Alpha Software Mobile Development Tools:   Alpha Anywhere    |   Alpha TransForm subscribe to our YouTube Channel  Follow Us on LinkedIn  Follow Us on Twitter  Follow Us on Facebook

Announcement

Collapse

The Alpha Software Forum Participation Guidelines

The Alpha Software Forum is a free forum created for Alpha Software Developer Community to ask for help, exchange ideas, and share solutions. Alpha Software strives to create an environment where all members of the community can feel safe to participate. In order to ensure the Alpha Software Forum is a place where all feel welcome, forum participants are expected to behave as follows:
  • Be professional in your conduct
  • Be kind to others
  • Be constructive when giving feedback
  • Be open to new ideas and suggestions
  • Stay on topic


Be sure all comments and threads you post are respectful. Posts that contain any of the following content will be considered a violation of your agreement as a member of the Alpha Software Forum Community and will be moderated:
  • Spam.
  • Vulgar language.
  • Quotes from private conversations without permission, including pricing and other sales related discussions.
  • Personal attacks, insults, or subtle put-downs.
  • Harassment, bullying, threatening, mocking, shaming, or deriding anyone.
  • Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
  • Sexually explicit or violent material, links, or language.
  • Pirated, hacked, or copyright-infringing material.
  • Encouraging of others to engage in the above behaviors.


If a thread or post is found to contain any of the content outlined above, a moderator may choose to take one of the following actions:
  • Remove the Post or Thread - the content is removed from the forum.
  • Place the User in Moderation - all posts and new threads must be approved by a moderator before they are posted.
  • Temporarily Ban the User - user is banned from forum for a period of time.
  • Permanently Ban the User - user is permanently banned from the forum.


Moderators may also rename posts and threads if they are too generic or do not property reflect the content.

Moderators may move threads if they have been posted in the incorrect forum.

Threads/Posts questioning specific moderator decisions or actions (such as "why was a user banned?") are not allowed and will be removed.

The owners of Alpha Software Corporation (Forum Owner) reserve the right to remove, edit, move, or close any thread for any reason; or ban any forum member without notice, reason, or explanation.

Community members are encouraged to click the "Report Post" icon in the lower left of a given post if they feel the post is in violation of the rules. This will alert the Moderators to take a look.

Alpha Software Corporation may amend the guidelines from time to time and may also vary the procedures it sets out where appropriate in a particular case. Your agreement to comply with the guidelines will be deemed agreement to any changes to it.



Bonus TIPS for Successful Posting

Try a Search First
It is highly recommended that a Search be done on your topic before posting, as many questions have been answered in prior posts. As with any search engine, the shorter the search term, the more "hits" will be returned, but the more specific the search term is, the greater the relevance of those "hits". Searching for "table" might well return every message on the board while "tablesum" would greatly restrict the number of messages returned.

When you do post
First, make sure you are posting your question in the correct forum. For example, if you post an issue regarding Desktop applications on the Mobile & Browser Applications board , not only will your question not be seen by the appropriate audience, it may also be removed or relocated.

The more detail you provide about your problem or question, the more likely someone is to understand your request and be able to help. A sample database with a minimum of records (and its support files, zipped together) will make it much easier to diagnose issues with your application. Screen shots of error messages are especially helpful.

When explaining how to reproduce your problem, please be as detailed as possible. Describe every step, click-by-click and keypress-by-keypress. Otherwise when others try to duplicate your problem, they may do something slightly different and end up with different results.

A note about attachments
You may only attach one file to each message. Attachment file size is limited to 2MB. If you need to include several files, you may do so by zipping them into a single archive.

If you forgot to attach your files to your post, please do NOT create a new thread. Instead, reply to your original message and attach the file there.

When attaching screen shots, it is best to attach an image file (.BMP, .JPG, .GIF, .PNG, etc.) or a zip file of several images, as opposed to a Word document containing the screen shots. Because Word documents are prone to viruses, many message board users will not open your Word file, therefore limiting their ability to help you.

Similarly, if you are uploading a zipped archive, you should simply create a .ZIP file and not a self-extracting .EXE as many users will not run your EXE file.
See more
See less

Network Performance

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • StevenMcLean
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    With dbf's files no processing is done on the server, with fast drives and network throughput, what impact does the server power have?

    Leave a comment:


  • cuprowhi
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    I accept with information:it never hurts to buy a better server. Server specs with today's OS's should have (in most important to least important);
    #1: have a large amount of RAM 2 Gigabyte minimum, 3 Gigabyte is better, more if the OS allows, but probably diminishing returns at about 3 Gigabytes
    #2 Fast hard drive system. 2 drives, one for OS, one for application is better than RAID disk system.
    #3 Reasonably fast CPU specs. Anything more than 2 cores for desktop applications is probably wasted.

    Leave a comment:


  • DaveM
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    tom,

    We have also broken our applications up int logical pieces
    Smart move! I have done a little of this, but being I am not involved with as many records or users, it is not as needed for me yet. i think it will be in a short time. thanks for putting it into plain english for all who may read this.

    .

    Leave a comment:


  • Tom Henkel
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    I don't believe we have any tables with more than 50 fields. Most are probably less than 25.

    Some of our tables are very large, however, in excess of 500K records.

    we use LOTS of sets. We have also broken our applications up int logical pieces so that we don't drag the entire system around when we only need a tiny piece of it.

