Accessing a server the first time seems slow.

[ehenschel]

Ok something that has bothered us for sometime now. We have noticed slowness in many different situations. But the best example is connecting to a UNC path \\server1\share. Depending on the server, 2003 or 2008 it usually takes about 20-40 seconds to pop up. Now close the window. Wait 30 seconds and try it again and it's almost instantaneous.

Now wait an hour and repeat and you have the same results. It's like it's authenticating and then keeping you cached. So subsequent requests to the SAME server come up quicker. But if you wait an hour it needs to authenticate you again and takes longer.

Is this a fair hypothesis or is something misconfigured? I have spent years convincing my boss to move away from our mixed environment of Netware and Windows to just windows. I don't have a foot to stand on when he says look Netware is faster and it's a 10 year old OS. Again it's only faster on initial try. This happens with many more things, that was just the best example. Printing from windows print servers, etc also seems slower first time.

Thanks!

 

[technome]

There are many possible reasons for this. First google slow network brows(er) (ing) , you will pull up at least 25 reasons/fixes.
For start....

Is this an active directory setup or workgroup?

If AD, run DcDiag.exe and NetDiag.exe with the /v switch, correct any issues

If AD , disable all browser service on all wks, enable it on server only.

If AD, disable the second NIC.

If you have server based anti virus, make sure it setup correctly, particularly not to scan server to wks, wks to server, if AV clients are installed on all machines. Setting to the effect, not to scan files already protected by anti virus software.

........................................
Chernobyl disaster..a must see pictorial

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm

 

[ehenschel]

It is an AD network with about 45 servers. Some 2003, some 2008 and a few 2008 r2. Some are virtual and some are physical. It happens on all windows servers. 1 Card, 2 cars, teaming, etc. We have just dealt with it but with moving away from file and print sharing on Netware my boss is asking why. So I decided to try to find out.

Mcafee is installed on all machines and servers. I will try disabling it and see what happens. That being said when just opening the UNC path not accessing any servers, should it really be scanning anything even if it is setup to scan in and out? I'm not accessing a file... yet

I will also take a look at DcDiag and NetDiag.

As for browser services, if I disable it on workstations, we won't be able to browse the network will we? I mean you will be able to access UNC paths but many programs (especially administrative such as Solarwinds) requires the browser?

Thanks for the help.

 

[technome]

should it really be scanning anything even if it is setup to scan in and out"
I referring to scanning files on access on network drives, since the accessed machine should already be scanning the files. Machines with the av client should not be checking files on other network machines which already have AV installed (trust).

"if I disable it on workstations, we won't be able to browse the network will we?" Multiple browsers on Ad causing unecessary elections/traffic.
No you will be able to browse, google AD master browser and master browser setup.

Great reference book Mark Minasi's server series. Follow info in this book will clear up many issues. Paricularly pay attention to DNS area

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/mastering-microsoft-windows/id387914882?mt=11

You need to run Dcdiag and Netdiag



........................................
Chernobyl disaster..a must see pictorial

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm

 

[technome]

Ehensche...

You might be interested in the following

google microsoft performance tuning guidelines 2003 and/or microsoft performance tuning guidelines 2008

Another couple of issues I have had with mixed 2003 and 2008 network, which slowed file access/browsing... had to revert to SMB 2.0 protocol from SMB 3.0 on 2008 servers, and disable SMB signing system wide( separate issues then the protocol). The SMB signing issue may have been fixed since I setup my last mixed environment, SMB signing caused the entire network to slow. The lowering of SMB 3.0 to SMB 2.0 was needed due extremely slow browsing/opening/closing of older versions of MS Office files.


........................................
Chernobyl disaster..a must see pictorial

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm

 

[Roadki11]

I think the magic word here is "Netware". We have the same issue and are migrating off of Novell. Any workstation with the Novell client installed is slow to open Windows printers, shares, and mapped drives. Any workstation that does not have the Novell client installed opens Windows printers, shares, and mapped drives nice and fast all the time.


RoadKi11

"This apparent fear reaction is typical, rather than try to solve technical problems technically, policy solutions are often chosen." - Fred Cohen

 

[goombawaho]

Not a bad idea to remove the Novell client on a test machine and then maybe clean the registry, reboot and see what happens.

 

[ehenschel]

Just wanted to say thanks. I have been on vacation the last week so I hadn't got back to this yet. Going to play with the Novell client and see where I get. I ran DCDIAG and Netdiag and couldn't find any errors what so ever.

Hoping the client is the issues. Would make sense.

 

[ADB100]

Have you put a sniffer on and captured the conversation? I'd suspect DNS - the fact it works quickly after you have sucessfully connected makes me think its DNS. Do you have IPv6 enabled on these servers?

Andy

 

[technome]

I ran DCDIAG and Netdiag and couldn't find any errors what so ever."
Excellant, less varibles to deal with.

Roadki11 idea on the Novell client is very good, I missed it, been years since I ported over a Netware environment to Windows, forgot about the little nasties the client can produce. Still trying to figure out how some golf playing idiots at Novell let Microsoft take over.




........................................
Chernobyl disaster..a must see pictorial

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm