XPPro sp2 Slow Performance issue w DOS app

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XPPro sp2 Slow Performance issue

We have an old DOS accounting program that takes a serious performance hit
after installing SP2 on XPPro clients.
Problem is inserting a record into a btrieve database. Takes 5 seconds or so.

I have sent in a etherol packet trace to MS but no luck identifying the
problem yet.
I have sent in the same trace to pervasive softwre.
Filemon shows a long read access on a *.exe for the DOS program.
Etherol shows a lot of ACK packets.. Tried Q328890 and no luck
Tried new updated client ethernet driver..no luck.

Everyone says "Not our issue" What the heck?

Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks in Advance
 
FWIW - its not their issue - neither support the accounting application on
an XP platform. The culprit who installed the software on a non-supported
OS is to be blamed, as neither MS or the accounting apps manufacturer
support it.
There are two solutions, put the app back on an OS it was intended to run on
or shell out the bucks and upgrade your accounting app - plain and simple.
Older software applications can sometimes be made to work on new OS's, but
the older application can sometimes be written in a way that new
technologies can't or won't support because of software, hardware and
security limitations, making them inoperable and/or very slow, especially
when an old DOS 16-bit application is involved, especially with the dawn of
64-bit Window OS's earlier this year. Software is not designed to last
forever, as new technologies in hardware and software are always being
developed, taking new approaches in order to stimulate security exploits.
 
I don't need a lesson for a condescending person telling me what I already
know.
Glad U are not my dad. No need to respond again as it was not in the least
bit helpfull.

Truth is the front end of our app has 930+ forms and 326 database tables
under the hood (SQL database). It takes a lot of time to develope this type
of horsepower in a application that we need.
If I move foreward to the newer 32 bit app front end by the time that
project is finished, tweeked out and running good then that product (32bit)
will be obsolete soon as the newer 64 bit apps arrive an so on.
It is a real nightmare to develope what we need in a accounting package and
takes a lot of time to tweek the program out so all the needed functionality
is there.
Does anyone have any ideas? I had one person suggest VMWare?
Thanks in Advance. Lets keep these posts on a positive note!
 
It was neither negative or positive, just the plain and simple facts. Are
you the owner, manager, programmer or all-of-the above? The "dad" remarks
would make one assume you are green, fresh out of college on your first job
given your first "real" task to accomplish, but I could be wrong.

Nonetheless, it is understandable that the project is a large undertaking
(or even over whelming for someone straight out of college) for a single
person, but 32-bit NT OS's have been available for 10 years now. New OS's
are released every few (2-3) years.

All businesses must plan, budget and obtain the necessary resources to
implement upgrades of hardware/software on a regular basis allowing for a
3-5 year ROI.

Bottom line, if an upgrade to a 32-bit OS is not feasible or cost
justifiable, then return the app to an OS/hardware configuration it was
intended to run without internet access (otherwise you'll be ripe for
hackers) and minimal intranet access, enough for the users to accomplish
their job and proceed to plan, budget and put into motion an upgrade using a
64-bit OS (UNIX, Linux or Windows) bypassing the 32-bit path altogether to
get ahead of
the game.

Yes, VMWare or some other OS within an OS software may be viable solution
although if performance is already an issue, it will only be magnified by
going down this route. Most of the Virtual Machine software vendors provide
the software with a 60-120 day full functional evaluation version, allowing
one to see how it may work in their environment. After the evaluation
period, you can either buy the required license or it ceases to function

Note 1: This is a small app by comparison of most of today's business
applications, as the smallest of many application I'm currently involved
with maintaining has 10k+ tables, with several thousands of forms and/or
WebPages using common procedures, views, packages, triggers, using terabytes
of storage, JSP, ASP, JavaScript and yes, using a 64-bit OS on the backend,
and 32-bit OS for the front end, and although there are four of us, we are
all familiar with MS-SQL and Oracle PL/SQL and how to build reusable code
modules.
Note 2: Programmers and technicians attempted to resolve the 8-bit/16-bit
performance hit years ago with a resolution to upgrade. The problem lies in
taking every 64/32/16-bit/ word and changing it into two 32/16/8-bit words
or vice-versa respectively, along with the lag (wait) time needed to
complete a word when you end up with an odd number of words. In addition it
takes CPU cycles and I/O to accomplish this, so hence a performance hit.
This is why 64/32-bit OS's won't support 16/8-bit respectively at all, and
as you guessed it.
Note 3: You may wish to accelerate and/or elevate this project, especially
dealing with Financial Applications, as we are definitely not dealing with a
SOX compliant accounting app. Even though the business may not be publicly
traded and not be required to be SOX compliant, many of your customers,
vendors and/or trading partners may require you to be in order to simplify
the auditing involved with them maintaining their SOX compliance.
 
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