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klopex

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Access running slow for some users

I am running Windows 2000 and Access 2000.  I have built a database that resides on a shared location on a novell server.  For some users, the database runs as efficiently for them as it does for me.  Some other users continually have MUCH slower performance.

The database runs an update where it imports data from DBF files and stores the data tables for all future use.  I and the fast users can run the update in 1 minute.  Slow users are having to wait 30 minutes or more the update to complete).  

I have not independantly verified whether the problem persists in all activities in the database or if it is just during update.  I am going to collect some census data on the OS and Access versions on the various PC's who are having good and bad performance and I will get back to you with that.

Is this a known problem?  Anyone already battled with this?
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erinsteadman

What O/S are the users having problems running?
Do you have a Front End and Back End Data is stored on the server?  Or is everyone using the same copy of one MDB File?

Erin
a cusomer of mine has experienced simular problems, but not restricted to access applications. some clients had excessive reponste-times.
so the most intersting fact to me at the moment would be this point:
   is the problemit restricted on this specific access application ?
   is the problem persistent, if user reboots and establishes  a new connection ?
  are the "problem-users" ia a seperate LAN-segment or VLAN

Regards, Franz
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ASKER

I work for a school district.  This is a report card/progress report tool that I have created.  Each school has their own copy on the server.  There may be a few people at each school who use the tool, but they have all been instructed to all get out of the program except for the one person who is updating the software.

The problem appears to be connected to the computer that a user is on.  Rebooting, new copies of the database, ... don't affect the performance for them.  A different user in the building can use the same copy of the database without the slow performance.  Only a couple schools use VLANs and I don't normally support those particular schools networks, so I have no information to share about that.  I would expect that the two people who have differing quality of service experiences are on the same VLAN if they use them there at all.  They both have offices in the same office cluster in the building and they are within 100 feet of each other...


I have gathered the following data on users and quality of service so far...

OS - Office Vers - performance

98 - 2K - slow

XP - XP - fast
2K - 2K - fast
XP - XP - fast
98 - XP - fast (slightly slower perhaps)
98 - XP - fast " " " " "

Obviously I have a lot of stats to gather on slow machines before I can see a trend.  It *might* be too early to make a conclusion just yet! :^)
As you are gathering your "census", you might also want to check on the speed of the box having the slow response/performance time, the nature of their connection (DSl, CABLE, Dial-up), and the connection quality.

If they have an older box, they may be dealing with inherent speed/performance issue.

If they have a slow or poor quality connection they may be dealing with slow-downs due to data transmission errors and retries.

I take it the DBF files are on the local machines and that they import the data to a server based database.  Is there any chance that you could set up the system so that they transfer (either (or FTP or some other file transfer protocol) the data in a zipped format and execute the import on the server side?
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heer2351

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Hi,

Re: A different user in the building can use the same copy of the database without the slow performance.

Just wondering, if the problem was associated with the user profile.
If the user logs on at another station that is known to be a fast connection, does he still get a slow connection? or is definately machine specific?

Alan

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ASKER

Thank You Alan, I will look into that.  It is my gut feeling that it is an OS/Office version combination that will make the pattern, or it is a Novell settings issue.  Perhaps it is OS level record locking type issues that can be resolved by tinkering in my novell settings.

To clarify, there is only one database.  No front end or back end.  
It resides on the network server.
The slowdown occurs even when only one user is in the database.  (It is FAR worse when there are more users in during an update!!  But I expected that.)

I have determined that the slowdown is occuring only when the update is running.  The database does complex actions quickly otherwise (ex: jump to the end of a 900 page report happens similarly fast on a machine that suffers the slow update as it does on a machine that runs the update in 1-2 minutes.)

The update consists of:
*deleting records from tables using delete queries,
*copying records from linked dbf files using append queries,
*running a couple append queries to massage the data, including an append that pulls from a pretty big crosstab query.

I think I am going to encourage some Novell people to come look at this question as well.
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If you're using ODBC to access the database, then you may want to check into whether the version of ODBC and drivers are consistent for all users/platforms.  There are performance variations between versions of ODBC and drivers.  If you are doing direct access, that's a big "never mind."
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klopex-

Did any of our advice help you? Please let us know where you are at with this issue...

Thanx.
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ASKER

   I apologize for the slow resolution of this.  I work for a school district.  There is one or maybe two people at each school in my district who will use this application to print Report Cards at their school.  Thursday was the end of the term and they should print report cards this week as teachers at the various schools turn in their grades.
    I received a call today from a school saying that it ran slowly.  I will visit there to inspect soon.  The only person whom I knew for sure was having trouble... I went there and I couldn't get it to run unreasonably slowly.  If anything, she has a slow machine from the use of webshots and a few other such things on an older piece of hardware.
    I'll keep in touch.  I WILL close this question and not leave you hanging!!
klopex -

Since the config you say was slowest was Win98/access2K, I would suspect that the first thing you should try is #7 on the list I posted above.  This is a known issue with Win98 and access.

How's it going?
It's been another week. Any news?
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ASKER

Well, I have only had a couple complaints about slowness in the program.  Both have proven to be
resolved by magic or something unrelated to this.  Instead of waiting any longer, I am going to award
points.  I figure I should delete this question since no one gave the the solution to a problem that I cannot
with certainty say ever existed...  But, there are a lot of answers that I hope someone can use in case of an
actual emergency.  Thanks to you all!