Troubleshoot slow performance

 CAUTION: This solution requires advanced knowledge of Windows security and network settings. Sage isn't responsible for any issues that arise from changes to these settings. Ensure you back up all system and application databases necessary for a complete restoration. It's advisable to contact a certified consultant or your system administrator for assistance.

Check the anti-virus/firewall software

• Configure antivirus Software: Ensure your antivirus software doesn’t scan Sage BusinessWorks files with MKD and DDF extensions. Exclude the Actian folder within the Program Files or Program Files (x86) folder on each computer
• Test Without Antivirus: Uninstall the antivirus software, reboot your computer, and test performance. If performance improves, contact your antivirus vendor for configuration assistance
• McAfee Users: Uninstall McAfee and check if performance improves. If it does, contact McAfee for configuration options
• Check Quarantine: Verify that the antivirus program has not quarantined any viruses, as this can cause performance issues
• Trusteer Rapport: If you're using Trusteer Rapport, remove or configure it to allow Sage BusinessWorks files
• Windows Small Business Server: Check if the ISA Firewall Client is running. If so, uninstall it to resolve slow performance or delays in task completion
• Symantec EndPoint Protection (SEP): SEP can cause performance issues by evaluating network traffic. Uninstall SEP or work with Symantec to configure it so that it doesn’t scan Sage BusinessWorks files
• Threatdown by Malwarebytes - Turn off the web scanning in the accounts profile
  
  

Check the performance at the main computer/server

• If the server's performance is normal, the issue stems from the antivirus software or a network problem
• If performance is slow at the server, uninstall the database engine and reinstall Sage BusinessWorks

Check resources/system requirements

• View the System Requirements for a full listing
• Check Network Requirements: Ensure your network meets Sage BusinessWorks hardware requirements. Aim for 1 GB more memory than Windows OS needs
• Optimize Hardware: Set NICs to 100 Mbps and confirm optimal network configuration with a technician
• Monitor CPU Usage: Ensure server CPU usage is below 80%. Work with IT to reduce CPU load if needed
• Update Firmware: For Dell computers with RAID Controller Cards, install the latest firmware updates
• Free Up Disk Space: Ensure at least 500 MB of free disk space on the server and slow workstations. Clear the TEMP directories:
  • \Windows\TEMP or \WinNT\TEMP
  • C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\TEMP (replace ‘User’ with the current user account)
• Terminal Session Support: Sage BusinessWorks works with Citrix or Terminal Services. VPN connections cause slow performance due to hardware and packet size limitations

Check network settings if using a virtual server

• Hyper-V Settings: If using Hyper-V with Broadcom Gigabit Network Adapters, disable Virtual Network Queues to improve speed. Also, disable power management settings in the BIOS for better performance
• VMware Settings: If using VMware, disable LRO (Receive Side Coalescing) in a VMXNET3 network adapter. Search Microsoft help for instructions on enabling or disabling LRO on a Windows virtual machine

Check share permissions

• Ensure all Sage BusinessWorks users have full permissions on the Sage (parent) folder on the server. Set these same permissions on the \Program Files\Actian directory as well

Check network communication

Test the network communication speed with TCP/IP

• Run a ping test from a workstation to the server using the computer name
• From a DOS prompt, type ping [server name] and press ENTER
• Test for large packet size by typing ping [server name] -l 65500 and press ENTER
• A response time longer than 5 milliseconds indicate a network issue
• Try resetting your router
• Work with a network technician to check NIC card settings

Database Engine Test

• Open Sage BusinessWorks, go to DBRegister, select a database, and click TEST
• If the SQL test takes over 5 seconds, check if tracing is on in the ODBC Administrator. Disable if necessary
• If performance issues persist, uninstall and reinstall Sage BusinessWorks and all service packs on the server
• Consult a network technician to ensure the network is functioning correctly

 Copy file from workstation to server

• At a workstation, open the CMD prompt
• Switch to the drive and directory for Sage BusinessWorks on the server (for example, M:\BWProg\)
• Type copy pd.pdf pd2.pdf and press ENTER
• The copy takes less than 10 seconds. If it takes longer, check the NIC, hub, switch, or router, or get help from your Network Technician

Use network testing tools like TCPVIew

• Use TCPView: Monitor network connections between workstations and servers using TCPView
• Monitor Ports: Focus on ports 1583 and 3351 for the W3DBSMGR service
• Check Connections: Look for multiple connections to ensure there’s no network packet loss 
• Run on Both: Run TCPView on both the workstation and the server if needed

Check for conflicts with other programs

• Another application running on the system is conflicting with the performance of Sage BusinessWorks
  • Reboot the workstation
  • Stop the Database Engine
  • In the Windows Task Manager, close everything except Explorer and SysTray
  • Manually start the Database Cache Engine; then start and test the performance of Sage BusinessWorks
• Another tool many customers have found useful to determine what other processes are running is Process Monitor

  • ChatGPT said:

    Process Monitor (ProcMon) by SysInternals helps network technicians identify programs that cause performance conflicts

How to use Telnet commands to test port 1583 and 3351 functionality