performance issue with windows 2003 / mac osX 10.3.6 over SMB

Dear all,

We are currently considering a migration to windows 2003 (coming from
Novell). However we are seeing huge performance issues (amongst others)
with client connections from mac osX clients (especially the 10.3.x). We are
testing with both SMB connections and AFP (third party) connections. When
using SMB as protocol the directory listing of large directories takes ages.
A little research on the net showed that it most likely has to do with the
pre-caching of files and the reading of meta info on the osX client. A
directory listing of the i386 folder takes over a minute to show and data
sniffer shows the listing process used 30000 packets and 10 MB in bandwith.
When browsing the shared folder through the terminal, there is hardly any
delay.

Third party software performs somewhat better, but if possible I'd like to
avoid using a third party product.

My main questions are;
1. Is this a protocol implementation issue between mac/windows?
2. Are there any 'best practices' available somewhere (I couldn't find them
on the net)

thanks for the advice, wise words etc

Pascal

"Pascal" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> We are currently considering a migration to windows 2003 (coming from
> Novell). However we are seeing huge performance issues (amongst others)
> with client connections from mac osX clients (especially the 10.3.x). We
are

Examine this issue first. It doesn't mention DOS, Win3.11, MAC or
Unix/Linux clients, but it probably still applies to them.

811497 - Error Message When Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 Client
Logs On to Windows Server 2003 Domain
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;811497


--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com

Hello Philip,

The article listed below describes problems with authenticating, which is
not an issue we're experiencing. Logging in works like a charm with smb, we
already changed the 'digitally sign communications always' to disabled to
get access from osX clients.

Our biggest issues have to do with file access, directory listing times.
(browsing) and locking of files. I read somewhere that it had to do with a
different version of the smb protocol; windows using 2.x, osx using 3.x.
could anyone confirm that?
the directory listing times are probably slow because of the pre-caching
/reading of meta info of the files in the directory, but I'm not sure if
that's the correct reason. Anyone who has some more information on this?

thanks!

[snip]
>
> Examine this issue first. It doesn't mention DOS, Win3.11, MAC or
> Unix/Linux clients, but it probably still applies to them.
>
> 811497 - Error Message When Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 Client
> Logs On to Windows Server 2003 Domain
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;811497
>

Doesn't anyone have any recommendation for the problem listed? If we can't
find a solution for the smb situation we'll probably have to switch to a
third party afp over ip solution like extremez-ip or macserverip. Does
anyone have experience with this software in an environment with 50 osx
clients?\

thanx.
Pas

"Pascal" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Dear all,
>
> We are currently considering a migration to windows 2003 (coming from
> Novell). However we are seeing huge performance issues (amongst others)
> with client connections from mac osX clients (especially the 10.3.x). We
are
> testing with both SMB connections and AFP (third party) connections. When
> using SMB as protocol the directory listing of large directories takes
ages.
> A little research on the net showed that it most likely has to do with the
> pre-caching of files and the reading of meta info on the osX client. A
> directory listing of the i386 folder takes over a minute to show and data
> sniffer shows the listing process used 30000 packets and 10 MB in
bandwith.
> When browsing the shared folder through the terminal, there is hardly any
> delay.
>
> Third party software performs somewhat better, but if possible I'd like to
> avoid using a third party product.
>
> My main questions are;
> 1. Is this a protocol implementation issue between mac/windows?
> 2. Are there any 'best practices' available somewhere (I couldn't find
them
> on the net)
>
> thanks for the advice, wise words etc
>
> Pascal
>
>