FPNW Printing Causes File Cache to Grow

• Microsoft File and Print Services for NetWare version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

If you transfer large print jobs from Novell NetWare clients to a server running File and Print Services for NetWare (FPNW,) you notice a user interface performance degradation. The jobs need to have about the size of the physical memory of the machine.

If you look at performance counters while this happens, you find that the counter for the file cache (Memory: Cache Bytes) is very high while the process working sets decline (Process: Working Set, instance _Total.)

CAUSE

While writing spool files the FPNW printing does not use the flag FILE_FLAG_SEQUENTIAL_SCAN to open the files. Thus cache manager increases the cache size when data is read or written since it expects the application to need it again.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in File and Print Services for Netware 4.0. A supported fix is now available, but is not fully regression- tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Service Pack that contains this fix. Contact Microsoft Product Support Services for more information.