Slow Alteryx Workflow Run

[garvit1495]

Does this happened before that the same workflow runs in 10 mins and sometimes it takes more than an hour? Is there something I can do to fix it? No Db connection just Files read and process that

[pdave87]

@garvit1495 hi, there are several ways to improve workflow processing. One I can think quickly is remove additional browse tools, containerize your data and disable which provides constant output. Check if these steps help. Also, share a snapshot for reference. There maybe more steps we can modify/add/remove and improve the performance.

[CharlieS]

@garvit1495 

There could be a few reasons for this. If the workflow hasn't been changed, then changes to the inputs or resources available to process the workflow can yield those kind of results. I would start by double checking your inputs to make sure nothing has changed there. If an input file is much larger, then the same workflow usually takes longer to run.

I would also recommend enabling the "Performance Profiling" feature to see what part of your workflow is taking so long to complete. This feature is found under the Workflow Configuration > Runtime > checkbox to "Enable Performance Profiling". After this is done, the next time you run the workflow, the results window will include information on how long it took each tool or macro in the workflow to complete, sorted by time. Start at the top of the list and that should help you see what's taking so long to complete. 

Here's a post that shows what Performance Profiling looks like:

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Performance-Profiling-in-v10/td-p/3771

[garvit1495]

Thanks, @pdave87 @CharlieS for your inputs. I actually found the tool which is taking an abnormally much longer time, it is a Cleansing tool. I am trying to replace all the numerical values with 0 using the data cleansing tool. The data volume is 230M but the same amount without the cleansing tool taking 10 mins but with the cleansing tool, it is taking more than an hour. 

[CharlieS]

The Data Cleansing tool is a common drag on performance (but savior of data quality!). If you're just using it to replace nulls with 0s an IF statement in a Formula (or Multi Field Formula) tool can be a time saver. 

Either way Performance Profiling for the win for identifying the issue! Happy Alteryx-ing!

[pdave87]

@CharlieS thanks for sharing your knowledge. I am continuously learning Alteryx tricks and methods to improve my skills. I am making note of this option as we can always perform this step after completing workflow as a thumb rule to ensure output always remains optimized. Also, thanks for sharing Data Cleansing tool vs Formula tool comparison. That is another point in my journal. Thanks a lot.

@garvit1495 Great questions. Thanks for sharing your query here.

[cmcclellan]

Also remember that NULL doesn't use any memory or disk space, 0 will use memory and disk space.  Depending on what you're doing downstream, it's a lot better to keep the nulls and work it out later.