Very slow performance writing to network share in server

[amigo02]

We have 8 windows xp pro sp2 machines and a domain controller with Small business server 2003.

Lately network performance is really bad, for example saving a word document into a shared folder on server brings the xp computer into halt.

Server has 2 mirrored SATA harddrives. Opening files no problem at all but saving them just agonizingly slow.

I am thinking that it might be the group policy setting but I don't have a clue why it might be or how to correct if that is the case.

or it may very well be the SATA harddrives which might not be good enough for a server or the mirroring itself. But I broke the mirror and it did not make any difference???


Any way please help help help.....

Thanks..


ps: In my language there is a saying: Once a crazy man(Microsoft) dropped a rock in the well(where the water is) and 40 intelligent/wise man(us the computer gurus ) could not take it out.

 

[RobBentley]

I experianced writing to a server was very very slow once. We changed a lot and eventually it went away... not sure EXACTLY what caused it, but here is a few of the things I can remember we did. Check them on your network.

1. Remove QoS... in a small LAN it actually slows things down!

2. Check your network card on the server, duplex settings (etc).

3. Check your hubs/switches. Try changing them if you have a spare... see what happens.

4. Goto your network connection window in server and right click to the protocols bit where you've got TCP/IP etc and open "properties" for "File and Printer Sharing". There are options such as "minimise memory usage, optimise for file sharing, optimise for network applications" etc. Make sure you set it to file sharing!

5. Try unplugging each client 1 by 1 from the network. Some people have found one dodgey NIC connected to a switch/lan can cause a problem for the rest. Unplug each and then test network speed.

6. Try a diffrent NIC in your server.

7. Try writing from 1 client to another client. See how fast/slow this is. If this is slow also, its probably a network connection. Try writing FROM the server to a client. (you get the idea... two and from diff nodes). If you find its JUST writing to THE SERVER, then its probably a fault with THE SERVER. At least you can stop searching the network for faults. Its now down to the servers hardware/software only.

Robert Bentley

SynergyworksHosting.co.uk
"reliable services at realistic prices

 

[InIT4theMoney]

Knowledge Base article 321169 will give you the reason for the problem and a couple of cures. All about TCP/IP 'acks'.

Hope this helps

Ian W

 

[amigo02]

The knowledge base article does not tell what computer(server or xp) to make the registry changes. Any Idea?

And I just realized in server in Network connections folder there is an icon called "Incoming Connections". Could that be the problem. Can I delete it without any complications.

 

[ricpinto]

Check performance monitor, there's a lot(counters) things you can check there to give you an idea of what's happening. Check up network traffic, you can also download evaluation 3rd party tools like

http://www.sniff-em.com/sniffem.shtml

and evaluate the results.

If you can't find anything then it doesn't hurt if you follow RobBentley suggestions.

 

[InIT4theMoney]

Hi amigo02

Regarding the Microsoft KB article I referred to earlier, you need to do the following on the Domain Controller:

Start Registry Editor.
Locate and then click the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CCS\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

Double-click the RequireSecuritySignature value, type 0 in the Value data box, and then click OK.
Double-click the EnableSecuritySignature value, type 0 in the Value data box, and then click OK.
Quit Registry Editor

Your copy problems should be solved!

The reason they are there in the first place as I understand it is because there is by default a 200ms delay before a DC acknowledges a packet sent by a Win2k / WinXP PC in 'push' copy mode (a copy initiated by the PC in an Explorer or My Computer view). If you are copying lots of small files this causes the delay - copy small file, wait, copy small file, wait, etc. etc. The above registry hack removes the delay.

Ian W

 

[amigo02]

I want to remind you that this is Windows Small Business Server 2003, but the article applies to 2000 server.

Besides I followed your instructions but I could not find
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CCS\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

However I found it under ControlSet001 not in CurrentControlSet
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\ControlSet001\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

Is there a registry corruption or something?

 

[amigo02]

can I copy HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\ControlSet001\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

I think this happened because we had a hdd failure 2 weeks ago and we tried to restore the active directory from backups but as far as I remember it did not complete successfully. But everything seemed to work fine until recently..

 

[amigo02]

Update on this problem:

All the client computers in the morning works fine- no slow down, but after a while some of the machines starts slowing down - especially saving the word-excel documents into a share folder in Small business server 2003. When it happens, saving a word documement into that folder takes good 2-3 minutes and during this time machine virtually freezes, mouse moves but you can't take any actions until the file save completes.

This issue resolves by itself if the user logoff and logon again to windows. So is it some kind of account lockout or something?

Please help...

thanks..

 

[bmkb]

problem update:
client pc: windows 98 & office 97 sr2
server: win2003

When a user saves a document to a share (info.xls 20kB) it takes half an hour before document is saved. In the folder 2 extra files are generated:
E7650000 4,1GB and C099B000 6kB.

Anyone an idea???

 

[MoobyCow]

You can look here at see if it helps:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814112

 

[bmkb]

thx MoobyCow, but this is not a solution. The problem is not only when saving but also when opening in Word & Excel. On next links you'll find the same problem description.

http://groups.google.be/groups?hl=n...m=spHwomqhDHA.2332@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl#link1

http://groups.google.be/groups?hl=n....0310130719.2c6e4c31@posting.google.com#link1

 

[amigo02]

I found the solution to my problem. It may not apply to all others discussed here but I found out this:

On the 2003 server check the Domain Controller Security policy and make sure account lockout time is long enough. I found out that the Default is 600 minutes and since in our office users stays logged on more than 10 hours ( 8:30am - 7:30pm ) the domain controller locks the accounts and does not allow write operations into the shares until you reboot the client machine and logon to the network again. It refreshes the 10 hour limit and you are able to work again.

Or you can disable this feature completely if you want to.