At 05:29 PM 26/03/2009, you wrote:

>Hi all :)
>
>Sometimes Firebird will freeze for about ten minutes when connecting to a large database file (1.7G). Constant hard disk activity, but no processor load.
>
>The freeze happens independently of how we connect to the database, eg with FlameRobin or a Lazarus application. (Which means some our customers need to wait ten minutes for our application to start.)
>
>Usually it happens when we connect to the database for the first time after a reboot. All subsequent connections will be lightning fast - until the next reboot.
>
> From what we see it happens only on XP systems. We could reproduce it neither on Linux nor on Vista.
>
>It does not seem to be related to any specific configuration. We tried to disable some services, and do some other stuff, and the freeze randomly (dis/re)appeared.
>
>Our last try was to watch the hard disk activity when connecting normally and with a freeze, and that gave some clue:
>
>When connecting to a database, it first reads some parts of the database file. Seeking forward and backward and reading a few pages here and there.
>
>I guess it's reading the headers at that point.
>
>In the freeze case, it then starts reading the entire file. Which of course takes some time when the file is 1.7G in size.
>
>So now the question is: What triggers this reading of the entire file, and how can we prevent it?

Read the documentation! For Fb 2 and up, *all* of the Windows section of the Mig. and Installation doc. For Fb 1.5, the Installation chapter.

/heLen