[sims] Batch Import Photographs Bug

[LosOjos]

Not sure how to report this properly, so if anyone knows please do let me know.

 

As anyone who has used SIMS extensively will know, there are a couple of memory handling issues in the system. For a DM like myself, this is most regularly witnessed when working on a large number of templates; eventually, the system crashes with an "Out of Memory" error, though this is quite a common error in SIMS.

 

Well today I've spotted another memory handling issue I'd like to report to try to start cutting down on these types of crashes.

 

When you run a batch photo import for students, SIMS appears to retain all of the photos in memory even after you close the routine. The only way to free up that memory is to close SIMS all together. This can be witnessed by starting a batch import, cancelling/closing the window, then trying to rename one of the photos in that import - you won't be able to until the next time SIMS has been completely closed, as it keeps the file in memory and therefore locked to editing.

 

I appreciate this might not be one that causes problems often, but I dare say I'd hit another OOM error in an hour or so due to the file sizes involved when handling photos, so I'd just like to bring this to Capita's attention somehow in the hope of squashing at least one such bug

[vikpaw]

I would just log a regular support ticket for it.

It's been like that since forever. I'm sure i logged it before.

I would always have to break the import folder down into manageable chunks, depending on file sizes, which for us were big so we got better images.

If you use manageable chunks, it will release one set of folders when you go back and click to open the next folder - though this isn't your issue, it helps when you want to move the photos, or delete them after import.

I can't remember if after a while the memory would go down, i don't think it does release it, so you probably have to as you say keep an eye on usage and close it down.

I'm going to do a large import later this week so will monitor.

[David_Grashoff]

Losojos as Vik advises please log a case as usual and ask for it to be reviewed by Andy McGowan. if you don't make any progress feel free to conatct me again.

[vikpaw]

I just imported 120 odd photos, which came to 10MB.

SIMS mem usage went up from 99MB to over 500MB.

It did not return whilst left unattended for over an hour.

I just started searching for some pre-admission students and doing some other stuff and the mem usage has gone down to 110MB.

The only other thing i did was to copy those photos from original location to another folder. I'll be doing some more shortly so will try to do no other actions in between and see if it gives it back eventually.

[vikpaw]

I'm sure i tried this before, because it's simple, so maybe something has changed, but i can release the lock on files and return the memory simply by doing a search on students.

I tried to import 160 jpegs, ~ 22MB. this broke SIMS and sent mem usage above 1GB, i think is because they are stored / manipulated as bitmap.

 

Anyhoo, splitting it into two batches worked. Mem usage peaks at about 1GB then drops down to 7-800MB.

After one import, trying another increased mem usage and crashed out.

 

On re-opening SIMS and doing teh second batch it did as above, then i searched for students and it dropped to 115MB. At which point i was also able to rename the files in the batch.

 

It's not ideal, but works better than it did before. This behaviour is quite similar to many Windows programs where you can't rename the folder pictures are contained in, because another program has locked it, or usually it's the thumbs file within that is locked.

 

So, try doing a student search, even without closing down the import module.

 

I'm on 7.156 by the way.

[vikpaw]

I've been doing more imports today, and the workaround doesn't do the job if you already have the students module open. You must close it. Then after an import click on student/pupil details, and hit search, open the first and the memory is released.