XCLN: Exchange 16-Bit Forms Performance

• Microsoft Exchange Windows 3.x client, versions 4.0 and 5.0
• Microsoft Exchange Windows 95 client, versions 4.0 and 5.0
• Microsoft Exchange Windows NT client, versions 4.0 and 5.0

SUMMARY

The performance problems of Microsoft Exchange 16-bit forms are not due to client/server performance. They are due to loading large Visual Basic runtime files off a disk, large forms executable files (200+ KB), and working set issues for computers with less memory. This article gives some suggestions on how you can increase form performance.

MORE INFORMATION

Forms must be downloaded locally from their respective source before they can be run at all. This takes some time that you can note from the progress bar indicating the forms installation. However, once the form is installed and resides locally, the length of time for subsequent loadings of the form may be increased.

On Windows NT Workstation 3.51, use the System Control Panel to set foreground tasks=background tasks. For Windows NT Workstation 4.0, use the Application Performance box on the Performance tab. If 16-bit applications are not generally run, adding the Windows subsystem (Wowexec.exe) to the Startup group may offer some performance benefits when loading the first form after starting the computer.

For all platforms, you can increase the 2 MB default size of the Forms cache. Depending on the size of the most recently used forms, doubling or tripling the size of the cache generally gives improved form load performance for the five most-used forms. You can do this from the Microsoft Exchange client by clicking Options on the Tools menu, clicking the Exchange Server tab, and changing the Maximum Space on Hard Disk option.