[AccessD] CPU and locks

Steve Capistrant scapistrant at symphonyinfo.com
Thu Aug 31 15:40:47 CDT 2006


Dear List,
 
We have an Access 2000 app that has been running for years at a customer's site, provided to 100 users via Citrix profiles.  In daily practice, there are usually 5 to 15 people logged in at any given time.
 
The techies running the server are belly-aching about resource utilization.  They note that CPU utlization per user zips up to 25% or 30% of server capacity when they perform routine actions (like applying filter rules to search on a form).  It drops down to zero after a second or two.   But they say "do the math" -- just 4 users doing stuff is going to completely max out our servers.  
 
We (our development team) are scratching our heads.  This is normal for Access.  It grabs as much resources as it can get to perform data access requests.  And I've never heard of a server blowing up from too many simultaneous requests.  Windows is designed to handle process threading reasonably well, putting things in  order, assigning priorities, reserving some CPU for critical processes, etc.
 
Nothing's really changed over the years.  Is it just their awareness that has changed?  Are these techies just freaking out because they have a new Performance Monitoring tool?  
 
The other observation they make that might cause overuse of CPU is something new to me:  When you look at 
START > Control Panel > Adminstrative Tools > Computer Management > Shared Folders > Open Files....
 
....they note that most of the MS Access item in this view are showing large numbers in the "# of Locks" column.  Ranging from 15 to 42 each.  This is something I can't explain.  It's a standard FE/BE deployment, so an ldb gets generated at both the FE and BE levels.  But what is this huge number of locks?  Stranded ldbs?  Some calculus involving the number of simultaneous users?  I told them I'd explore what this meant..
 
Thank you !
 
Steve Capistrant
Symphony Information Services
scapistrant at symphonyinfo.com
www.symphonyinfo.com
Main: 763-391-7400 ext 801
Toll Free: 888-357-1373 ext 801
Direct:  612-237-0075


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