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By gradually sending identical batches of images to the Application Server, Automated Scanning Stations help generate a specific workload.
Diagram of the FlexiCapture performance test setup, where a Load Generator feeds batches into the ABBYY FlexiCapture system, made up of the Processing Server, Licensing Server, Application Server, File Storage, Processing Stations, and Database, which then exports processed results to the Customer's ERP backend system.

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Processing workflow

Input images are processed automatically by the System, in this order:
  1. Import from a Scanning Station
  2. Pre-processing
  3. Recognition
  4. Export
  5. Processed stage

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Test project and input batch

The SingleEntryPoint shipped with ABBYY FlexiCapture is used for performance testing as standard. It contains 5 Document Definitions: 4 flexible ones (Letters, Contracts, Prices, Invoices) and 1 fixed (Banking), which includes 3 sections and annex pages. Input images arrive for processing as separate sets of pages. The batch used in the test as a standard contains 69 pages (27 documents). Depending on the goals of testing, the color mode and the number of images in the batch may vary. At the Recognition stage, they are assembled into documents after the Document Definitions are applied. Processed documents are received in the shared SMB folder:
  • Extracted data exported as CSV files
  • Images saved as color TIFF files
The old files and data are automatically cleaned up by a standard procedure at the Application Server. Batches older than 1 hour, and logs and statistics older than 24 hours, are deleted during the cleanup. The server configuration and number of processing CPU cores vary depending on the goals of the testing.

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Monitored parameters

The system is constantly monitored during tests. In addition to the counters, these parameters are also controlled:
  • The input flow rate in pages/second and pages/24 hours
  • The System performance in pages/second and pages/24 hours
  • The average time for processing one batch
  • The automated cleanup performance in pages/24 hours
For more information, see System monitoring and bottleneck detection.

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Test duration

Each testing setup should run for at least 8 hours at a constant workload. Typical testing periods are:
  • Express testing: 24 hours
  • Standard testing: 72 hours
  • Stability testing: 1 to 2 weeks

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Testing with the verification stage

With the verification stage, the workflow runs in this order:
  1. Import from a Scanning Station
  2. Pre-processing
  3. Recognition
  4. Verification
  5. Export
  6. Processed stage
At the Verification stage, automated clients emulate the verification operators’ job. They receive tasks, save modified documents, and forward the processed tasks to the next stage. These parameters are also monitored:
  • The number of verifiers
  • The time to get a task, in seconds
  • The time to save verification results, in seconds
Both times indicate how easy the System is for verification operators to use.