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    Speed

    We are in the process of convrting a very large version 1 application to version 5. We realize that it cannot all be kept in ONE database because Maintenance would be a nightmare. We have worked out how to have a main menu database call actual application databases and it works. Our problem is one of SPEED. Even loading our main menu database which only has 4 or 5 tables and just a few forms is relatively slow. One of our called databases takes over 8 seconds to load. Once loaded, forms refresh fairly quickly. We only have about 5 users connected to this server. I am afraid that when we go live with over 200 users, I will be looking for a new job.

    Does anybody have any ideas??

    Tom

    #2
    RE: Speed

    Tom,

    Network optimization. The shadowed form should load quickly unless you have startup scripts that require the engine to fetch data from the server and then process it.

    -- tom

    Comment


      #3
      RE: Speed

      Tom,
      Not wanting to seem too much of a "doubting tho..s", but I have a 2GHz pentium 4 connected via 100MB ethernet directly to the same switch that the server is connected to. The server is a fairly beefy Dell Poweredge. Obviously, I can't really tell what network optimization will do until I have, at least, converted one whole application and placed it into production. Otherwise, I would be refreshing the shadow every 15 or 20 minutes.

      I will test with one of our apps as it is stand-alone, and seems to be stable.

      Tom

      Comment


        #4
        RE: Speed

        Tom is correct - it's optimization. It shouldn't be that difficult to optimize five machines and see if it's as slow as what you described.
        If any part of your plan necessitates running non optimized, re-evaluate your plan.
        Version one was different. Version 4 and beyond have to be optimized. In addition, you might want to mess with your virus software. I've seen instances where Norton has tremendously slowed things down when multiple users were involved.

        Comment


          #5
          RE: Speed

          I'm surprised you didn't notice the speed issue before? I didn't care for ver. 1, but I guess it was relatively snappy. I remember that Selwyn or Cian said at the last conference, ver. 6 will have a new controlpanel where tables will load instantly. My app has over 200 tables and 100-150 sets and it takes a good 60 seconds to load (talking shadow here). Frankly, 8 seconds doesn't sound that bad, but I guess if ver. 1 is loading instantly, 8 seconds is forever. Since the adb file is inherently pokey, I can't imagine a work around.

          Peter
          Peter
          AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

          [email protected]
          https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


          Comment


            #6
            RE: Speed

            Tom,

            Actually, I think it's best if you do keep it all in one database. Calling from one application (adb file is a database) to another gains you no advantage in speed (in fact, just the opposite), and as far as I can tell, no maintenance benefit. You can work on database's for maintenance. If you are talking about tables (new name for a5v1's database) or sets, then yes, use multiple sets.

            Perhaps you are doing too many things at init time, rather than when a particular main menu requires it. Do you use indexes, or run queries all the time. Layout filters are notoriously slow, so you may be shooting yourself in the foot with that. Anyway, speed can typically be increased quite a bit by changing the methodology. I have one "simple" XBasic routine that run's 200 times faster just by changing the way I did things. Methodology is everything.

            Another thing that can slow things down is an application that competes for File and record locks from different threads (e.g. opening multiple forms simultaneously) and end up stepping on each other's toes.

            Speed can be improved by Optimization, as said by Tom & John, but if the application is slow running from a local drive copy, then shadowing will gain you nothing. In that case, look at the way you are doing things. If you are converting a5v1 applications by bringing them into later versions, the conversions are not always done well. It would be better to rebuild from scratch using the same functionality.

            All user (private) directories better be on the local drive, and any temporary tables/operations should be performed there, rather than on the network.

            Peter,

            60 SECONDS!? 200 TABLES!? You've got to be kidding! I can't imagine any application really requiring so many active tables. If they are mostly lookups, they don't need to be in the adb file that most users reference. They could be in a maintenance database, and cut back on the active tables/sets in the user database.


            Regards,

            Ira
            Regards,

            Ira J. Perlow
            Computer Systems Design


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            Comment


              #7
              RE: Speed

              In my small sampling, Optimization DID help. Ira, I cannot agree that ONE database would be managable. We have over 50 sub folders, more than 1500 tables, and uncounted sets. Segmenting applications into "Departmental" databases is the only way to manage a system of this magnitude. If I were to put it all into ONE database, the initial load would take, probably more than 10 minutes (I am only speculating here). Also, IF I make one minor change in a sub-module, re-shadowing would be a nightmare.

              We did NOT just take what we had in version 1 and run it in 5, we are completely redesigning to take advantage of thenew features.

              Tom

              Comment


                #8
                RE: Speed

                Peter,
                I would certainly re-evaluate how this thing is written. That is much too long to load.

                Tom

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