From: yingling@gw.wmich.edu
Newsgroups: vmsnet.networks.desktop.pathworks
Subject: PW4DOS 4.1 Performance
Date: 9 Oct 92 12:05:01 EST
Organization: Western Michigan University

Hello Pathworks Gurus!

I've read with great interest the discussion of extremely slow network 
connections for the PW4DOS V4.1 sites this week.  Mainly discussion has 
pointed to slow file services, disk services, etc...

We are encountering the same difficulty - in some instances it takes up to 
15 minutes (yes minutes) to see a "startup screen" (in our case the startup 
screen is the Program Manager in Win3.1.)  We've also encountered 
problems when using the SETHOST package (like, 45 minutes for 70 
workstations to make a connection to the VAX --> BTW: Our people prefer to 
use SETHOST over VT320 because the keyboard mapping in VT320 purely stinks).  

Most of our units are diskless (120 out of 210), all of our units remote 
boot, all are equipped with 4MB of memory, all use DEPCA 201-XX (using 64K 
of memory), all use DOS 5.0, all use Windows 3.1, diskless workstations use 
LANSESS, hard disk equipped units use DNNETHAT, REDIR5 is loaded into 
conventional, all other components are loaded high (DOS too).  All but 4 
of these beasts are 386sx/16mhz (the remaining 4 are 386sx/20mhz) - all are 
Zenith PCs.  Diskless units use Windows 3.1 via 3 separate file services (
around 39 stations for each).  Hard drive units share 1 Win3.1 file service 
but actually have 3.1 on their hard drive.  We are using Pathworks 4.1.  

We never experienced ANYTHING like the slow performance we have now under 
PW4DOS 4.0 and our computing environment has been very stable.  Currently open 
file caching has been disabled but we are turning it back on tomorrow to see 
if anything improves.  Some folks locally have indicated that it might be 
network traffic, but my Macintosh users (nearly 100 on PW4Mac 1.1) have 
experienced no degradation in performance.

We've experimented on stations that did not have Windows loaded 
- no improvement detected.  We've tried to load DECnet on the diskless PC's 
instead of LANSESS with and without Windows...no change in performance.  
Even after the services are accessed, use of all applications is sloth like. 
My users want to lynch me, and I'm ready to let them do it! 8->

We have 2 VAX 4000-300 servers (32mb memory each).  So far, tuning only 
seems to an excercise of futility.  At this point, if I could, I would go 
back to PW4DOS 4.0 but it really does not "support" DOS 5.0....

What is my point?  None really...just putting forth what is happening here 
and letting you know what we've done...of course, if any of you have 
further suggestions (patches to try, tuning to try, other setups, etc. etc.) 
I will be happy to experiment.  Certainly, if I find the culprits responsible 
I will pass along the data (even if it turns out to be the "administrator").

HERE IS A QUESTION FOR ALL SITES USING Windows 3.1:  When you pull up the 
Network Icon in Control Panel, what does the screen say?  Mine sez that I 
am using the Pathworks driver for Windows 3.0 for Pathworks 4.0.  (NO I 
DIDN'T USE THE WIN3SETUp.)  I would really be interested to know if your 
screen says something different (like ...3.1 for Pathworks...) and if it does, 
what is the size, date, and time stamp for the PCSA.DRV file?

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Ralph N. Yingling, Director	  yingling@hcob.wmich.edu  (Internet)
College Computing Services
Haworth College of Business   --  Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI 49008		  (616) 387-5356
                                  YES, There really IS a Kalamazoo!
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