AMP Engine - Multi-Row Formula Tool Issues

Question

Hi All,

I'm using the AMP Engine for a particular workflow in order to make it run faster. I'm aware of some of the pitfalls of AMP - namely that any tool that requires the records to be in a particular order can get messed up due to the multi-threading nature of AMP.

I have a multi-row tool that I need to use out of necessity, and I've placed a Sort tool right before it - however, the records are still coming through out of order into the multi-row tool.

Is there any way to solve for this? Is it a bug? I have some other workflows using AMP Engine, and placing a sort tool before the multi-row worked in those cases.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

mceleavey · Answer

HI @AlterRexRyan ,

can you please share your workflow and some sample data (representative) so we can see what you're doing and maybe try to replicate it?

It doesn't sound like an AMP issue as the Sort tool should resolve it.

M.

dyamichael · Answer

I have this exact same issue and can replicate it. It caught me off guard because an old workflow was suddenly outputting very wrong results.

My solution is to be cautious of turning off AMP in workflows that use multi-row tools. Maybe it'll be fixed in an update.

ChrisK · Answer

... any tool that requires the records to be in a particular order can get messed up due to the multi-threading nature of AMP

This should not be the expectation. Though the AMP engine works in parallel, it should be presenting results in a deterministic order. (The typical order of grouping is a hash order, so it doesn't look like it is "ordered", but it is deterministic and repeatable.) In particular, if you have a sort tool and you think the results are coming out incorrectly sorted, that would be a bug. There's not much point to a sort if it doesn't give you records in a sorted order.

Can you make a repeatable example of this?

Chris