15 elements.