System Slow down with ADT 2004

We recently upgraded our hardware with 2.8gig cpu, 1 gig DDR ram and 128mb video cards. This was done the same time we installed ADT 2004. Now there is a noticeable delay whenever we open a drawing, select open from the menu, select an object to move, copy, rotate etc. We are on a server (NOVELL none the less) and the workstations are pathed to several shared files in order to have some since of CAD standards control. I do not know if this slow down is caused by the network, a configuration issue or hardware related. We have received ADT 2005 but I want to get these issues resolved before I upgrade to 2005. Anyone else experience this or have any idea of where to start to pin down the problem? Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Ted Evans
CAD Manager
RadioShack Corporation

 

What is the speed on your network?
Antivirus softwares?
Is it only when having the project navigator in use?
Has this always been so slow?

--
Best Regards, Jimmy Bergmark
CAD and Database Developer Manager at www.pharmadule-emtunga.com
Take a look at
JTB FlexReport (FLEXlm report tool) - www.jtbworld.com/jtbflexreport
SmartPurger (Purges automatically) - www.jtbworld.com/?/smartpurger.htm
or download some freeware at www.jtbworld.com
More on AutoCAD 2005;
www.jtbworld.com/autocad2005.htm

video cards. This was done the same time we installed ADT 2004. Now there is
a noticeable delay whenever we open a drawing, select open from the menu,
select an object to move, copy, rotate etc. We are on a server (NOVELL none
the less) and the workstations are pathed to several shared files in order
to have some since of CAD standards control. I do not know if this slow down
is caused by the network, a configuration issue or hardware related. We have
received ADT 2005 but I want to get these issues resolved before I upgrade
to 2005. Anyone else experience this or have any idea of where to start to
pin down the problem? Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

During my newsgroup searches I found numerous messages addressing your
problem. Search the key work "slow" and you'll find them yourself. The
problem is typically answered by a number of tech-support questions that go
round and round in with never a clear answer.

Format, reload, put in a new network, switch from Novell to Server 2003 then
back again, don't mix half duplex with full duplex, holly cow you've got a
hub instead of a switch and wait a second you might be running at 10
megabits instead of 100 megabits.....

Geesh......

Bottom line: AutoDesk has taken the path of Microsoft. Everything will work
fine in a laboratory. Remember how Windows 95 would run on 4 MB? Yeah,
right! The day AutoDesk purchased SoftDesk and incorporated it into AutoCAD
they added in a host of problems that have simply been ignored. Millions
are spent to stop piracy and add features, but it seems nothing is spent to
make their products enterprise grade. Try working a design in LDD on a
project across a T1 line and you'll see what I mean. I'm tired of copying
large civil design projects back and forth so the my engineers can work
designs with LDD. Why can't they just open the project and work on it
without waiting for "long periods of time" for every menu selection?

It's disheartening. I'm pulling my hair out trying to implement CAD
standards to make it possible for remote offices to work on LDD projects
without loss of data integrity due to redundancy with data files all over
the place, etc. At the same time I'm faced with my larger problem I see
complaints from people who have "slowness" on small LANs. If AutoDesk
simply irradiated your problem so that their software ran well on any LAN
regardless of protocol, duplex type, or megabit speed then it might be a
start in solving my larger problem of using it in an enterprise. Buzzsaw is
not a solution. Elaborate and expensive document management schemes (where
the software copies the files for you in the background to keep them local)
is not a solution either.

Rich Keitz

video cards. This was done the same time we installed ADT 2004. Now there is
a noticeable delay whenever we open a drawing, select open from the menu,
select an object to move, copy, rotate etc. We are on a server (NOVELL none
the less) and the workstations are pathed to several shared files in order
to have some since of CAD standards control. I do not know if this slow down
is caused by the network, a configuration issue or hardware related. We have
received ADT 2005 but I want to get these issues resolved before I upgrade
to 2005. Anyone else experience this or have any idea of where to start to
pin down the problem? Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

It's an interesting thing about performance. Certainly it's good to have in
a product. But speaking broadly, we customers can purchase extra
performance on our own (faster networks, video cards, processors), but you
can only purchase extra features from Autodesk (and third parties, of
course).

Hardware jumps ahead so fast, in many areas, it's not even worth the time to
try to address it in software (saving files to local disk, for example).
Also, optimizing one operation is often a tradeoff against speed of another.
If you compress a file to write to disk, that saves transfer time, but takes
CPU time to compress and decompress after transfer.

But I think you're talking about an architecture change, not just an
increase in performance. Support for multiple users on large projects over
slow, remote lines is a whole 'nother ball of worms...

--Cy--

 

For example it's "impossible" to work with ADT 2004 and the project
navigator on a 10 megabits line that we have between our offices. This is
due to non optimised code that transfered a lot of useless data. This is
solved in ADT 2005 so now it's not a problem. As I understand it LDD uses an
Access database and these databases are not good for working like this. Then
you need SQL Server or the like.

--
Best Regards, Jimmy Bergmark
CAD and Database Developer Manager at www.pharmadule-emtunga.com
Take a look at
JTB FlexReport (FLEXlm report tool) - www.jtbworld.com/jtbflexreport
SmartPurger (Purges automatically) - www.jtbworld.com/?/smartpurger.htm
or download some freeware at www.jtbworld.com
More on AutoCAD 2005;
www.jtbworld.com/autocad2005.htm

 

Ted,

While I may not have "the" answer specific to your problem - I will share my
findings in case they will be of benefit to you. Like other users that have
responded - I have been very frustrated at times with the inability to nail
down a cause and solution to similar issues. AutoDesk appears to be much
more cautious recently with responses when a possible windows or novell
issue may be involved. As was suggested here - searching these newsgroups
sometimes provides tidbits of info (typically from equally frustrated users)
that may be of benefit.

We have had similar issues w/ LDD, ADT and ABS 2004 on a Novell LAN/WAN
setup. All of our installs are done locally with only license management
(win xp boxes w/ no novell) handled across the network. We have had
multiple issues in the past and have a sort of checklist we now run through
when we hit something similar.

1. Novell client updated including servicepacks (some client revs in past
were the problem)
2. Windows updates and servicepacks installed for operating system
3. Updated and functioning printer drivers (be sure to delete any old or
corrupted novell printer definitions)
4. Network and Video adapters functioning properly w/ current drivers
5. Local paths and support file locations (pain to copy standards files to
each machine - but has proven to make a difference)
6. Disable digital signature validation (for us - each Adesk application
install sets this to on for the workstation by default)

I have noticed some improvement here with the 2005 based ADT & ABS
applications. Working on the LAN is fine, across the WAN (T1) is painfull,
and impossible with LDD.

HTH...Been there before and felt your pain!

Dean Helsel

video cards. This was done the same time we installed ADT 2004. Now there is
a noticeable delay whenever we open a drawing, select open from the menu,
select an object to move, copy, rotate etc. We are on a server (NOVELL none
the less) and the workstations are pathed to several shared files in order
to have some since of CAD standards control. I do not know if this slow down
is caused by the network, a configuration issue or hardware related. We have
received ADT 2005 but I want to get these issues resolved before I upgrade
to 2005. Anyone else experience this or have any idea of where to start to
pin down the problem? Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.