A Very Disturbing Finding about SQL Server Performance

After some testing, we have found that, when a client
computer is connected to an MS SQL server, and they are
listening to a music cd, in their own computer, the
performance of the SQL server degrades badly, until the
client stops listening to the CD. We have used
performance monitor to check this and are incredulous at
the findings. I have gone out on the web and, after some
exhaustive searching, have come up with nothing written
on the subject. Has anyone else experienced this
behavior? Has anyone else tested this? Does anyone have
an idea as to why this may be happening and how we can
insulate the performance of the SQL server from the
casual activities of the clients?
Thanks in advance for your replies.
John MangioneI listen to CDs as well as many of our developers while
connected to SQL server. We've never experienced what you
mention here.
>--Original Message--
>After some testing, we have found that, when a client
>computer is connected to an MS SQL server, and they are
>listening to a music cd, in their own computer, the
>performance of the SQL server degrades badly, until the
>client stops listening to the CD. We have used
>performance monitor to check this and are incredulous at
>the findings. I have gone out on the web and, after some
>exhaustive searching, have come up with nothing written
>on the subject. Has anyone else experienced this
>behavior? Has anyone else tested this? Does anyone have
>an idea as to why this may be happening and how we can
>insulate the performance of the SQL server from the
>casual activities of the clients?
>Thanks in advance for your replies.
>John Mangione
>.
>|||When the application is designed, there are many ways of
implementing database access.
If its done through cursors or VB Recordsets, this could
well be the case.
A (I won't say better) perhaps more efficient way is to
use SET commands.
E.g.
Issue the command to UPDATE directly to the server, rather
than locking the cursor.
Microsoft do recognise this as being more efficient.
Good Luck.
>--Original Message--
>If listening to the CD slows down the client machine
while it talks to the
>SQL server (SELECTs, INSERTs, UPDATEs, etc) then maybe
the application and
>the SQL code locks too many resources so other clients
have to wait and that
>might slow down the server.
>"John Mangione" <jmangione@.adelphia.com> wrote in message
>news:015601c36298$8032f4c0$a601280a@.phx.gbl...
>> After some testing, we have found that, when a client
>> computer is connected to an MS SQL server, and they are
>> listening to a music cd, in their own computer, the
>> performance of the SQL server degrades badly, until the
>> client stops listening to the CD. We have used
>> performance monitor to check this and are incredulous at
>> the findings. I have gone out on the web and, after some
>> exhaustive searching, have come up with nothing written
>> on the subject. Has anyone else experienced this
>> behavior? Has anyone else tested this? Does anyone have
>> an idea as to why this may be happening and how we can
>> insulate the performance of the SQL server from the
>> casual activities of the clients?
>> Thanks in advance for your replies.
>> John Mangione
>
>.
>|||Are you using Windows Media Player to listen to the CD's
IF so do you have one of the 3D visualizations running in the back ground
Why, these 3D graphics can eat up between 30-50% of your CPU.
I do not have any idea about the spec's of the machine they are running on
but if it is a desktop with SQL running on it, it can slow them down
significantly
Hope this helps|||This problem may very well expose design flaws in your application.
Regardless of what a user does on his/her machine SQL server must never be
slown down. You do not open a cursor at the client side and keep it open for
a log time, actually you are better off if you never use client side
cursors.
"John Mangione" <jmangione@.adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:016401c36361$a74aa390$a501280a@.phx.gbl...
> Well, I found out some additional information that has
> lowered my anxiety about the issue: the only people that
> are experiencing the degradation of service are those who
> are listening to the music, not any other users of that
> SQL server or the application on it.
> The indicator that threw us off is that the user's
> instance of the process running at the SQL server was
> spiking every time the music was playing on their
> machine. We are still at a loss to explain that, although
> Beverly's response might be closest to what's going on;
> that is, perhaps the use of recordset and cursor locks
> are creating interdepedencies on the two machines that
> could be avoided by using SET commands.
> Thank you all for your replies.
>
> >--Original Message--
> >After some testing, we have found that, when a client
> >computer is connected to an MS SQL server, and they are
> >listening to a music cd, in their own computer, the
> >performance of the SQL server degrades badly, until the
> >client stops listening to the CD. We have used
> >performance monitor to check this and are incredulous at
> >the findings. I have gone out on the web and, after some
> >exhaustive searching, have come up with nothing written
> >on the subject. Has anyone else experienced this
> >behavior? Has anyone else tested this? Does anyone have
> >an idea as to why this may be happening and how we can
> >insulate the performance of the SQL server from the
> >casual activities of the clients?
> >
> >Thanks in advance for your replies.
> >John Mangione
> >.
> >