Slow Copy WinXX - Linux/Samba :-(

[David Rankin]

Bill Moran wrote:

> David Rankin wrote:
> >
> > I never thought it would happen to me, but it did...
> >
> > I have read threads about slow copies from WinXX to Linux/Samba on the
> > list in the past, but I don't recall a concise answer regarding what the
> > cause was.
>
> I don't have the answer for you, but hopefully I can help you with
> debugging it. I'd really like to know what causes this before it happens
> to me ;)
> First off, please verify that it isn't the client causing the problem.
> IOW: try the copy from win95, win98, ME, NT or whatever client your
> using and make sure it is a problem on all of them (and a consistent
> problem as well) You may have already done this, but you didn't say so,
> so I'm bringing it up.

Linux => Windows (copy and file transfer works great)
Windows => Windows (copy and file transfer works great)
Windows => Linux (used to work great but now crawls)

>
> Check the samba log files for the clients that are having the problem.
> Sometimes there's a big red flag there. If there isn't, trying
> increasing the log level and see if something shows up.

I check the log files -- Nothing, I have included the entries for 4/20/2001
log.rankin below:

[2001/04/20 13:37:14, 0] smbd/service.c:make_connection(336)
  david logged in as admin user (root privileges)
[2001/04/20 13:37:14, 1] smbd/service.c:make_connection(550)
  rankin (192.168.7.100) connect to service Rankin-Bertin as user david
(uid=0, gid=509) (pid 12256)
[2001/04/20 13:37:14, 0] smbd/service.c:make_connection(336)
  david logged in as admin user (root privileges)
[2001/04/20 13:37:14, 1] smbd/service.c:make_connection(550)
  rankin (192.168.7.100) connect to service config as user root (uid=0, gid=0)
(pid 12256)
[2001/04/20 13:38:09, 1] smbd/service.c:make_connection(550)
  rankin (192.168.7.100) connect to service david as user david (uid=501,
gid=501) (pid 12256)
[2001/04/20 13:38:30, 0] smbd/service.c:make_connection(336)
  david logged in as admin user (root privileges)
[2001/04/20 13:38:30, 1] smbd/service.c:make_connection(550)
  rankin (192.168.7.100) connect to service Applications as user david (uid=0,
gid=509) (pid 12256)
[2001/04/20 13:40:47, 1] smbd/service.c:close_cnum(583)
  rankin (192.168.7.100) closed connection to service david
[2001/04/20 13:40:47, 1] smbd/service.c:close_cnum(583)
  rankin (192.168.7.100) closed connection to service netlogon
[2001/04/20 13:42:47, 1] smbd/service.c:close_cnum(583)
  rankin (192.168.7.100) closed connection to service Applications
[2001/04/20 13:43:45, 0] smbd/service.c:make_connection(336)
  david logged in as admin user (root privileges)
[2001/04/20 13:43:45, 1] smbd/service.c:make_connection(550)
  rankin (192.168.7.100) connect to service Applications as user david (uid=0,
gid=509) (pid 12256)
[2001/04/20 13:56:48, 1] smbd/service.c:close_cnum(583)
  rankin (192.168.7.100) closed connection to service Applications

>
> If that doesn't uncover anything, run a tcpdump or ethereal capture on
> the Linux box while causing the problem to occur. If you're not familiar
> with debugging packet streams, I would suggest that you learn a bit
> about it, since it's an invaluable debugging tool. Feel free to send
> output to me if you have questions.

I'll have to do some reading on the tcpdump or ethereal capture. I'll send the
interesting data when I get a chance.

> Also (as stated by Andrew) verify
> that the hub/switch isn't seeing a large number of collisions. Also run
> ping back and forth for a while and make sure the connections are
> reliable. (There have been a number of times when I've tried debugging
> the heck out of a server only to finally discover that the CAT5 cable
> wasn't reliable! doh!)

This is a possibility, but I would expect it to manefest itself in both
directions. Everything else seems to work without problems. Small files <~200K
transfer from Windows to Linux without a problem. Larger files seem to cause
the system to choke. I access files on the Linux from my Win95 machine all day
long and save the files back to the Linux box without any noticable delay. My
Quickbooks file is ~ 6 meg and I have no problem with transfer/save times.

>
> Try removing pptpd - especially if it's the only thing that you changed.
> You may have introduced routing problems that are producing a lot of
> packet traffic that's going the wrong way.
>

Will do.

> If none of that helps, try running top and/or systat while causing the
> problem. See if your disk usage is maxed or your processer usage has
> topped out. This may help direct you toward the problem's cause.

Will do.

> Look
> for memory usage as well - is the box swapping a lot? You may have a
> process somewhere that's gone awry and started leaking memory, starving
> the samba processes.

Swap usage is 0.

>
> Then go back and do all these tests again! I'm serious. Human
> fallibility, as you state, has caused me to miss many obvious things
> because the boss was leaning over my shoulder insisting to know when the
> problem would be fixed.
>

Amen. I have an uncanny nack for making my Linux problems much more difficult
than they actually are.

>
> Most important, let us (on the list) know what fixes it.
>

Will do.

>
> Hope this helps,
> Bill

--
David Rankin
Nacogdoches, Texas