Performance problems, but only on the laptop

[MonsterMaxx]

When I go to the field I take my database with me on the laptop.

It's a tabbed thing so the one main form contains nearly everything. So when I open the main form it's likely opening every form and running every query in the database to get launched.

When I open the form on my workstation it takes a few seconds. It's slow, no doubt doing a lot of calculations, but it takes 5 seconds tops.
When I open it on my laptop it takes 2-3 minutes, the status bar shows 'calculating...'

The laptop is pretty much state of the art (core 2 duo 2.0) and the workstation is 5 years old (dual 3ghz xeon.) The laptop is considerably faster on any benchmark by a factor of 3-4 times.

The workstation does open the file over the network since the database sits on the file server and it's array is likely a bit faster (twice maybe) than the laptop's drive. But the file size is only 2.5MB.

When I open the networked file with the laptop it does respond quite a bit faster than if I open it off the laptop's local drive, but still shows 'calculating...' for a long time and is not as fast as the old workstation.

It's the same Access 2003 install on both machines.

In development I can live with it, but this is clearly not going to be acceptable when I release it.

What could be causing this performance hit on the laptop? What can I do about it?

 

[Banana]

1) Are you using wireless?

2) When out on the field, how does it connect? A local copy or on WAN?

If it's wireless or WAN, then that's the problem. Either are slower by a factor of magnitude compared to hardwired ethernet cables in a LAN and definitely less fault-tolerant. I definitely would not use Access backend across wireless or WAN networks. You may want to consider other approach; replication, terminal service or a RDBMS that is capable of handling data requests across flaky networks.

Also, you could distribute the forms with recordsource where you add a criteria such as 'WHERE 1=0', which will return zero records for first time, until you actually click on the tab that will display the subform inside, where you re-set the recordsource to whatever you wanted without the 1=0 criteria, so it loads just in time rather pre-emptively.

HTH.

 

[MonsterMaxx]

No, not wireless or wan, on the local drive.

There's not that many records, biggest table has maybe 200 records.

Something is bogging it down on the lappy and I need to figure out why.

 

[Banana]

Am kind of confused and wanted to be sure I am following you.

Is the database split? Is the backend kept on the filer server and lappy has its local copy of backend on the hard drive?

Furthermore, how many subforms on tab controls are you opening?

 

[MonsterMaxx]

No, the database is not split...yet. I'll do that when it's released, for now, it's much easier to work with as a single file.

I just grab the file and copy it to my laptop and go. Copy it back to the server when I return. Sometimes I'll even compact it before I go. But it only takes a second or so to copy the file over the network.

All the forms in the database are on the main form via tabs. 50 of them with a dozen or so more to come before I'm finished.

 

[PaulO]

I think that the 'calculating' message at the bottom-left of your screen is the most interesting element here ... as it's something I've noticed when using the SAME database application between different systems with similar performance attributes (on paper at least). I'd be interested to know why this message appears and under what conditions ... I think when I've seen it there have been subforms and/or subform footer totals at play ... ?

If you hear a funny sound now ... well ... it's me clutching at straws! But you might want to check that all the same references are accessible on BOTH systems???
Tools > Macros > Visual Basic Editor
then
Tools > References
Like I say I'm clutching at straws but references have been a fairly consistent thorn in my side over the years and if someone out there fully understands them I'm all ears!

 

[MonsterMaxx]

I only see the 'calculating...' message when launching the main form ON THE LAPTOP. I do not recall seeing it any other time.

I am constantly relaunching that form on my workstation and never see that message.

Again, the laptop is considerably faster than the workstation. Has more ram, faster processor and a faster GPU. The only place it could be beat is on the drive, but I think if you factor in the network a local 5400rpm laptop drive is probably faster than a gigabit network or at least very close to the same speed.

The storage volume on the server is a mirror, so we aren't getting a huge performance boost there. Running HDtune the server's drive is 40% faster than the lappy's drive.

 

[MonsterMaxx]

The VB references match.

 

[MonsterMaxx]

I wonder if I could at least display a 'loading...' message so the user doesn't think it's crashed (which is what I thought the first time.)

 

[MonsterMaxx]

I just closed that form and reopened it on the laptop.

It's not even hitting the drive (or so the little HD light says), but it takes a good minute to complete the task.