network performance

[Headmaster]

I am on a small network, 9 pcs and Server 2003. My issue is that everything on the network seems to run fine except for a database program that I run. If more than one person tries to do work in the database, the program slows to a 'steady crawl.' The database is running from a service running on the server.

Somebody suggested that setting up DNS or WINS on the server would help my problem. On a network this small, is that really the case? It seems to me that it wouldn't be possible, but that's why I'm asking before I go to all the work to set up DNS or WINS.

Which would be better? DNS or WINS? (or lmhosts?)

Thanks!

 

[GlenJohnson]

What are the os's of the clients? If they are after w98, then wins is out. Lmhosts is used with wins pre w2k, hosts is used with dns post w2k. Before you do either, have you checked for errors on the server pertaining to the service?

Glen A. Johnson
Johnson Computer Consulting

 

[Headmaster]

Glen,

Thanks for responding. The clients are all 2k and later. The log on the server doesn't indicate a problem anywhere. Would you recommend WINS then? From my stand point that looks the easiest...

Scott

 

[GlenJohnson]

No, wins is before w2k. After w2k came about, wins became obsolete for the network. You want to look into dns if anything. To be honest though, since it's just one database and when one person uses it it's fine, I don't think dns will help. there is something else going on here. What kind of database is it? SQL?

Glen A. Johnson
Johnson Computer Consulting

 

[5jgibbs]

Well, it depends on the type of work being done on the database, and the speed of the computer.. HD.. ect..

most databases for larger co. are on a RAID.

if your going really slow, make sure the NIC is set to 100 mbs at full duplex..

i would also run a database of a separate server, if your using ADUC "active directory" with roaming profiles especially..

 

[Headmaster]

I'll have to look in to this some more, I guess. The database is SQL based. The server is a 3.2GHz P4, 1GB Ram, RAID 0 on SATA with 2 7200RPM drives (8MB cache each), 1 Gb NIC, DLink gigabit switch. Most workstations have Dlink Gigabit cards. Laptops are only 100. The database is slow on all machines if multiple users are working...

Does DNS seem like the cure for this problem? I do know that the database seems to be extremely network intense...

Thanks

 

[sab4you]

dns is a way to resolve an IP address to a name.

if multiple computers can connect to the database, I dont think you have a name resolution problem.

more than likely you need to post this in either a SQL forum or server forum - and attempt to diagnose the bottleneck.

 

[GlenJohnson]

If you want to test it out, put a hosts file on multiple machines and see if the machines with the file are any faster. If that doesn't work, do like sab4you suggested.

Glen A. Johnson
Johnson Computer Consulting

 

[psycho149]

WINS and DNS works fine on W2K and XP*. It is simply (as stated earlier) a way to resolve computerfriendly names to IP-addresses. Assuming that you don't have WINS or DNS installed and are using computerfrienlynames I have to conclude that you are using the Microsoft-master-browser system for resolving names. Check if the service compWuter browser is started. I bet it is on (the clients and the server). When this meganism works the computerbrowser forces an election on the network an assigns a masterbrowser (this wil be your SERVER) it then keeps a list of all the computernames and resolves computernames to ipaddresses. This is an intensive process (because it uses broadcasts) in large networks. Your network however is very small so you don't have a problem there. Installing wins will not solve your problem.

Perhaps you do not have NETBIOS enabled? check the tcp/ip properties for your networkadapter. In that case SQL might have a problem communicating with the DB-clients. The problem will also be solved by installing DNS.

SO, if you use wins or the master-browser mechanism be sure you have netbios enabled on your server and clients. If you want to use DNS, install DNS-server-service.

 

[devastator]

Also you can configure your SQL clients to use TCP/IP, Netbios or whatever you want to use and of course point it to the SQL Server. Make sure that if you applied a Service Pack to SQL that you also applied it to the clients as well.


D

I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. ~ Baggins

 

[DG659]

1)are the clients mc`s using a client program ? (something like navision)
2)or do the just open the database locally ? (something like access)

if its navision or similar theres is probably away to add more cache to the server service that should help speed it up

if its like access its probably oppertunistic (i speel real bad)locking thats locking the table try turning it off on the clients.

this case should be for any of the two above options i have had problems with speed when the data is stored on the root of a drive even the root of a mapped share best plan is to never store anything on the root put everything in a folder i.e if your data path is G:\data.mdb change it to G:\database\data.mdb or if its \\servername\sharename\data.mdb change to \\servername\sharename\database\data.mdb this is a documented issuse with MS

 

[Headmaster]

Hi, Just following up on what I found. Quite to my dismay, a client computer had locked a process open on the server, causing intense cpu usage. I had noticed this process taking a lot of cpu time, but figured it must be something needed to make the database work. I used the database admin tool to find the process was open when I couldn't get some utilities to run...

I did install and configure DNS... Not too painful in 2003.

Everything's running fine now.

Thanks for all of your input!