Speed Test

If the database file is stored on a server (or another computer on the network) then slowness of HICSOAP could be due to slowness of the network and/or the server. Computer systems are complicated so it's frequently hard to know if it's a server and network issue, a problem with the database, or the HICSOAP software itself that is the cause of the slowness. To help with the diagnosis, there is a built-in network speed test. The test reads and writes a test file to the local hard drive and compares that speed to doing the same thing on the server, i.e. the location of your database. 

Here is an example speed test result

Here is how to interpret the results. 

• less than 10x - The network and server are fast and will work well.

• 10x-20x or more - may work OK

• 20x-30x - probably too slow to work

• 30x or more - too slow to work

So for the example speed test shown above, the relative speed of 20x slower than local access means that the speed of the network and the server will most likely prevent HICSOAP from working well.

Possible causes of excessive slowness are obvious ones like slow or overloaded networking equipment (switches, routers, etc), bad or faulty network cable, and an old, slow, or overworked server. In addition, misconfigured or aggressive security software on the server could be interfering with HICSOAP read and write operations.

To solve this, consider these approaches

1. Read the steps here for speeding up the program. The DATABASE REPAIR step is critical for keeping the database size small which can help significantly if it has not been done in a long time.

2. Verify that the database file is stored on a computer at the same physical location. If the database file is stored on a "cloud" server or on a server in another building it is likely that the connection is via the common internet and therefore significantly slower than what is possible in a LAN. If the database is stored off-site then you will need to move it to a local computer or server.

3. Disable all security software (firewalls, anti-virus, etc) on the server and workstation and re-do the test. If there is an increase in speed, re-enable one piece of security software at a time testing the speed each time. This should help you identify what security software is slowing things down. In many cases, it's possible to configure security software to not scan or interfere with certain programs or folders. So it's possible to re-enable all security software and get faster speeds with the correct configuration.

4. Move the database file from the server to a local workstation. Obviously, that particular workstation will work well because it will have very fast access to the database. It's likely, though, if you share the database from that workstation that access to it from other workstations will also be fast enough.

5. Buy new, faster equipment. Consult your IT/networking consultant.