> The live server is running BDE apps and replication, so the TX diffs can get
> pretty high, but the test servers that exhibit the same are run from fresh
> and exhibit the performance differences after just a few minutes, so I'm
> guessing not. As I said, I haven't been on site, so I haven't been able to
> have a very good look, hoping to do that on Friday.

I never did get BDE working reliably in a multi user
environment. Certainly my results depended on a number of
factors, and speeding up the server did not help, but it did
not make things MUCH worse, just did not see any overall gain.

Until I switched everthing over to IBO and ditched BDE I
could not get the thing stable and fast at the same time. It
does sound as if you are seeing BDE clogging the system, and
then the server does not have enough time to do the
housekeeping as well.

I started with 5.1, moved to 5.5, then 5.6 and then switched
to 6, all in an attempt to make things better, and it got to
a point where the customers had decided to scrap
Interbase/BDE and go with ANYTHING else when I tried IBO
again ( having given up previously - since Borland said 5.6
was going to fix my problems! ). I now run Firebird with IBO
multi-user 24/7 with no slowdowns, and no meltdowns (
database used to grow from 5Mb to 500Mb in minutes when
something 'jammed', now it stays stable ).

So - if you want to improve performance - ditch BDE rather
than trying to make it work better. Not the answer you want
to here, BUT I spent over 2 years with the same problem
before I 'gave in'. Now I can throw what I like at the
server and it just takes it!

--
Lester Caine
-----------------------------
L.S.Caine Electronic Services