>I recompiled the VFP 5.0 app under VFP 6.0 and Service pack 3 and it still runs slow on the NT server after the 2nd user runs the app. Does anyone else run a large database, multi-user app on NT server and can test for this case? I shipped the application to Microsoft so they can test it.
>

John, I run some very large scale database applications written in VFP5 and VFP6 using NT Server, where the only protocol in use on the network is TCP/IP with NBT (NetBIOS over TCP/IP) being used for peer-to-peer operation (this means all workstations on the LAN are running either Win98 or WinNT.) I definitely do not have this problem. That's the configuration I use here on my home LAN, which I use for development and testing.

In my own office, we run a mixed NetWare 3.2 and NT Server environment, with TCP/IP and the Microsoft IPX/SPX compatible stacks. We use NetBIOS over IPX for our peer-to-peer protocol because we have a couple of dinsosaur boxes that still run Win95 and have a great deal of trouble with NBT. We have a mix of FPDOS, VFP5 and VFP6 applications running, and again, no significant problems or slowdowns with multiple users accessing databases on the NT Server box.

You may want to consider the issue of where your executables reside and temp files are being created for the workstations (we have the executables reside on each local system, and there's a CONFIG.FPW for each distinct machine, avoiding the problem found with VFP where, if you don't specify where the temp files will be created, will put them in the startup directory for the executable).

>John
>
>>What I do not understand is why the application would slow down by 300% when a 2nd user runs the app. On Novell there is no problem, but on NT the performance drop is terrible.
>>
>>John
>>
>>>From my experience on working with an NT Server is that they perform terrible on hubs. As it is, NT is already a resource hog. I went to a switch and it seemed to improve on a multi-user app over the wire. Another thing to consider is more memory. I'll give an example, I'm running two servers, one Novell 4.11 (128 ram/266mhz/scsi drives) vs. NT 4.0 SP4 Server (256 ram/333mhz/same scsi drives) and my Novell will beat the pants off of NT. NT is defenately database platform but not a file and printer server. On the flip side, Novell is not a database platform but can haul ass on file and printer sharing.