Application Speed

[wsmotherman]

We notice occasionally that MS Access applications that reside on a network drive are slow to open and perform on the desktops.

Usually the apps open very quickly and performance time is not an issue.

Would Performance Monitor show me why these applications are sometimes slow, or would file handles have anything to do with slowing down MS Access applications? Has anyone seen or solved a problem like this?

The applications are multiuser and the data and forms are in seperate MS Access 2000 mdb's. Tables are normalized and there are about 8 - 12 users at a given time. Very few forms are bound. Most forms use VB Code to retrieve, edit, and save data.

Thanks!

 

[thornmastr]

This really sounds like what you have is a JET back end with a VB 6 front end. Forms, and coding behind the forms created in VB rather than Access. The reason I think this is your configuration of 8 to 12 users certainly does not require your using unbound forms and does not provide performance improvement over standard Access form driven bound IO.

You make no mention of having done any performance studies contrasting response time of bound vs unbound forms given the number of users you are supporting.

In short, it seems to me, you would immediately decrease your standard response time by simply using ACCESSS as ACCESS was meant to be used and not as an extension of VB.

Now, having said all that, let me offer two suggestions which might help and will not be too much of an expenditure of either time or effort.

1) Place your BE as high up on the network hierarchy path as you possibly can.
2) Create a table on your BE with one record. All you need is one field on the record. Create a form on your FE bound to that table. Open that form hidden when your application opens and keep it open until your application ends. This will force a constant connection with your BE.

HTH.
Robert Berman
Data Base consultant
Vulcan Software Services
thornmastr@yahoo.com