FM8 Speeds

[Ricardo]

I have a FMP 6 solution running on FM Server 5.5 on a Win XP Pro system...one problem i have is speed of displaying calculated results especially useres coming through VPN.

I believe this is due to the calculations having to be carried out on the client side.

Now i understand that FM Server 8 Adv does all of the field calculations on the Server side (please speak up if this is wrong!)...

so therfore with my new solution which i am developing (in FMP 8 adv) should i be worried about inputting calculated fields against user slow down?...i need this new system am developing which is relacing the FMP 6 system to show much quicker results...especially for those logging on using VPN.

Im planning to have a Win 2003 server platform running FMP 8Adv...dual CPU if this will help with 1gb+ of RAM.

I am trying to script wherever possible but can not get away from the fact i will need calculated fields.

Thanks.

p.s. sorry if this is wrong forum!

[Ender]

While unstored calcs still must be calculated on the client side for display purposes, FM7/8 can in some cases do searches of such fields on the server side (if using FM8, be sure to update client and server to v3 to get it to work properly.)

FM7/8 also are much better at caching. This results in an overall improvement in speed for moving among layouts, viewing portals, performing sorts, and performing finds.

In any case, if your unstored calcs are often used in searches, you might reexamine them to see if they can be reworked so their results are stored. There are some different techniques for doing this, but they depend on the structure, what's being calculated, and the processes for searching and data-entry.

[Ricardo]

An example is my quote system slowing down when you navigate to a layout where there are fields which are calculating costs against some pre-defined field calculations...

I take it these are unstored calcs due to the delay in displaying all info when you first enter the layout...the delay is maybe 1 or 2 seconds but it is noticeable.

Sorry if i sound a little unsure...Not worked in FM 6 for a while so trying to remember the quoting system and its workings!!

I want the new system i am developing to be quicker than this...so saving calculated results is an option to choose...but not always possible through relationship field calculations...if i remember from FMP 6!!?

But from what i have read...FM Server 8 v3 is a lot faster than 5.5 and more is done at the server end than fm server 5.5?

[Søren Dyhr]

does all of the field calculations on the Server side (please speak up if this is wrong!)...

You are! - There are exceptions with global fields as well as summaries, which are stored on clientside often due to the found set, and this causes a lot of network chatter, which won't get better by scrampling it thru VPN!

but can not get away from the fact i will need calculated fields.

Aggregation to get the sum over a relation is indeed a calcfield often required ...but even those can be set by script before a windows content is rendered ...if they can't be excused should the real-estate containing unstored calcfields be considered, a lot of the rendering can be hidden in tabs not yet chosen or tooltips.

Say a calendar with relational views of 42 chained relations ( the way to do it BTW ) ...shouldn't have all 30 -> 42 days attempting to render huge measures of related data. I think we all have fallen in that trap...?

Every thing has to be structured in nice to knows vs. need to knows ...by pulling the cursor over each slot could relevant data be pulled just in time as tooltips ...the tooltip can even sense if modifierkeys is enabled while moving the cursor, so conditional information can be listed! So in fact is the renering of calcfields cut up in small chunks, and only given on demand!

--sd

[Ender]

You might find it helpful to actually set up a test. Put your converted file on a box with Server 8, and access it from a remote site with FM8 and see how those calcs perform.

[Ricardo]

Im not actually converting anything.

I have an FMP 6 database and has many field calcs which seem to slow it down.

Im developing a new solution in FMP 8adv which will run on FM Server 8 adv.

Hopefully i can learn from my previous solution with regards to limiting field calcs to a minumum, and by discussing it with you guys.

My main concern is that the field calcs in my FMP 6 version are been done client side. Hopefully my FMP 8 database more of the calcualtions will be carried out server side...but just wanted to hear others opinions and experiences and how to get the most out of calcs running server side rather than client side.

Thanks for your inout so far...