FMP5 sluggish

[Christine Massey]

Hi,

When typing in Filemaker Pro 5, the cursor sometimes lags behind the keyboard strokes. Also, sometimes when clicking on a field, the pop-up list takes a while to appear. It seems FMP5 is always a few steps behind.

There are currently only two people using this database file, myself and one other. It happens when I am the only one using this file, too.

Has anyone encoutered a similar problem? Does anyone have any solutions?

Thanks,

Christine

[Christine Massey]

I am using:

compaq deskpro 550 mhz, 128 meg RAM

Windows 2000 NT

Network card: Intel® Pro/100 + Management Adapter with Alert on LAN

Novell network client 4.71

[Anatoli]

Christine M -- see your Task Manager what else is eating cycles. There is something nasty in background.

I am just watching software DVD player on my computer, running 10 other applications and no slowdown on W2000.

On the other hand I've build and tuned my machine by myself

[LiveOak]

Sound like something else running on your machine is using up processor cycles. See what you have running in the background. It could also be time to perform some disk maintenance.

-bd

[Christine Massey]

Thanks for your reply.

The problem seems to happen no matter what other applications I have open (or any open at all). Is there some kind of "behind the scenes" app that could be using my processor cycles? Also, what kind of disk maintenance would you suggest?

Thanks,

Christine

[LiveOak]

It's a little hard to make a specific recommendation when I don't know what platform you are on and what version OS you are using.

-bd

[Christine Massey]

Thanks for your suggestion, but it seems from the task manager that there is nothing else in the background. This seems to be a problem only with Filemaker Pro 5. Does anyone have a fix to filemaker?

[David McKee (Protolight)]

If you are running NT, there can't be just FMP running in the background. There are many normal services running on an average NT workstation. Perhaps some background processes are being hidden from display.

Don't look at the "applications" tab, instead look at the "processes" tab. There should be at least 4 or 5 normally.

Take a look at the "CPU" column. (note I'm on a W2000 machine) If FMP is ALWAYS taking up 99 not matter what is going on, then something is definately abnormal.

Also check out performance moniter. Keep in mind that the numbers you see are not especially valuable except when considering them estimates of usage. For example, when I am on my 800Mhz machine, I can spike usage up an extra 5% just by moving the mouse around quickly.

I'd also scan for virii (ie viruses) using the latest virus definitions from your anti-virus vendor, just to be safe.

Are you experiencing sluggishness only in FMP?

[Anatoli]

I am running 37 processes. I am compressing video in background at 100%, yet FM is brisk and fast!

[Kurt Knippel]

Can someone else in your organization verify this problem?

I have had many experiences where a fast typist can easily exceede the speed of the keyboard buffer and will complain that the program "lags" or "has a delay".

It is simply the speed of the keyboard buffer, which is in general plenty fast, but a fast typist can easily overpower it.

This is enough of a possibility that I'd suggest looking into it.

[Christine Massey]

Yes, the only two other people in my firm that use the database have the same problem.

[Moon]

Two questions:

Where are the files hosted?

How are you connecting to the hosted files?

[Christine Massey]

I did observe the "processes" tab - nothing unusual was happening there. Scanned for viruses too - nothing. Cleaned disk (e.g. deleted temp files). Did a defrag. Same problem. Yes - I am experiencing sluggishness only in Filemaker Pro as are my colleagues.

I have read about others having this problem in this and other listserves, however - no one posted a solution. Any help would be most appreciated to this most frustrating problem.

Thanks

[Christine Massey]

The .fp5 files are on a novell server. The filemaker software is on my hard drive. We are accessing the files over the network. Basically, I open Filemaker, choose the file from the network drive, and open it. My colleagues do the same.

[Kurt Knippel]

Put the files on your local drive and see if the problem persists. If it does, then it is something with either the application itself or the databases.

If the "sluggishness" goes away, then it is something about the speed of the network.

Also, does this "sluggishness" occur when more than one of your are accessing the database at the same time? Multiple users opening/sharing the same databases via peer-to-peer file sharing is know to cause pretty poor performance, opening the database via the File menu in Filemaker is the prefered method.

Also 2, how many total users are accessing these databases?

[LiveOak]

Make sure that the second user to open this files doesn't open the novell server volume and double click on the files, but uses the File Menu --> Open --> Hosts. To do otherwise can cause many of the problems you are seeing. Not having the files on the hard drive of the host machine REALLY slows down the operaton. The connection to the "disk" with the FM files for your hosting copy of FM is approximately 1/10 the speed when the files are on the novell server rather than your local hard drive.

Oh, by the way, do the other users each have their own copy of FM or are they running the one on your hard drive?

-bd

[Christine Massey]

There are only three of us currently using this program and database file.

I was told of opening the file through "hosts" and have been doing that recently, but it did not seem to make a difference.

I will put the file on my hard drive and test to see what happens. One question though, if the file is on my hard drive will others be able to use it at the same time?

[David McKee (Protolight)]

I would not recommend hosting the files as you are currently doing.

Never "host" (or network) a file that is not located on a local hard drive. If you open a file for sharing, it should not be on a network directory. You should be getting a dialog box discouraging you from doing this.

The reason is that FMP must access the file not through "fast" hard drive calls, but through slower network file-system calls. The more often the file is accessed, the bigger the different will be. Hosting a file means more than one user is using the file, which means much more traffic.

Ideally, you should be using a dedicated server, but this is a very small solution with only 3 users, it's best to move to a server at 11 or so users.

In your case, I would try to select of the three users, the person who uses the solution the most, and/or whoever gets in earliest. Put the files on their machine (make sure to also implement an automated backup), perhaps in their startup items folder. This person is the only person who can open the files "directly". They become the host, and if the files aren't open on their machine, the files are not available to anyone.

The other users must now use ONLY the hosts button in FileMaker.

Performance SHOULD increase, unless there is another problem causing more lag.

Keep us posted! = )

[Christine Massey]

Do you think there any way to accomplish this while having the files available to everyone? Is there anyway to save only the "updated" data for the day back to the network drive? Unfortunately, we would all need access to these files.

[Kurt Knippel]

Where the files are physically stored is of little consequence, except in terms of performance. As long as the files are opened by Filemaker either client or server, they can be accessed by anyone via Hosts from the File -> Open... menu item.

Now if everyone needs access and you are worried that the files will not be opened then you need to setup a "server". This can either be with Filemaker or with Filemaker Server. As Dave suggested setup this machine to open the files on startup and store the files locally on that machine. For maximum security treat this machine just like any other server, even if you are just using a copy of Filemaker Pro client.

Obviously Filemaker Server will provide an enhanced level of performance, stability and security, but there is added software and hardware costs involved.

[Christine Massey]

I am going to test "hosting" the files on my machine locally. However, (forgive my lack of tech knowledge) how would my co-worker open the file from my computer if its not on the network?

[Kurt Knippel]

Launch the Filemaker application.

Goto File menu, select Open...

Click the Hosts button and the available databases should appear.