diff --git a/config/samples/k8s/mmsys-test-encode/README.md b/config/samples/k8s/mmsys-test-encode/README.md
index c7db411..fcceda7 100644
--- a/config/samples/k8s/mmsys-test-encode/README.md
+++ b/config/samples/k8s/mmsys-test-encode/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Example for mmsys-test-encode operation
+# Example for `mmsys-test-encode` function
 
 This example shows task execution of the `mmsys-test-encode` function demonstrating MPEG NBMP task error recovery using event sourcing. The NBMP tasks are created directly without going through the NBMP Workflow API and the full workflow manager. However, the nagare media engine `workflow-manager-helper` is deployed as a sidecar container next to the task container. The `workflow-manager-helper` will read the mounted secret and configure the task using the NBMP Task API. It then monitors the execution status.
 
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ The `mmsys-test-encode` function can be configured with the following options:
 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
 | `mmsys-test-encode.engine.nagare.media/test`                            | Execution test/mode to use (s. below). (required)                   |
 | `mmsys-test-encode.engine.nagare.media/chunk-seconds`                   | Duration of a chunk for split-merge execution modes. (required)     |
-| `mmsys-test-encode.engine.nagare.media/max-number-of-simulated-crashes` | Number crashes, i.e. hard terminations, to simulate (defaults to 2) |
-| `mmsys-test-encode.engine.nagare.media/simulated-crash-wait-duration`   | Time to wait until simulated crash is triggered. (defaults to 120s) |
+| `mmsys-test-encode.engine.nagare.media/max-number-of-simulated-crashes` | Number crashes, i.e. hard terminations, to simulate (defaults to 1) |
+| `mmsys-test-encode.engine.nagare.media/simulated-crash-wait-duration`   | Time to wait until simulated crash is triggered. (defaults to 60s) |
 
 The following execution tests/modes exist:
 
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ The following execution tests/modes exist:
 | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
 | baseline-simple              | Simple encode of the whole file.                                      |
 | baseline-split-merge         | Simple split-and-merge encode. The chunks are processes sequentially. |
-| test-no-recovery-simple      | Encode of the whole file with simulated crashes without recovery.     |
-| test-no-recovery-split-merge | Split-and-merge encode with simulated crashes without recovery.       |
-| test-recovery-split-merge    | Split-and-merge encode with simulated crashed with recovery.          |
+| test-no-recovery-simple      | Encode of the whole file with simulated crashes and no recovery.      |
+| test-no-recovery-split-merge | Split-and-merge encode with simulated crashes and no recovery.        |
+| test-recovery-split-merge    | Split-and-merge encode with simulated crashed and recovery.           |
 
 ## Host environment
 
@@ -94,35 +94,30 @@ In every test case, the output encoding can be accessed at <http://s3.local.gd/n
 # baseline-simple
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode create secret generic workflow-manager-helper-data-mmsys-test-encode-baseline-simple \
     --from-file=data.yaml=config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-simple.yaml
-
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode apply -f config/samples/k8s/mmsys-test-encode/job-task-mmsys-test-encode-baseline-simple.yaml
 $ kubectl logs -f -n mmsys-test-encode jobs/task-mmsys-test-encode-baseline-simple -c function
 
 # baseline-split-merge
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode create secret generic workflow-manager-helper-data-mmsys-test-encode-baseline-split-merge \
     --from-file=data.yaml=config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-split-merge.yaml
-
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode apply -f config/samples/k8s/mmsys-test-encode/job-task-mmsys-test-encode-baseline-split-merge.yaml
 $ kubectl logs -f -n mmsys-test-encode jobs/task-mmsys-test-encode-baseline-split-merge -c function
 
 # test-no-recovery-simple
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode create secret generic workflow-manager-helper-data-mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-simple \
     --from-file=data.yaml=config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-simple.yaml
-
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode apply -f config/samples/k8s/mmsys-test-encode/job-task-mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-simple.yaml
 $ kubectl logs -f -n mmsys-test-encode jobs/task-mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-simple -c function
 
 # test-no-recovery-split-merge
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode create secret generic workflow-manager-helper-data-mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-split-merge \
     --from-file=data.yaml=config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-split-merge.yaml
-
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode apply -f config/samples/k8s/mmsys-test-encode/job-task-mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-split-merge.yaml
 $ kubectl logs -f -n mmsys-test-encode jobs/task-mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-split-merge -c function
 
