KIP, Powerprint Request software -samba

[David Collier-Brown]

   This looks somewhat familiar: Windows Explorer has a tenancy
to try to open all files in a directory in order to show a pretty
screen of icons, each read from icon information in the file.
Powerprint may well be doing something similar.
   When starting up the powerprint file browser, does it by any
chance have an option to just list filenames, or use small
icons, or something that causes it to not to try to open all
the files?  If so, try it and see if it causes a huge speed-up.

   If not, we might have to pull some sort of kludge, such as
a vfs that returns precached icons without actually opening the
files.  It's the directory traversal (namei/iget) and file opens
that take the time on Unix.


mnehemiah at urschel.com wrote:
> Hi all,
>         Before  I get started on my troubles now, I want to thank the team
> for everything they've done, and helping me before with my clarion
> database locking issues.  We have been running all of our production
> clarion databases on samba since then, with no known issues.  Hats off to
> the team and all who contribute.
> 
> Description: Engineering dept uses wide format Kip brand printers,  They
> use proprietary kip software for maintenance on large numbers of image
> files on the server. Before samba, the files were on $NT4(&nt4 era
> hardware).  In their software, opening a typical directory(4000 files)
> took a long time ~15s.  Now, on samba they get 2min10seconds directory
> open time.    I set up a test network to troubleshoot.  My test network, I
> can get the directory time down to 38secs. on samba 3.0.5  Several
> engineers use this program daily for file moving, manipulation, etc.  and
> it is just unbearable to use.   I tried an xp share, and the time was
> 8secs.  I have been in contact with KipAmerica on this issue, and they are
> not interested in helping.  I hope one of you guys can look at this for
> me, it seems easy to recreate, and I think there is a definite problem
> somewhere here.
> 
> To Re-create:
> I originally worked with our production files.
>     For re-creation purposes,  Just use 4000 empty files. It is slightly
> faster with empty files.  bash: for n in `seq 4000`;do touch $n;done.
> Download windows software from Kip, Powerprint Request latest version.
> www.kipamerica.com/software_downloads.asp
> or direct download - www.kipamerica.com/powerprint_2004/PP5SR3_Request.exe
> -(free download)  Install software on a windows box.  Have shared folder
> with files mounted on windows box.
>     Powerprint request software opens up with a directory/File browse
> window.  find your folder with the 4000 files, click on it and watch how
> long it takes to open.
> 
> I have had this problem since we moved their files.  I have tried 3
> different server hardware configs, and many tuning parameters from noatime
> on mounts to several of the TCP options.   latest samba test config is at
> the end.  I feel confident that this problem can be reproduced easily.
> Please, let me know if there is any more information I can get to you on
> this, or if there is anything I can do to help diagnose.  I'm stuck right
> now, in a real bad way with our Engineering dept.  I really have to come
> up with an answer on this problem for them.
> 
> Thanks,
>                  Mark..
> 
> all disks were formated ext3, used single ide drives, and 3ware raid 5s,
> 
> smb.conf
> ***
> [global]
>    workgroup = AAAAAAA
>   netbios name = Nemo
>    server string = Nemo's Kip test thing
>    log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
>    max log size = 50
>    security = domain
>    password server = *
>  encrypt passwords = yes
>    socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
> IPTOS_THROUGHPUT
>    wins server = 10.x.x.x
>    dns proxy = no
> [homes]
>    comment = Home Directories
>    browseable = no
>    writable = yes
> [printers]
>    comment = All Printers
>    path = /var/spool/samba
>    browseable = no
>    guest ok = yes
>    writable = no
>    printable = yes
>    create mode = 0700
>    print command = lpr -P %p -o raw %s -r   # using client side printer
> drivers.
> 
> [print$]
>    path = /var/lib/samba/printers
>    browseable = yes
>    read only = yes
>    write list = @adm root
> 
> [Kip_files]
> path=/server
> writable=yes
> *************
> 
> 
>