How to determine file cache setting on workstation

[BeckyMN]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help me understand how to determine the proper cache setting for my workstations. I've only been working with Filemaker on and off for a couple of years and I have just left the cache setting at the default of 8MB. But I have a lot of memory (1G) in my Windows XP workstation so would I be better off making this a higher number? If the answer is yes then how high should I set it and what would the formula be for workstations with lesser memory?

I suppose I should have been asking this question a long time ago but... well you know.

Thank you,

Becky

[Wim Decorte]

Higher cache typically results in faster performance. But the trade-off is that you potentially can lose more data if your workstation crashes.

There is no formula because it depends heavily on the architecture of yor solution. Try some different settings and time the difference it makes.

[BeckyMN]

Wim,

Thank you for your help. I have bumped the cache setting up to 32MB but so far I haven't noticed much difference. I'll experiment a bit and see how the different settings work out.

Thanks again,

-Becky

[xochi]

I too have wondered this. I've discovered that cache setting on the Server is critical -- set it as high as you can.

I've also discovered the "Flush cache when Idle" does not mean what it says -- I've watched as the FM client flushed the cache in the middle of a looping script! I've seen higher performance with "flush cache every 15 minutes". This probably increased the risk of data loss somewhat, but to be honest if you are seeing your client and/or server crash, ever, then most likely something is wrong with your setup and the networking issues should be addressed first.