 # test-recovery-split-merge
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode create secret generic workflow-manager-helper-data-mmsys-test-encode-test-recovery-split-merge \
     --from-file=data.yaml=config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-recovery-split-merge.yaml
-
 $ kubectl -n mmsys-test-encode apply -f config/samples/k8s/mmsys-test-encode/job-task-mmsys-test-encode-test-recovery-split-merge.yaml
 $ kubectl logs -f -n mmsys-test-encode jobs/task-mmsys-test-encode-test-recovery-split-merge -c function
 ```
diff --git a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-simple.yaml b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-simple.yaml
index d97f255..2aa18db 100644
--- a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-simple.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-simple.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ task:
       url: http://minio.s3.svc.cluster.local:9000/nagare-media-engine-tests/inputs/caminandes-1-llama-drama.mp4
       metadata:
         streams:
-          - duration: 14m48s
+          - duration: 1m30s
             video:
               frameRate:
                 average: 24
diff --git a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-split-merge.yaml b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-split-merge.yaml
index 02412b3..11e6fa6 100644
--- a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-split-merge.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-baseline-split-merge.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ task:
       url: http://minio.s3.svc.cluster.local:9000/nagare-media-engine-tests/inputs/caminandes-1-llama-drama.mp4
       metadata:
         streams:
-          - duration: 14m48s
+          - duration: 1m30s
             video:
               frameRate:
                 average: 24
diff --git a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-simple.yaml b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-simple.yaml
index 307ad67..f520c8e 100644
--- a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-simple.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-simple.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ task:
       url: http://minio.s3.svc.cluster.local:9000/nagare-media-engine-tests/inputs/caminandes-1-llama-drama.mp4
       metadata:
         streams:
-          - duration: 14m48s
+          - duration: 1m30s
             video:
               frameRate:
                 average: 24
diff --git a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-split-merge.yaml b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-split-merge.yaml
index d9e8c8f..28f9106 100644
--- a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-split-merge.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-no-recovery-split-merge.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ task:
       url: http://minio.s3.svc.cluster.local:9000/nagare-media-engine-tests/inputs/caminandes-1-llama-drama.mp4
       metadata:
         streams:
-          - duration: 14m48s
+          - duration: 1m30s
             video:
               frameRate:
                 average: 24
diff --git a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-recovery-split-merge.yaml b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-recovery-split-merge.yaml
index 576305d..604bad2 100644
--- a/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-recovery-split-merge.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/nagare-media/workflow-manager-helper-data_mmsys-test-encode-test-recovery-split-merge.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ task:
       url: http://minio.s3.svc.cluster.local:9000/nagare-media-engine-tests/inputs/caminandes-1-llama-drama.mp4
       metadata:
         streams:
-          - duration: 14m48s
+          - duration: 1m30s
             video:
               frameRate:
                 average: 24
diff --git a/internal/functions/mmsys-test-encode/func.go b/internal/functions/mmsys-test-encode/func.go
index 9856e5d..65adabd 100644
--- a/internal/functions/mmsys-test-encode/func.go
+++ b/internal/functions/mmsys-test-encode/func.go
@@ -59,23 +59,20 @@ const (
 	MaxNumberOfSimulatedCrashesParameterKey = "mmsys-test-encode.engine.nagare.media/max-number-of-simulated-crashes"
 	SimulatedCrashWaitDurationParameterKey  = "mmsys-test-encode.engine.nagare.media/simulated-crash-wait-duration"
 
-	DefaultMaxNumberOfSimulatedCrashes = 2
-	DefaultSimulatedCrashWaitDuration  = 120 * time.Second
+	DefaultMaxNumberOfSimulatedCrashes = 1
+	DefaultSimulatedCrashWaitDuration  = 60 * time.Second
 )
 
 const (
 	// * baseline 1: simple encoding
 	// * baseline 2: split+merge encoding
-	// * baseline 3: split+merge encoding distributed
 	//
-	// with two disruptions:
+	// with n disruptions:
 	//   no event sourcing:
 	//     * test 1: simple encoding
 	//     * test 2: split+merge encoding
-	//     * test 3: split+merge encoding distributed
 	//   event sourcing:
 	//     * test 4: split+merge encoding
-	//     * test 5: split+merge encoding distributed
 
 	BaselineSimple                = "baseline-simple"
 	BaselineSplitMerge            = "baseline-split-merge"
@@ -640,7 +637,7 @@ func (f *function) setupSimulatedCrash(ctx context.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// simulate hard crash after 2m
+	// simulate hard crash
 	l.Info("enable simulated crash")
 	go func() {
 		time.Sleep(f.simulatedCrashWaitDuration)