Slow UNC Connections With Multiple Network Providers Installed

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51 and 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51 and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

Connecting to network resources using the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) may take relatively long on a system with more than one network provider installed. For example, a delay of approximately 30 seconds has been reported while connecting to a Novell NetWare volume using the UNC on systems with the Workstation and the Client Services for NetWare network providers installed.

CAUSE

The Multiple UNC Provider (MUP) system component is responsible for locating the correct network provider for UNC connections. To do so it asks every network provider installed if it is able to handle a given UNC connection request. The MUP waits for the result from every network provider before it decides what network provider should actually handle the network connection.

Assume a system that has the Workstation and the Client Services for NetWare network providers installed. A user or an application issues an UNC connection request to a network resource located on a NetWare server. Depending on the number of network protocols installed and the name resolution methods used, the Workstation network provider will need a relatively long period of time to find out that it cannot handle the connection request. Even if the Client Services for NetWare network provider at once tells the MUP that it can handle the request, the MUP will wait for the response of the Workstation network provider before it passes the actual connection request to the Client Services for NetWare network provider for processing.

RESOLUTION

To minimize the time it takes to establish an UNC connection, one of the following steps can be taken:

• Use fewer network providers
• Use fewer network protocols for each network provider installed
• Tune each network protocol used for low name resolution time