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tvacc

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Slow Client Connections

I have speciality software that is running on a windows 2003 server for small businesses (this was a Dell-ordered clean install system). The software was installed and it uses the Microsoft SQL Desktop Server Engine, so it installed/configured that too. This has been done at about 3-4 other locations and everything has been fine.

However, at this location (4 clients all running the software accessing the SQL Desktop Server on the 2003 Server), the clients are running very slow (about 2-3 times slower than they should).

The connection is apparently still being made because after 10-20 seconds or so the software responds and continues to respond slowly. Data is slowly being loaded into the client programs from the server.

I have tried to troubleshoot it. Thought it might have been some kind of hardware...shut off all but one computer a couple of times. I turned off the cable modem. I replaced the switch connecting the computers. I even brought another switch in and connected only the server and one client on their own 2 node network...still as slow as before. To test the network connection, I downloaded Service Pack 2 network install (~260MB) and transfered it between the two computers (client-->server) and back (server-->client). It took around a minute or less...which is about what it should be...no problem there.

I am at a loss...I've run out of ideas. I figure it must be some problem with the server configuration, specifically the SQL Desktop Server Engine...but I know so little about it that I thought I would ask here for some advice...please help!
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Calvin Day
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If you have access to a computer with the "SQL Server Enterprise Manger” installed on it. You can launch “Tools, SQL Profiler” this should give you a good idea of where the bottleneck is, and what resource usages are. You can also look at the server’s configuration settings for memory usage etc…

Have you taken a look at the “Windows Task Manager” to see what the memory usage and CPU burdens are?

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tvacc

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CPU burden is minimal--never more than 20%.

The msde is taking up around 80MB of ram with 4 clients connected for less than one day...normal?
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Also, the server starts out at 400MB physical memory right from bootup...again...seems a little high.
Not sure if SQL is actually the problem.

We have also noticed degradation of file transfer/copy speed on Windows 2003 Enterprise, Domain Controller Servers.
There are several registry patches listed on MS web site. I have tried two that did not work. Our network admin has found one that worked on his none production network. We have not had the opportunity to get together on this yet, however it is becoming a problem for me “and another network admin we know” so we are likely to get on it soon.

Today I am setting up a new development workstation that will be running against SQL 2000 on the Win2003 sever where we are experiencing the slow transfer/copy problem. Will let you know later today if we encounter your problem here.

In the meantime here are related KB articles for Win 2003;

http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?catalog=LCID%3D1033&spid=3198&mode=r&cat=false&query=slow+file+copy&srch=sup

Keep the faith, we are all in this together!

PS how much RAM you got?

We have servers running;
        System Ram             FreeRam
1)     512                         60
2)     1GB                         329
3)     512                         120
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Problem solved.  I dont know how to close the question without awarding points at nothing given was the answer. The problem was that because this software uses TCPIP...the Norton Corp edition on the workstations was deep scanning the traffic as if it was virus activity.  Disabling the Norton fixed the problem, but now we need to find out how to massage the Norton settings to allow for this activity without stopping the aV software completly...

Anybody have any experience doing this with Norton?
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Calvin Day
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