What are the main Windows processes of an HFM application server?
The main Windows processes of a HFM application server are HsxService.exe, HsxServer.exe, CASSecurity.exe and HsvDatasource.exe.
What happens when I start the HFM Windows Service?
Oracle's Hyperion Financial Management can be started by starting the Windows Service "Hyperion Financial Management - Management Service". When this service is started, a process called HsxService.exe will become visible in the Windows Task Manager, and will remain running until the Windows Service is stopped. The HsxServer.exe, CASSecurity.exe and HsvDataSource.exe processes are also started.
What happens when I stop the HFM Windows Service?
When the Hyperion Financial Management Windows service is stopped, the HsxService.exe process will be stopped along with the HsvDataSource.exe, CASSecurity.exe and HsxServer.exe processes.
Why should I use the HFM Windows Service?
Oracle typically recommends that customers use the Windows Service approach only when their individual applications within their HFM database are known to take several minutes to start up. By starting the Windows Service, the application server will pre-launch each application, which will then be "active" and already started when the first user attempts to connect to the application. In this way, the user will not experience any "delay" while logging in, due to application startup time.
Applications may take longer to start up when their metadata dimensions are very large, when an application server or database is under heavy load, or when the rules file of the application contains a slow performing "NoInput" rules section. This section may take longer to execute if it contains many loop statements through many different metadata Point of View (POV) members. Care should be taken when designing metadata and NoInput rules routines to reduce the start up time of an individual application.
Applications may take longer to start up when their metadata dimensions are very large, when an application server or database is under heavy load, or when the rules file of the application contains a slow performing "NoInput" rules section. This section may take longer to execute if it contains many loop statements through many different metadata Point of View (POV) members. Care should be taken when designing metadata and NoInput rules routines to reduce the start up time of an individual application.
When should I not use the HFM Windows Service?
A potential disadvantage of using the Windows Service approach is that all applications are started, regardless of the true requirement and usage of the end users. If there are many applications that exist in the HFM database, unnecessary memory and CPU cycles may be used launching applications which are not needed by the end users. For this reason, Oracle recommends that customers not keep unused HFM applications in production environment HFM databases, or to not use the HFM Windows Service approach if there are known unused HFM applications in the database.
Allowing HFM to start and stop as needed.
If the HFM Windows Service is not being used as above, Financial Management will start itself when end users attempt to log on to an HFM application. When any end user connects to HFM for the first time on a particular application server, the process HsxServer.exe will be started. This process builds connections to the HFM database repository, authenticates the user connecting, and returns a list of available HFM applications within the database. There will only be one HsxServer.exe process on each application server. If the end user who connected to the HFM application server then proceeds to select an HFM application name to open, the HsxServer.exe process will then launch the HsvDataSource.exe Windows process to start that application. The HsxServer.exe process will remain running until there are no users logged on to that application server and all HsvDataSource.exe processes have also stopped.
Why do I see multiple HsvDataSource.exe processes on an HFM application server?
Hyperion Financial Management opens one HsvDataSource.exe (HSVDAT~1.EXE) process on the HFM server per active application. Connections are application specific. If multiple applications are opened, multiple HsvDataSource.exe processes will be launched.
When an application is opened, a database connection pool is created between the application process and the relational database (SQL Server / Oracle / DB2 etc). However, connections are not released on an application basis - they are released on an application server basis. All connections are not released until the application server has no Financial Management users accessing any application.
When an application is opened, a database connection pool is created between the application process and the relational database (SQL Server / Oracle / DB2 etc). However, connections are not released on an application basis - they are released on an application server basis. All connections are not released until the application server has no Financial Management users accessing any application.
When does the HsvDataSource.exe process stop itself?
When an application server determines that all users of a particular application on that application server have correctly logged off or timed out (e.g. web time out), then it sends a signal to the HsvDataSource.exe process running that application to stop itself.
When all HsvDataSource.exe processes on a particular application server have stopped themselves, then the HsxServer.exe and CASSecurity.exe processes will also be stopped. After a short delay, under normal circumstances, all HFM processes will stop themselves. Only when all HFM processes on all HFM application servers have been stopped is it safe to make changes to the relational database for example, copying applications, taking or restoring backups of the database or powering down the database. Changes to the database should NOT be made while any HsvDataSource.exe process is seen running in the Windows Task Manager.
When all HsvDataSource.exe processes on a particular application server have stopped themselves, then the HsxServer.exe and CASSecurity.exe processes will also be stopped. After a short delay, under normal circumstances, all HFM processes will stop themselves. Only when all HFM processes on all HFM application servers have been stopped is it safe to make changes to the relational database for example, copying applications, taking or restoring backups of the database or powering down the database. Changes to the database should NOT be made while any HsvDataSource.exe process is seen running in the Windows Task Manager.
Why might the HsvDataSource.exe not stop by itself?
If end users log off incorrectly, their sessions may not have stopped. Hyperion Reports, Financial Reporting, Web Analysis, Financial Data Quality Management, Shared Services task flows or other modules may be holding open connections to Financial Management applications. All other Hyperion processes and services which may be connecting to Financial Management should be stopped first. Financial Management administrators may like to use the "Users on System" module of Financial Management to stop end user connections. When Financial Management decides that all connections have stopped, it should proceed to shut itself down automatically.
What is the CASSecurity.exe process?
Another Windows process is CASSecurity.exe. This is a process that manages the interface between Financial Management and Hyperion Shared Services modules. It handles some of the authorization and authentication processes of HFM, as well as security related features while the application is running. Important Note: Any change in the Shared Services external provider configuration REQUIRES the CASSecurity.exe process to be recycled in order gain access to the provider changes. Follow the "In what order should the HFM processes be stopped" section.
In what order should the HFM processes be stopped?
If Financial Management appears to have frozen / crashed it may be necessary to stop the processes. Processes should be stopped in the following order:
- The Hyperion Financial Management Windows Service (HsxService.exe) should be stopped via the Windows Services if it seen to be running.
- The HsvDataSource.exe for each application should be shut down. Ideally it should be observed that the HsvDataSource.exe is using 00% CPU in the Windows Task Manager before it is stopped using "End Process". Care should be taken when stopping running processes.
- Any CASSecurity.exe process which is still running in the Windows Task Manager should be stopped using "End Process"
- If any HsxServer.exe process is still running, it should be stopped using "End Process"
CAUTION: In a multi-server environment where multiple application servers are connecting to the same relational database, the process of stopping HFM should be repeated on ALL HFM application servers before attempting to restart any HFM processes or "bring up" the applications once again. It is not recommended to stop and start any one server independently but instead to stop the whole environment and then bring it back up.
