Windows2000 and Citrix MetaFrame XP

[Tom_W]

I recently installed my application including R&R runtime on a Wide Area Network using the above operating system. We continually had problems with periods of almost complete lock up, which as it turned out were caused by Windows2000 handleing the RRWRUN.exe as a 16 bit dos app. This causes Windows2000 to use up to 100% of the cpu. ____Is there a fix for this problem, or at best any plans for a 32 bit runtime?

[kfleming]

Version 9 RRWRUN.EXE is a 32bit executable.____Kathleen__R&R Support

[Tom_W]

Kathleen,____I am using version 9. I noticed there is an update on the web but was the original Version 9 32 bit. If so is there any part of the runtime that would cause windows 2000 to invoke netvdm.exe?____The file stands for Virtual Dos manager, this handles all 16 bit applications on a windows 2000 system.____

[kfleming]

Version 9 has always been 32 bit.__You would need to go back as far as Version 6.5 for the last 16 bit release.____Kathleen__R&R Support

[dirk]

To my opinion the usage of 100% of the CPU is could be another issue (quote from FAQ, special attention to "preview" and "Terminal Server") :____Q) When I preview a report I see 100% utilization of my CPU. Why is this happening? ____A) This problem is caused by a behavior in the software where a processing loop during preview is consuming all available CPU cycles...... process and even during print preview, R&R is deriving totals for display and dynamic updating. __In most environments... However if users are running under NT Terminal Server and any Report Writer user is previewing a report, performance will degrade for all other users and applications on that Terminal Server. Until we are able to address this problem, the suggested workaround is to limit the use of print preview to active viewing of reports rather than allowing an unattended print preview window to remain open. Printing and exporting of a report do not exhibit the problem and may be a better alternative to preview in a Terminal Server environment.______Did you already address this problem ? I don^t think so because in version 9.0 the problem still exists.

[Tom_W]

Kathleen,____Has Liveware addressed this problem? Keyboard polling is not done to my knowledge in 32 bit processes so this has me confused. Preview is a big part of what my clients do to make sure they have the right info before printing the document. ____Reports are a key to any application and running them happens constantly. ____If the problem has not been addressed is there a time frame so I know whether I have to go to a different report writer?____Thanks in advance__

[dirk]

Although I^m not Kathleen I don^t think that this problem is solved (as mentioned before). It has also nothing to do with Windows2000 or XP. Try it out on Windows98 - run a report - stay in the preview and try to start or continue another application. You will see a big performance loss. That this is specially a problem running Citrix or Windows Terminal Server counts for itself and I have experienced the problem also. Only I don^t what happens with a multi CPU server. Did you try it on such a server ?

[kfleming]

I generally run under Win98 and leave preview screens up all the time and have not seen a correlation with having a preview open in R&R and running applications in other windows.__I also have heard from Terminal Server users who have run problem free. So I think that there is something addition factor that controls when a preview window is truly harmful.______Kathleen__R&R Support

[pdempsey]

As I was reading the forum from home, I decided to test this on our Terminal Server since we always default to viewing reports. I left a 5 page report in Display mode and did several other tasks including moving around a 300mb database, and merging some data with MS Word. I saw NO performance hit on this rather modest 550 Mhz 256MB RAM terminal server. At this time, I was the only user logged in, but I did have 3 processes running. If R&R were using 100% of the CPU, I think I would have noticed at least some kind of performance hit.____-Pat-

[Tom_W]

Some thing is happening because what happens is netvdm.exe is run around rrwrun.exe. Windows 2000 automatically runs this exe when it detects a 16 bit app. "Virtual Dos Manager". Anyway if I cant solve it I have to go on to a new report writer. Ive been experimenting and dont appear to have a problem with others. Its a shame to waste 15 years of work though, thats how long I have used this product with great satisfaction. Thanks to all who tried to help.____Tom