Pretty much a Dead-Zone ain't it?

Don Miller

C3 Inc.

It's been quiet.

Mike, Don, et al.

I want to eventually deploy our app under some flavor of NT. Based on your experience, what's the optimum configuration (Hw, NIC, hub, network operating system) for running OI under NT (e.g., Winfram with Metaframe, WinNt Terminal Servier with Metaframe, etc). At present, I just started playing with OI (w/NT services) in a networking setup, and I can't say that I'm too thrill with the response. This has me worried.

Thanks,

rayc@symmetryinfo.com onmouseover=window.status=imagine … ;return(true)"

Symmetry Info

Ray Chan ~ Symmetry Info

Ray,

Running OI on an NT server with regular clients has worked well for us and our clients.

Are you more concerned with remote/thin client performance? We also have clients doing this as well with reasonable performance.

It's hard to talk about minimum configuration requirements when CPU speeds are constantly improving. However, I would suggest a server no slower than 800Mhz, at least 512MB RAM, RAID-5 using a very good card with ample cache, 100Mbit NIC, and a switch running at full-duplex for the server. I'm sure there could be much more added to this list but it's a starting point.

dbakke@srpcs.com

SRP Computer Solutions, Inc.

Ray ..

My benchmark tests to this point indicate the following observations:

1. AREV / Netware 4.x with the NLM is the fastest combination, all other things being equal.

2. OI / Netware 4.x is about 20% slower than #1 (mostly due to the graphics interface). The I/O performance is just about equal to #1.

3. OI / NT can be made to function on a par with #2 (with the NT service), but it requires a fair amount of tweaking on the server to get it just right.

4. NT server with / Citrix Metaframe as a distribution point seems to vary much more significantly with respect to performance. I suspect that it's the 16-bit tasking issue on the Metaframe, but I just haven't had the time to give it. Sometimes it runs like a hose, other times it seems to slow to a crawl (with processor utilization pegged at 100%). I've seen it take 2.5 - 3 minutes to load OI after the splash screen. This does seem to be an I/O bound issue since it takes a good bit of time to attach the tables.

5. NT server with Microsoft Terminal Server behaves very similarly to Citrix, but seems to be even fussier in the TS to desktop interface. I've seen significant differences between Win95, Win98 and WinNT desktops.

I have a collegue who uses 32-bit FoxPro (with all the limitations inherent in that DB manager), but is blindingly quick at running his app. I'm not sure that it's just the 32-bit environment. All of his app code compiles into .EXE's and DLL's rather than interpreted code like OI. Obviously, there's no variable-length overhead involved in I/O as in Linear Hash, so I would expect this to be quicker. I've seen a few Pick-based apps where the I/O performance is 10-20 times faster than OI.

Well .. that's what I have for now. Sometimes it's a matter of choosing the horse that you know how to ride rather than trying a "maverick".

Don Miller

C3 Inc.

Mike,

Have you looked into the Msg problem that I reported on the main discussion page? Any thoughts as to a workaround?

dbakke@srpcs.com

SRP Computer Solutions, Inc.

Don,

Thanks guys for the response. I really appreciate your response.

… Sometimes it's a matter of choosing the horse that you know how to ride rather than trying a "maverick".

At this point, the horse that I have is running a bit slow. I'm not looking for a "maverick", but I do want it to look reasonable and not give people an impression that this is a "donkey".

Boy, I was drooling when you mentioned that the FoxPro app ran blindingly quick. When I look at our AREV app today, it's finally running blindingly quick compared to the days of 286s. I hope I'm not exaggerating, but our experience with OI under NT today reminds me of AREV with 286 of yesterday. Slow…slow…slow. I gotta juice this up.

rayc@symmetryinfo.com onmouseover=window.status=imagine … ;return(true)"

Symmetry Info

Ray Chan ~ Symmetry Info

Don,

…CPU speeds are constantly improving. However, I would suggest a server no slower than 800Mhz, at least 512MB RAM, RAID-5 using a very good card with ample cache, 100Mbit NIC, and a switch running at full-duplex for the server.

Ahh, I think I'll check the NIC and hub. If they aren't 100Mbits, do you think that can be a major limiting factor? Also, what's a switch running at full-duplex? Does this apply to the NIC?

Thanks again for your response.

rayc@symmetryinfo.com onmouseover=window.status=imagine … ;return(true)"

Symmetry Info

Ray Chan ~ Symmetry Info

Just wait for the Sprezz announcement, there will be plenty goin on.

With the release of Insitech's Project and Sprezz's S-WeDontKnowYet product, we as developers will enter a new paradim. I am very excited and proud of both of these companies.

Bryce Meek

Bryce,

Hey can you share more? It would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ray

rayc@symmetryinfo.com onmouseover=window.status=imagine … ;return(true)"

Symmetry Info

Ray Chan ~ Symmetry Info

Linear Hash Web and/or full Java based applications. View www.insitechgroup.com and read on Project. You can get a 30 day trial version. I have downloaded it and it is a very well thought out set of Java and XML tools for Linear Hash data ( CURRENTLY using the OICGI.EXE as a gateway to the data ). As for www.sprezzatura.com ( no announcement yet )…but keep watching and checking their URL.

Bryce Meek

Ray,

Yes, your NIC must be able to run at 100Mbits to take advantage of a Switch/HUB running at 100Mbits. A Switch, however, can run a full-duplex which gives you twice the speed (i.e. 200Mbits) whereas a HUB can only process at half-duplex.

dbakke@srpcs.com

SRP Computer Solutions, Inc.

Don,

.

Mucho thanks,

Ray

rayc@symmetryinfo.com onmouseover=window.status=imagine … ;return(true)"

Symmetry Info

Ray Chan ~ Symmetry Info

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