Speed Issue

[omni]

Roger,

This is a new one for us. We have users that utilize an autorate function for rating invoices, very complex. This file has about 20,000 records, and there are various indexes and filters set when rating. He has complained about the speed slowing down the last 60 days. Been using it for 5+ years. We have tested and tested, and found that it appears that the number of users on the network that have the file open causes the speed slowing down. If one user is in the system and autorates a bill, it takes 2-3 seconds. Once all users are on the network, it can take 30-40 seconds. This issue appears to be only relevant for this process, and not any of the other routines. Same results if directly on the server. If we get the users out (close the file) and reindex the file it again takes 3-4 seconds. Filters (which eliminate only 2-4% of the records within a scope) have no impact. They do not have client server, and less than 10 users.

Any thoughts?

Fred
Omni

[rdonnay]

Is this procedure doing any record locking?

[Auge_Ohr]

He has complained about the speed slowing down the last 60 days. Been using it for 5+ years.

you are lucky last 5 Years , now something have change ( new PC ? Win7 ? )

We have tested and tested, and found that it appears that the number of users on the network that have the file open causes the speed slowing down. If one user is in the system and autorates a bill, it takes 2-3 seconds. Once all users are on the network, it can take 30-40 seconds.

this is the normal "Level 2 OpLocks" ( Opportunistic locking ) behavior.

if only 1 User use a "shared" DBF in Network it will be open by SMB with "Exclusive Locks".
if a 2nd User tries to open the "same" file, the Server sends a message to the client ( BREAK ) to "fall back" to "Level 2 OpLocks".

read more @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_Message_Block

[sdenjupol148]

This is a shot in the dark, but a client reported to me a little over a year ago that a section of my software began slowing down for no apparent reason.
At some point it became intolerable.
I spent about a week on it till I discovered that they had quite a number of deleted records in the database.
Once I packed the database and re-indexed, everything was back to normal.
Since then I added a record re-cycling routine.
It''s more than a year now and no one has complained.

Hope this helps

Bobby

[Auge_Ohr]

I spent about a week on it till I discovered that they had quite a number of deleted records in the database.
Once I packed the database and re-indexed, everything was back to normal.

this i can confirm, but Fred say

If one user is in the system and autorates a bill, it takes 2-3 seconds. Once all users are on the network, it can take 30-40 seconds

so it is a typical XP Network SMB Problem.

first you have to found out "what" take so long time. most it is APPEND
Question : did you use MAP Driveletter or UNC Path to access DBF on Server ?

why it happend "now" ? ... while Customer bought a new Laptop with Win 7 and "enhance" SMB ( some People say SMB2 )

[BruceN]

What diffrence does UNC vs drive mapping make in dbf file management? we use drive mapping becasue we find that the program starts faster that way (my guess is the time to 'find' the connection, vs one that is already made). Are there any other difference?

[Auge_Ohr]

What diffrence does UNC vs drive mapping make in dbf file management?

if you are talking about Windows XP / W2K3 -> none, but if we talk about Windows 7 it make "the" Difference.

MAP Drive use Lanmanager over Port 139 and old SMB Style locking. you need to login to every Server.
"enhance" SMB ( SMB2 ) does have authification build-in and does compress / encrypt Data over Port 445.

while Win 7 / W2K8 have both and use "enhance" SMB as default, you will get Trouble with XP / W2K3 using old SMB Style.
remember Lanmanager is design for Intranet not for Internet and Driveletter will be Folder ( UNC-Path ) with Win 8 and later ( Azure )

[BruceN]

I don't understand much of that. The little I do get i interpret to mean that for XP there's no real difference, but for win 7 and the upcoming 8 we're better off using UNC (\\computername\drive\folder). Am I right?

[Janko]

Alaska maybe have a solution for this problem (smb2, Vista / 7 workstations):

www.alaska-software.com/smb2


Regards
Janko

[BruceN]

Does that alaska downlaod solve the problem??????