    As I said earlier, the buttons on the main screen represent either a separate database to be loaded, or a subform that has buttons to load other logically grouped separate databases. Our built in security and database level tracking system keeps track of who the user is, where they came from, and where they are going. We allow up to a depth of 10 databases down from the top-level application. I believe we only use at most 3 levels down.

    Tom
    Last edited by Tom Henkel; 10-29-2009, 06:02 PM. Reason: can't tpye!

    Leave a comment:


  • DaveM
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    Steve,

    Tom may do different, but I don't build a table with more than 100 or so fields in it. If it is going to be too big, it is split too 2 or more tables. That also depends on what type data is contained in those fields. a 1 to 1 set is the same almost, but the tables remain smaller.

    I am also using dbf files almost exclusively.

    Nehru,

    There is always a lag on any network using any program. I am sure they are talking Alpha5 only and yes, some versions arejust faster than others.



    I still believe v3 was the fastest of all, but the features brought out later made me move to v4, 45 and on up. I am not talking about just network wise.


    .
    Last edited by DaveM; 10-29-2009, 04:46 PM.

    Leave a comment:


  • StevenMcLean
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    Hi Tom, I am surprised you are using dfs's. How large are your tables. Are you continually purging data to keep the size down. One issue I have with the powers to be here, is that ALL data and records from day 1 must be available without having to go into archived data. Currently our databases increase by about 10MB per day.

    As I work for a Law Firm, I understand the confidentially concern.

    Steve

    Leave a comment:


  • Tom Henkel
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    Steve,

    Believe it or not, our back end is still the Alpha native dbf files. We will, at some time look into an SQL back end, but that will take time and time is one resource we are we have little of.

    I would love to show many of our screens, but as we are a county welfare agency, the data is sensitive to our clients. It would take a fair amount of cleaning just to get the images to where I can show them.

    Typically, we have between 75 and 130 active concurrent users.

    Our timing tests were made with copies of the "live" databases in separate directories on the actual live server. We coded a time stamp to the trace window at the "Call" of an application or form, then another timestamp when the app or form loaded. The testing was done from a workstation, and not from a server.

    Our servers are wired to one 100 MB switch. There are 100 MB switches on each floor that connect all of the user machines to the server switch. Antivirus software is shut off for the server folders where the application files exist.

    Tom
    We've been using Alpha software, first alpha4 on a limited basis, then alpha5 v1 where we originally developed thi system, since 1993.

    Leave a comment:


  • StevenMcLean
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    Hi Tom, with 200 users what are you using for your backend? Do you have any screen shots of your front end showing how much detail there is on your forms?

    Thanks,

    Leave a comment:


  • nehru
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    tom,

    clever...200 users using v9? w/no lag on the network.....
    how did you test it? install it in 200 users? can you give sample how did you test it? maybe you can help

    good for your....maybe....for now.... will see.....


    goodluck

    Leave a comment:


  • Tom Henkel
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    I've been reading this thread with some interest. Our network is very large with over 200 users and 4 servers. PC's are mostly underpowered XP machines (given to us by the state) and the servers are pretty beefy (we bought them).

    We have been using version 5 for years and are now going to version 9. Although we have bought all of the versions between 5 and 9, time tests using our network showed that version 9 has been the only version that can approach version 5 in speed and response speed.

    As Ira and others have said, good network and application design are the biggest contributing factor in user response time.

    Tom

    Leave a comment:


  • MRichard
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    Originally posted by DaveM View Post
    I am dating a Phillipino lady. She doesn't always listen very well.
    Are you sure that you did not discover a simple "feature" that goes with women "in general" ;) ???
    Either way, if not, then my wife must be Phillipino as well...

    Leave a comment:


  • nehru
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    Ok dave

    Arrogance is deadly. Don't compete with your customers.
    Each day you get better or worse. It's your choice.
    Be aggressive, but not oppressive!

    Take an active, not passive, role in helping your community and If you are a veteran, learn from the rookies. Be concerned when you lose, but never feel defeated. Don't confuse efforts with results.

    Are you doing the same things this year that you did last year? If so, you are losing ground. I don't waste my energy on negative gossip.

    Silence is a necessity, not a negative.

    Goodluck

    Leave a comment:


  • DaveM
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    Betty,

    Your thread was kind of sidetracked. Please let all of ushelp you?

    .

    Leave a comment:


  • grayfox5
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    Dave,

    Good comments throughout. Being "re"-new to A5V9 after using A4, I was getting a bit nervous about performance and stability after reading about the patch issues, but I'm feeling better about it after reading your comments and others with a history of Alpha.

    ...and I'm getting a kick out of this thread! Nehru, calm down, man. Switch to decaf. :-)

    Leave a comment:


  • DaveM
    replied
    Re: Network Performance

    Ok nehru,

    You show us! show us some of your code and use the thread(s) you started. A lot of people on here will help, but not if you are bashing Alpha and all of us. If it is your coding or equipment, we should be able to help or guide you with the coding part. All of the Alpha community is stronger than any one of the community. They will help if you ask and not be militant.

    I have a very large program in 25 dealers now with records from 200 to 400,000. It is running on V7, V9 with no noticeable differences in speed. There are all kinds of setups, but all are shadowed. The equipment ranges from xp to vista, wired and wireless, 100 cards to 1000 cards, slow to fast switches, slow to fast servers(not all are dedicated), win 95 servers to ms server 2003, experienced and non-experienced users.

    Note: You are from the Phillipines? I am dating a Phillipino lady. She doesn't always listen very well.

    .

    Leave a comment:

Working...
X