If you’re working with IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE) in a cloud container setup or independent server, you’ve probably noticed that independent integration servers can take longer than expected to start up. This delay becomes even more noticeable when you’re working in environments with limited CPU resources.

The good news? You can now optimize your integration server startup time. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to use a smart optimization feature introduced in ACE v12.0.4.0 that trims down unnecessary components during startup.

Why Optimization Matters

Every time an integration server starts, it loads all its internal components —even the ones you’re not actively using or off. This default behavior adds overhead, especially when you’re running lightweight containers where every second of startup time counts.

IBM provides a command to analyze the content of your server’s work directory and determine exactly which components are needed. This process creates a configuration file (server.components.yaml) that tells the server to skip the parts it doesn’t need, speeding up the startup dramatically.

This optimization works only for independent integration servers and is not intended for servers managed by integration nodes.

When Should You Use Optimization?

Consider using this approach if:

  • Your server’s content remains unchanged between runs.
  • Startup time is a critical factor in your environment (think CI/CD pipelines or Kubernetes pods).

Optimize Your Integration Server

Run the following command to optimize the server. 

ibmint optimize server --work-directory C:\Work\Development\V12\IndependentServer

When you run this command a server.components.yaml file is generated in the server’s work directory. This file lists only the essential components that need to be loaded during startup based on current workload that is deployed on server, and sets the other components to false (never load on startup).

Post-Optimization Tips

  • You can manually tweak server.components.yaml to enable/disable components.
  • Want to undo the optimization? Just delete the file—your server will revert to the standard startup behavior.
  • Unlike server.conf.yaml, this new file does not support override directories.

Final Thoughts

This new optimization feature is a game-changer for developers deploying ACE in containerized environments. With just a command, you can cut down on server startup time.

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/app-connect/12.0?topic=solutions-optimizing-startup-time-independent-integration-server