Intella version 3.0.x introduces significant updates to memory
management over previous Intella versions, aiming to improve performance and efficiency during
indexing. This article details these changes and how to configure memory
settings in Intella Desktop (including Intella 10, 100, 250, and Pro).
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Key Changes for Intella Desktop (10, 100, 250, Pro)
1. Separate Indexing Operations: Indexing is now handled separately from the main Intella process, allowing for dedicated memory allocation.
In previous versions of Intella Desktop, memory had to be divided between the main Intella application (or the main user interface) and the indexing process. However, in Intella 3.0.x, indexing operations are now handled separately from the main Intella process. This means that it’s no longer required to divide memory between the main Intella application and the indexing process anymore. Instead, you can allocate all memory to the indexing process, which can significantly improve indexing speed.
2. Visual Changes to Indexing Process: The indexing process has a different visual appearance.
The indexing process for Intella Desktop has also undergone some visual changes and will look different from previous versions of Intella.
Let's take a closer look at what this means.
Memory
settings are configured in the case settings. When creating or editing a case
in Intella Case Manager, navigate to the Advanced button to access these settings.
Understanding the Settings
Let's go over each setting.
- Total Physical Memory: The total RAM detected on the system. Note that Intella only uses physical memory, not virtual memory.
- OS Reserve: The memory reserved for the Windows operating system.
- Total Allocated Memory: The memory available for Intella, calculated as "Total Physical Memory" minus "OS Reserve."
-
Review Memory: Memory used by the main Intella Desktop process for non-indexing tasks like the GUI, case creation, and case review.
- Indexing Memory: Memory used by the lightweight crawler coordinator process for indexing. This rarely needs adjustment.
- Crawlers Memory: Memory used for the "heavy-lifting" portion of indexing, including both crawling and post-processing stages.
Note: Intella can allocate
more memory than the Total Physical Memory shown. For example, in the screenshot above, 22.4GB has been allocated to the Review Memory, and 24GB has been allocated to the Crawlers memory. This totals to 46.4GB, which is more than the Total Physical Memory of 30GB. This is because the
allocated "Review Memory" is only used during non-indexing tasks, and will be freed up before indexing tasks are performed. Likewise, "Indexing Memory" and "Crawlers Memory" are only used during indexing tasks, and this memory will be freed up before returning to non-indexing tasks. This ensures full RAM utilization.
To configure these memory settings, there are three options to choose from.
1. Auto: Recommended for most users. Intella automatically uses all available physical RAM, maximizing indexing performance.
2. Manual:
Allows restricting Intella's overall memory usage (specifically the Total Allocated Memory setting), which can be useful when running
other memory-intensive applications. A slider adjusts the allocated RAM. However please note that, in general when running Intella, we recommend that you close all other non-Intella applications to ensure the best stability and performance.
3. Advanced:
For technically skilled users. This setting provides fine-grained control over
memory distribution between "Review Memory," "Indexing Memory," and
"Crawlers Memory," as well as the number of crawlers. This should be used
cautiously and is typically only for tailored performance adjustments, or
as requested by Vound Support.
Upon adding a source, you will be prompted whether you want Intella to shut down the case and perform indexing.
Select "Yes" to allow Intella to automatically shut down the case, launch the indexing UI, and perform indexing.
Select "No" to postpone the indexing process. The case will not be shut down in this scenario.
When
indexing in Intella Desktop starts, the case will be automatically shut down, and a dedicated indexing
process will begin. Only the indexing progress panel is visible during this time, which can be seen in the screenshot below. After indexing completes, you will need to click the "Finish" button to return to the
main Intella interface.