Database Locks When accessed from a remote client

[TsiouTsiou]

We have an oracle database which is being updated using an oracle form very often. We are using Oracle Forms 6i and Oracle 8.0.6. The in-house users can update the database simultaneously without any data locks that cause delays. However, we have some remote users in a different country that access out database via internet. When they update data (they update the same size of data as the local users) they cause long delays that make local users unable to run their updates because they have to wait for very long times.

Because all these users , local and not, access the same table, I cannot understand why there aren;t any delays when only the local users update and they only occur when the remote users access the system. any help will be very appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[rogersam]

Unfortunately, this effect is a common complaint when remote users try to perform the same functions as local users. (And also unfortunate that the applications are usually developed and tested on local network without consideringthe remote network effect.) The locking delays experienced by local users are often negligible or undetectable because they have very fast transaction submission times on their network connections. Remote users on the other hand, often encounter longer network transmission delays for each of the transaction interchanges that must cross the network.
Note that one "transaction" may actually produce multiple network transmissions back and forth between the client and database system if they exchange acknowledgements and "handshake" session exchanges as well as transmitting data. If each one-way transmission takes .5 to 1 sec to cross the network, and multiple exchanges take place for the transaction to complete, it will hold the lock much longer than any local user's transaction. If you have access to trace the transaction exchange (a sniffer or software trace to track address exchanges) you can actually count the exchanges and measure the delay times.