Live Translation Memory Mode

Translation memories can be configured to operate in live mode. In live mode, entries are added to the translation memory constantly during the translation process, and status is tracked to distinguish different types of entries. Translation memories are updated whenever the segmented asset cache is updated. Any operation that updates the segmented asset cache will update the translation memory (for example, saves to AIS, uploads from desktop translation tools, and so on).

In addition to enabling real-time sharing of translation memory, live translation memory makes it possible to effectively update projects by restarting tasks without losing work.

Note: Live translation memory mode is enabled by default. To check this, open the tm.properties file and make sure that the value of the enable_live_translation_memory property is true.

Live translation memory represents a substantial change from non-live TM mode. Existing customers may have to make conceptual, process, workflow and permission changes to adopt live mode. WorldServer default installations are set to non-live mode.

The Translation Status of a segment refers to if it is Pending Review, Reviewed, Rejected, or has no status.

Note: There is translation status on a segment (in the workbench and cache), and translation status on a TM entry, as described in the following table.

The combination of live translation memory mode and segment status makes it possible for translations to go into translation memory as soon as possible for the benefit of all translators, but at the same time translators can distinguish between translations that have been through a review process and those that might have just been added.

As translators work, the source and target text are copied from the segment cache to translation memory. Segment translation status determines if a segment is added to or updated in the translation memory and what translation status the corresponding entry should have. The following table shows what happens to the status in the translation memory when a segment's translation status changes in the workbench:

Table 1. Segment status in workbench and TM status
Segment translation status	Add or update made in TM?	TM entry translation status
None	No	No update
Pending Review	Yes	Pending Review
Reviewed	Yes	Reviewed
Rejected	Yes	Rejected

When WorldServer first segments your file and creates the bilingual segment list, it tries to fill in some of the translations from the translation memory. If it finds an ICE match or a 100% match it will automatically fill them in. (Note that by default only TM entries with a status of Reviewed can result in ICE matches.)

If WorldServer finds an ICE match, it fills in the target segment with it and automatically sets the segment translation status to Reviewed. If WorldServer finds a 100% match, it fills in the target segment with it and by default automatically sets the segment review status to Pending Review.

Note: You can reconfigure how you want WorldServer to treat 100% matches. You can change it to set the status to None or to Reviewed (not recommended) by going to tm.properties, uncommenting the line:

#maximum_exact_translation_status=Pending

and changing Pending to None or Reviewed.

When a translator starts working, after she or he translates a segment and clicks Save, the translation goes into the translation memory as Pending Review. Later, if a reviewer changes the translation status of the segment in the segment cache (that is, in the workbench) to Reviewed and clicks Save, the corresponding entry in translation memory is also set to Reviewed.

By the end of the workflow, all segments should have a Reviewed status in the translation memory. When the reviewer sets the status of a segment to Rejected, the asset should go back to the translator. The translator can use the All rejected filter in the Browser Workbench to see only the rejected segments. When the translator fixes the rejected segment, he or she then changes the segment to Pending Review manually, using the Tools > Translation Status menu. When the translator has fixed the rejected segments, the asset goes back to the reviewer, and this cycle continues until all segments are marked Reviewed by the reviewer.

Additional TM Properties for Live Translation Memory Mode

In addition to the enable_live_translation_memory and maximum_exact_translation_status properties already described, there are two other settings in tm.properties with which you can control live translation memory mode behavior. These properties are commented out by default.

require_reviewed_status_for_ice=true – Determines if translation entries must have Reviewed translation status as a requirement for ICE matches. The default behavior (which is, effectively, true) is that unreviewed translation memory entries do not satisfy the ICE criteria. To make Pending Review TM entries with ICE match scores have their segment translation status set to Pending Review (instead of Reviewed), uncomment this property and set it to false. In non-live mode, all translation memory entries are reviewed, so ICE matches are unaffected by this configuration.
tm_score_unreviewed_match_penalty=0 – Defines the penalty for TM matches with an unreviewed translation status. In non-live mode, all translation memory entries are reviewed, so ICE matches are unaffected by this configuration. This is a leverage level penalty. It is applied to the final score produced by the match, and is only applied during leverage based processes. The value should be between 0 and 1. This penalty applies to all TM matches.