Is it feasible to use IB/FB over a slow link? When I mean feasible, I mean
usable, not "is it possible".
Our application can support a multitude of database backends, via database
access dll's (The application (delphi) itself only knows about TDatasets).
When running the application against a remote MS SQLServer over a 384 kb DSL
line, it's actually usable. When running against FB 1.0 over that same
link, to the same machine, queries are abysmally slow (4-5 times the length
it took SQLServer to return the results from the same queries). There was
no change on the machine. Both servers were running when I was testing each
one. No services were disabled, etc. The databases are the same in terms
of structure (with the exception of blobs being defined differently between
the two). I have traced it down to the .Open on the dataset.
Essentially what I'm getting at is that MSSqlServer has a marked advantage,
in my limited testing, in running over slow links. Has anyone else
experienced this? Has anyone figured a way around this? :)
I thought I remembered reading somewhere that FB will pad out varchar fields
with spaces when sending results of a query back across the wire. Is this
true? If so, that's at least one thing to point to, if SQLServer does not
do that.
Machine specs is as follows:

Server : Athlon 1.2 ghz, 512 meg of ram, NT4
Client : Athlong 1.5 ghz, 768 meg of ram, XP Pro
Slowest Connection between the client and the server : 384 kb DSL Line
Connection Protocol : TCP/IP

I'm using IBX. Yes, I know, it won't be compatible in the future, but it is
for now which is good enough for now. We'll explore different options when
it becomes necessary. I wouldn't think that's a contributing factor to
this, but there it is, just in case.
Any ideas would be great.

- Jason