MetCal Very Slow Getting Server Based Procedures in Windows 10

Started by Hawaii596, 10-25-2018 -- 09:54:25

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Hawaii596

10-25-2018 -- 09:54:25
We have MetCal 8.0.46 and our procedures library resides on a server drive (as does the server side software for MetCal). On Windows 7 computers, when we access any given procedure directory the retrieval is almost instantaneous (a second or two). Windows 10 computers it can take up to 10+ minutes to access that same set of procedures.  On one of the Windows 10 computers, I transferred a copy of the given procedure directory (around 2200 procedures with a proc.dir file of about 162k) to the C drive of a Windows 10 computer, and access time becomes almost instantaneous.

So it appears to be something about how MetCal on a Windows 10 computer accesses the network. Network speed is fine (as the Win 7 computer in a side by side test) accesses them very fast. I have been reading various articles about speed problems between Windows 10 computers and Server drives. Anyone know what a culprit within MetCal might be that causes this speed problem?
"I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind."
Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
from lecture to the Institute of Civil Engineers, 3 May 1883

silv3rstr3

#1
10-25-2018 -- 16:46:33
I work in Florida and used to have to pull procedures from our main server in Arizona.  It took 5-10 minutes just to scan all the ACC files!  Copied them local and updated the INI file because that was unacceptable.

Not a fan with Windows 8 or 10.  Fought with IT here for a while and was allowed to keep my Windows 7 for obsolete software being on it.  Do you have Met/Team?  We've been loading the PXE files into the actual Procedure in the database.  Proc Directories have gone away.  Met/Team is web based and seems to run more efficiently through it. 

Word of caution though.  In Met/Team the Procedure name must match the name of the main procedure MC.  If not the work order creates a new/bogus procedure each time.  It won't have the PXE file or revision date.  I'm having to randomly inactivate tons of bogus procedures to clean it up.
"They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that out numbers us 29:1. They can't get away from us now!!"
-Chesty Puller

Hawaii596

#2
10-26-2018 -- 09:44:40
I don't think there's the intent of upgrading to Met/Team any time soon or perhaps ever.  One thing I find interesting is that as I perused some of the Fluke support forum postings that there are users using 7.3 successfully with Windows 10.  Also, I read a bunch of postings about similar problems (i.e.: people having speed problems in Windows 10 with other software that has Client/Server that needs to access or transfer files over networks). So I am THINKING (not at all sure) that there are some bugs in Windows 10 and how it interacts in certain ways with certain server OS's. 

It is just so weird that it is only in that one function that I have the problem.  After I cache the selected directory and view it, speed is fine. Even after I run a procedure, as it is scrolling through the acc items etc., that speed is fine. It is this one action (where it caches the procedures list from the selected directory) where it bogs down. From what I've gleaned thus far, Win 10 processes certain network commands in a certain way. More later.
"I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind."
Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
from lecture to the Institute of Civil Engineers, 3 May 1883

silv3rstr3

#3
10-26-2018 -- 10:42:34
Probably a good thing.  Met/Team has plenty of bugs.  I like using Gage InSite better and Indy Soft was more willing to customize things to our needs.

That is definitely weird it's hanging up.  Will you try copying the procedure folder from the network to your local desktop and run it locally?  You probably already did that but just a suggestion.  It will give you a better idea which direction to troubleshoot next. 
"They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that out numbers us 29:1. They can't get away from us now!!"
-Chesty Puller

Hawaii596

#4
10-26-2018 -- 11:51:17
Yes. I copied the same directory to the Win 10 computer and it took a second or two.  I will say that to be technically specific, the Win 10 computer does download all the files and runs procedures. And by the way we have two Win 10 computers that both do exactly the same thing. I'm going to try and get enough of the right technical details together to also post it on a microsoft forum (or equivalent). I am personally pretty convinced that this has to do with some of the finer points of how our server drive is set up (possibly including what version of server OS is running on them). And that stuff is over my head.
"I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind."
Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
from lecture to the Institute of Civil Engineers, 3 May 1883

scottbp

#5
10-29-2018 -- 15:25:53
My lab has no problems running MET/CAL in Windows 10 or loading procedures and scanning the .acc file from a mapped drive letter on our network; it's the branch locations that take forever to load procedures and scan the .acc files. That is because our IT department has extended our corporate intranet (and all it's mapped drive letters) through a VPN tunnel that gets very congested when everybody in all the far-flung locations logs on to access everything in the network. I've made local copies of the .acc files and procedure directory to help speed things up; but then there's the issue of keeping everything synced up...
Kirk: "Scotty you're confined to quarters." Scotty: "Thank you, Captain! Now I have a chance to catch up on my technical journals!"

CalLabSolutions

#6
10-30-2018 -- 09:36:51
This is just my 2 cents, only a thought.  I haven't tested anything.
When Fluke created MET/CAL 8x they started using the .NET Framework, so they have managed and unmanaged code.  .NET managed code, unlike unmanaged code, knows about trusted drives and so does Windows 10. 
So I would look at how to make the server drives trusted drives.  This is something I have to do in some of the applications we created.

https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/173554/adding-network-drive-to-trusted-intranet-sites-security-hole

Mike.
Michael L. Schwartz
Automation Engineer
Cal Lab Solutions
  Web -  http://www.callabsolutions.com
Phone - 303.317.6670

Hawaii596

#7
10-30-2018 -- 11:34:52
You think a drive trust issue would cause a slowdown? I am not debating, sincere question. I will pass on to our IT people. We have mostly Win 7 computers, but as we add new ones, they are all Win 10.
"I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind."
Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
from lecture to the Institute of Civil Engineers, 3 May 1883

Hawaii596

#8
10-30-2018 -- 11:50:56
We just tried and no change.
"I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind."
Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
from lecture to the Institute of Civil Engineers, 3 May 1883

CalLabSolutions

#9
10-30-2018 -- 13:16:57
Long-Shot..  But I have heard of some customers having issues with routers ports / cables...

Also, did you use the OnTime Support install instructions?  I know there were a couple of things Doug told me he had to get set right...

Mike

Michael L. Schwartz
Automation Engineer
Cal Lab Solutions
  Web -  http://www.callabsolutions.com
Phone - 303.317.6670
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