Database Cache and iMac performance

[HazMatt]

We are performing some maintenance on our Windows NT server, and in the meantime, I installed FileMaker Server 5 on a 350 MHz iMac, running Mac OS 9.2.2. I allocated about 100 MB RAM to FMServer, but it looks like it's only utilizing about 5% of that (maybe FMServer's suggested size).

So I'm wondering... Why is network performance about 50 to 75% that of the NT server? Many have politely told me that it's really slow today... And I agree. I actually thought it would be faster.

I made sure to check the "Maximize Performance" button, but I'm now eyeing the database cache setting. I looked at the Usage Statistics (see screenshot) and it appears as if I'm maxing out the cache. Is an adjustment needed?

Some specs:

Old Server

HP NetServer E 50

*unknown* MHz

160 MB RAM

SCSI disk

10/100 Mbps Ethernet

New Server

Apple iMac G3

350 MHz

320 MB RAM (100 MB allocated to FileMaker Server)

IDE disk

10/100 Mbps Ethernet

[Anatoli]

FM server is ALWAYS faster on Linux and PC, than on Macs. Maybe the RAM based Mac server is faster than Linux and PC, because of fast RAM disk data access.

Check also if FMS is foremost application and it should be that way all the time!

Maximum FMS cache on PC is 40MB.

[ernst]

The HP E 50 has got a wide SCSI card & drive, where as the iMac an 5400 RPM IDE drive.

Processor speed is about the same, 300 or 333 Mhz for the HP; 350 Mhz for the iMac.

Given the superior performance of the G3 processors compared to the Pentium II's per megaherz, the bottleneck is most likely the disk access, like Anatoli also concluded.

With the amount of memory you've got available on the iMac, you could try the RAM disk approach.

Regards,

Ernst.

[Kurt Knippel]

iMacs are notoriously slow performers, expecially the one that you have. The RAM is slow, the bus is slow and the harddrive is very slow. Allocating too much RAM can also slow things down.

100MB of RAM to Filemaker Server is waaayyyy overkill and possibly draging down performance as FM has to manage that extra unused RAM. 40 MB is the MOST that you should ever allocate to Filemaker Server.

I use many Mac servers and there is a good deal of tuning that needs to be done to OS 9.2.2 to get optimal performance.

I also bet that if you just grabbed a random WindowsNT Workstation machine you would have the same slow performance. It is a machine just not designed for serving data

[stanley]

We run all of our clients' FM Server systems on Macs, and the lessons we've learned are the following:

1. The only OS we serve from is 8.6 - it is the most stable & seems to provide the cleanest networking.

2. The internal IDE bus is too slow for FM Server - you've got to use SCSI controllers & drives.

3. The Mac functions well enough as a FM Server machine for most (smaller) businesses.

As Kurt points out, RAM is not an issue; FM Server is all about hard-drive access. Your difference in performance can be traced directly to the IDE vs. SCSI drives.

-Stanley

[HazMatt]

Wow, that's a lot of useful information! Thanks guys.

I didn't know allocating too much memory could actually make performance suffer. I did that right off the bat because I could. Maybe next time I'll try the RAM disk approach.

The databases are back on the NT Server, and things are at a comfortable level once again. We may have to do this again, however, so I'm thankful for the advice.