Topic: Oplocks question

[gbentley]

Can anyone verify that this is holds true for 7.1.3 ?

/sbin/e-smith/db configuration setprop smb OpLocks disable
/sbin/e-smith/signal-event ibay-modify

I am having real probs with a software called ACT! v6.0 (a contact sware) it takes ages to start up and also seems twitchy / jerky.

Having read on ACT site about Samba / Oplocks I was going to try this and also disabling oplocks on client.

Anyone echo this experience? Did it help ?

Many thanks !

[gbentley]

Seems like there are some fairly recent answers on this :-

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=36140.0

http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1784

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=30985.0

OK, well, I'll search better next time - still would be nice to hear from people who had issues with ACT! [Sage Software in the UK seem to have 'bought in' ACT! from Symantec, the support is terrible. Oh, and later versions 'need' M$ SQL Server and 2003 Server and CAL's for both $$$. Sage now have Microsoft Certitifed Partner Banners on their website .... ]

[Normando]

Only for your reference, here is the list of SME DB variables. Maybe help.

http://wiki.contribs.org/DB_Variables_Configuration#Samba_.28smbd.29

[mmccarn]

I used to run Act! 4 and keep the database on a SME6.0.1 box.  My Act! consultant assured me it would never work "because Act! doesn't like Linux", but I never had any trouble that could be attributed to the SME.

[Confucius]

consultants are scared of linux because most of them have only the possibility to get help in a windows environment. I wouldn't be discouraged and keep on searching for the solution.

I once had a database application (from what I remember based on ACT) and in windows server it was drama. Installing on a workstation was the suggestion... So I installed it on SME 6 and the consultant was stunned and had no clue how to reply why that did work.

Keep trying...

[gbentley]

OK, well, I used the veto oplocks on the ACT share only, for the file types used by ACT (there where quite a few) I also did the registry imports.

Its not really made much difference in that the loading time is slow (well, according to the client) Its quite a big db (34mb) you see the progress bar go 22%, 33%,44%,55% and so on. At about 99% it sits there for some time then the app front end fires up. I looked in the server logs and cant see anything I think are errors. We just put in a HP Procurve 1GB switch and all new 1GB Nic's

I only have the clients word for this difference in load time (compared to 2003 server we took out - long story) and they also report that once 2 or 3 people are logged in it gets slow and twitchy (like its 'catching up with itself')

Its version 6.0 ACT! if anyones got any suggestions on how to debug this I would greatfully give it a try (sorry, I know this is probably a Samba issue and not SME specific but there are some good people here

Am going back on site tomorrow...

[Confucius]

No collisions or other kind of network-errors visible on the server ?

[gbentley]

Since discovered that version 6.0 of ACT! has three service packs that address multiple issues with networks.

In fact typing in the word 'slow' into their Knowledge Base for version 6.0 throws up over 100 different issues ....

And theres an updated Diagnostic Tool to fix problems ... mmm...

[p-jones]

gbentley, good luck and keep us posted. I am particularly interested in the outcome.

My experience is that any software from this "family" is difficult. Seems to start with the difficult business model, ripples down through the difficult support partners and ends with the difficult product.

It has already been stated, the support doesnt understand a word of Linux and is therefore feels totally disempowered - because they dont know the product....

[gbentley]

Ive been involved in a few versions of ACT!, Sage and IRIS. I have had varying responses from support ranging from ;

"Between me and you, we know quite alot of our customers have Linux servers, we just dont make it know that XYZ will work on it"

To ;

"No it wont work on Linux in any way" (becasue we are M$ business partners and thats what we are told to say!)

Currently IRIS will run from a Samba server but the updates wont. Answer: move the data to an XP workstation, run the updates, then move the data back to your server.

Sage: Still no problems with Sage as long as you have the networked version

ACT!: Latest versions install a cut down modular implementation of SQL server to each XP workstation (which slows it down) and the software 'knows' Samba isnt M$ server, I havent managed to get it to work. The word is that in the next year to two years ACT! will require fullblown MSQL, which will need 2003 server which will need CAL's which will need .....

[p-jones]

I have had good success running this stuff off a Windows XP VMWare virtual machine installed onto SME.
Just followed the directions in the WIKI