Delay server 2003 sp1, browsing files on server local

[MTC]

Hi All,

I ocassionally experience a 30sec to 1min delay when exploring files on a DL380G4 running server 2003 sp1, fully patched both MS & HP (drivers, bios etc). The server has a Smart Array 641.

You will double click a folder and it will just sit there with a delay. This is very random does not always happen.

Has anyone ever experienced this before?

Thanks kindly.

[MTC]

sorry typo, the server has smart array 6i, no bbwc.

the 641 are in my ml350g3's.

[Rune J. Winje]

Which client are you browsing from?

Couple of docs to look into:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/832161/en-us
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822219/en-us

Several other docs exist regarding various problems with slow browsing of network shares from WinXP or other clients.

Event logs on server and client plus a network trace from the shortest possible period showing the problem (no prices given for long network traces...) may illuminate the problem further.

Also you may begin with a perfmon trace for disk queue lenghts to eliminate that the problem is caused by slow disk access (check both read and write disk queue lenghts).


Cheers,
Rune

[Alan_152]

What is task manager reporting when this happens? Since this is a server, it may currently be set up to give priority to non-local connections.

[WillNiccolls]

I understand there can be some performance problems if a directory structure is highly fragmented. I recall reading that certain copy operations may copy all directory information without file name information, and for large amounts of files and folders in a deep hierchy, this might impact performance because the file and directory names aren't read as quickly.

However, this would impact performance for both network access and local access, so perhaps the problem is different.

If you can show that the delays also happen for network access, there utility in the Windows Resource Kit Tools called "robocopy.exe" has a switch that copies directories with null entries for each file name as it builds the directory structure, so that the directory structure doesn't become highly fragmented and gives lower read times.