Needs Solution to file ageing and performance issues?

[Pushkraj]

Hi,

How are you all? Hoping all of you is in good time.

I am working on a Filemaker database which has grown much older.

I started with FM6 and now its finally got converted to FM9 and the customizations/development is still going on since 6 to 8 years in the FM9 version.

The same sets of files are being used since years with continuous development going on.

In case if the files get corrupted we just get the previous version of set of files and re develop the lost development.

We are facing the performance issues with the current set of files, especially searching and sorting.

Is there any method or tool or any process available which we can deploy to add new life to these set of files so that the performance gets enhanced.

Any comments highly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance.

Regards

Pushkraj

[bcooney]

Hi Pushkraj,

Performance issues can come about for many reasons:

1. not adequate hw for FMS,

2. network speed issues (routers, switches, etc., not configured)

3. layouts with many unstored calcs,

4. lots of graphics on layouts

5. bloated files (many embedded files).

the list goes on and on.

[Søren Dyhr]

What Barbara didn't touch with her list, was that any migrated solution would need quite some rework to get rid of the way tunneling was done previously, a lot of calc'fields have turned bygones.

Then the cardinal sin, summary fields shown in places where they don't serve in subsummary reporting tasks.

Futher more have some of the relational approaches been lumped in via workarounds which isn't called for any more.

--sd

[Vaughan]

Save a compacted copy of the files, that will fix most of the ills that can be fixed.

As the others said, anything more that that will require refactoring to optimise code and/or data structure.

I assume the file is hosted with FM Server: if not, there will be a big gain from that alone.

If it is hosted and has been done so for a while, consider freeing up disk space on the server and/or optimising the server disk itself.

[Pushkraj]

File Maker File performance discussion:

1. It is the responsibility of the developer to maintain, minimum layouts, minimum fields, minimum calculations, minimum indexed fields, minimum relationships and minimum searching and sorting complexities right from the scratch development as per his/her requirement. No unneeded extra database elements should stay in the file maker file.

2. Many of the people suggest keeping the file as compacted, to remove illness or enhance the overall performance of the filemaker file. But still it is a debatable issue.

3. Basically there are 2 types of file maker file performance which is under discussion.

[color:blue]a. Performance degradation when the number of records and database elements goes on increasing.

People have suggest the solution for this by making use of good database design methodology, using correct and simple relationships which does not use sorting, using self relationships, using minimum graphic elements in layout design, using minimum indexed fields etc. However no direct solution exists for the performance degradation when the overall age of the file is increasing.

[color:blue]b. Performance degradation when the overall age of the file is increasing.

Below is the link for the answers that I received till today about this issue on technet. You can Google out by searching on “FileMaker Performance”. You will get plenty of material explaining the design methodology to be followed, how to enhance performance when the number of records increases, hardware related issues as well (e.g. Processor speed, cache speed) etc. However, I am still searching if I could found out the answer to the B type of performance.

Technet forum link::

http://techtalk.filemaker.com/.59bd71df

Any additions from your side shall be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance….!!

Regards

Pushkraj

[bcooney]

You cannot link to TechNet, as TechNet is a forum for which you must pay to join.

[Vaughan]

This post points to a TechNet post that points to this post.

Help, I'm stuck in an infinite loop!

[Vaughan]

Don't worry, I quickly ran out of memory.