What causes the .ini file to be sent multiple times?

khansen · Post by **khansen** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:20 am

Hi,

We run PWB with our clients pulling the .ini file from a centralized server, and I've noticed in packet captures that the 8k file will get sent anywhere from 4 times up to 17 or 18 times. What would cause this? We see this on our lower speed links (2-3mbps) and even on our gigabit backhaul connections w/ fastethernet to the desktop. Typically it takes about 4-8 seconds for PBW to load, but somtimes, it will take upwards of 1 to 2 minutes.

The file gets sent over and over, and then for no reason, PWB continues on. Looking at the packet captures, the entire file gets sent every time, so it's not like the .ini file is getting corrupted or dumped.

Anyone else seen or had experience with this problem?

Kim

Post by **Scott** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:57 am

Are you using web server based URLs or having PWB read the INI directly from a network share?

Each time PWB is started it will read the INI file for its configuration. If you have multiple computers running PWB each computer will read the INI file when PWB is started. PWB will also read the INI file when it is closed and restarted.

Pop-up (secondary) windows do not read the INI file.

We use the Windows API "GetPrivateProfileString" to read the INI file. We are checking with Microsoft to see if there may be some limitation in the API when used across a network that is causing the API to re-read the INI file multiple times.

--Scott

khansen · Post by **khansen** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:05 am

Scott,

We are using Pwb reading the .ini file directly from a network share. We do not use the API.

Kim

Post by **Scott** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:24 am

The new version of PWB v2.10.3 available on our Beta Download page will copy the INI file to a temporary local file when you specify an alternate INI file on the command line that contains a UNC path.

...\PWB.exe /INI=\\server\share\folder\PWB.INI

The temporary file is deleted when PWB is closed.

--Scott

jfrasier · Post by **jfrasier** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:45 am

Would reading the .ini multiple times per session cause slowness across the network? We have maybe 50 computers at most at a site. Also we use one shellbar folder on the server, so the .ini file is looking to the server for that. Would it also be fetching the shellbar buttons over and over?

Jane

Post by **Scott** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:35 am

Of course the more you read from the network, the more time it will take to start PWB because reading from the network is much slower then reading from a local resource.

This topic was discussed in this thread.
http://teamsoftwaresolutions.com/phpBB2 ... .php?t=447

--Scott