System slowdown, DOS version of FP

[Joe Acquisto]

Greetings.

You indulgence, please.  I'm not a FP programmer, tho I do have some db programming experience, dating back to clipper and the other FP.  I'm more of a network type, these days.

I began supporting a client that uses a DOS version of FP as an inventory/shipping/invoicing application.  Runs on W98 PC's on a NetWare LAN.  Recently upgraded the NOS and Server and the client blames that for the slowness.  

Turns out, this problem pre-dated the upgrade, such that Standard Operating Procedure was to reboot the server each morning.  This "cured" the slowness.  In fact, that "cured" the problem on the new system also.

The problem manifests as some, and only some, PC's begin to "print slow".  What seems to be happening is that, when printing and invoice (or whatever), it takes forever (for some PC's) to sequence thru the records to "co-alese the vapor" and send the print job out.  One can see the "records scanned" number sequence very slowly  on the problem PC's, but quite smartly on the ones that are OK.  Once the last record is found (???), and the print job is submitted, it prints normally.  It seems to take a couple of days for this slowness to to begin again.

>From what I can gather, the FP program stuff is on each PC, with only "the data" residing on the file server.  I can see, I think, that there are few, or no, FP (pf***) environment variables set on the PC's, but I do not know if that is significant.

Another reported wrinkle is that users, doing order entry, will get "kicked out" of the order.  This means, from what I can gather, that the order remains, but that the "details" are lost, requiring them to be input again.  Not happy people, in a busy office.  

What might I look for that could cause/cure these problems?

I know that MS access, for instance, requires huge amounts of file and record "locks" to be allowed on the file server, far beyond the defaults.  I would not expect this in a "real" relational database environment.

Does FP really require environment variables to point it to data and indexes, (and etc. ??). 

Sorry to be so long winded.  Any help, guidance, etc is appreciated.

joea