1

Re: Remote connection to Recorder server

Hi

We have been testing using Recorder 6 over an inter/intranet network to widely spread offices with a range of connection speeds. One of the issues we have come across is a long period to start up at offices with a 'slow' broadband connection (~500KB). This can take 10-15 minutes. Does anyone know if this is what should be expected, whether there are ways to improve this, what effect moving from MSDE to SQL Server might have and whether increasing the number of records would increase the connection time?

Thank you

Gordon

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

2 (edited by davec 03-03-2009 15:02:27)

Re: Remote connection to Recorder server

Hi Gordon,

It might be useful if you could supply information on how you are connecting to from the client to the server. For example, are you on a VPN, or have you installed the client locally and connect directly to SQL server.  Are you running remote desktops to Windows server?

As you may be aware, broadband is asymmetrical - the outgoing bandwidth is much lower than the incoming. A typical 8Mbps line will have maybe 400-500Kbps going out. If the Recorder client is running locally it may well send a small amount of information to the server (e.g. a SQL query) which is well within the capabilities for the outgoing circuit. Recorder may then return a large amount of data using it's outgoing circuit which, if on ADSL, may only be 500Kbps too. Thus the bottle neck is where you don't need it.

I suspect the initial slow start up is that Recorder's front end is fetching the taxon dictionary if that window was left open - does it make any difference if you start up with all of Recorder's browsers windows closed?

If you are within range of local telephone exchanges it may be worth getting a line test for symmetrical DSL - but the charges for SDSL are quite high although you should get 8-20MBps in both directions.

Regards.

Dave Cope,
Biodiversity Technology Officer,
Biodiversity Information Service for Powys and Brecon Beacons National Park.

3

Re: Remote connection to Recorder server

Thanks Dave,

I will need to look into it a bit further. I am based in the office where the server is held and have no problems, with very quick startup, unless I have done something daft like leave the map window open. As far as I know the delay occurs with no windows left open from the previous login. At the moment I am not sure whether the delay is before or after the login screen (or both) so will try to check this.

Client is installed locally, and should be a direct connection. Probably running remote desktops on Windows server but will need to check, sounds about right tho. I would assume that the larger amount of data would be going out to the client from the network and the head office connection has a vastly greater theoretical speed so asymmetricality would be less likely to be an issue.

Gordon

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

4

Re: Remote connection to Recorder server

Hi Gordon,
If you are running Recorder using a WAN, but set up as standard for the network install, then the executable file will be loaded across the WAN each time you start. That's probably the cause if there are no other windows on startup. You could probably move the executable files locally to avoid this, but that approach may have a knock on effect on things like upgrades and other file paths, so you'd want to test it thoroughly. You may also need to play around to find out what extra files are needed locally.

Best Wishes

John van Breda
Biodiverse IT

5

Re: Remote connection to Recorder server

Thanks John

So with the Recorder.exe and RecorderApp.exe files coming in at about 8.5MB we would be looking at a minimum of 2 minutes download time on a 500kbps line at maximum efficiency to start with, before considering the processing time.

Moving the exe files to the remote workstation permanently could then cause problems if Recorder is only looking in its own directories for files, other than those changeable in the Options - File Locations window, so we would need to test if this is the case. Then for any upgrades it would be necessary to update the locally held files.

Gordon

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

6

Re: Remote connection to Recorder server

Hi Gordon,

Yes, I think that getting Recorder running on a slow network connection (e.g. a WAN) needs proper consideration and maybe some minor changes to the code to persuade it to look in the correct directories for files.

Best Wishes

John van Breda
Biodiverse IT

7

Re: Remote connection to Recorder server

Hi John,

as expected, just moving the exe file doesn't seem to work. Moving the entire set of files does seem to work. The next step is to work out which combinations of files are necessary to get it working.

Gordon

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

8

Re: Remote connection to Recorder server

Hi Gordon,
I'd hazard a guess to say that any directory that is referred to by Recorder's registry settings can be put anywhere as long as the setting is correct. Any other file probably needs to be in the correct place relative to the executable file. Also, if you move the addin files then they may need to be registered again so that Windows knows where they are. Let me know if you don't know how to do this.
Cheers

John van Breda
Biodiverse IT