Very very slow when using networked volumes

[Craig_S44]

Hi

I have PM Plus and another machine we have PM6 (most current build) on another. Loading previews is super slow on the PM6 machine. The images are stored at the moment on the boot volume of the Machine running PM Plus (Mac studio - fast internal SSD)  - but is also happens when connecting to a external SSD connected with a TB4 cable.  Is there something that I can do to speed things up?

My machine is A Mac Studio on Monterey , connecting to a 2021 Mac mini  also on Monterey and they are connected via a house ethernet network.  This has happened for a long time on different machines so I don't think is related to either machine specifically, I just have never got around to asking about this before - but literally it's been like this for years. There are no other issues between this machines and looking a folders on either displays the contents instantly.

Even trying to go to a menu in PM6 on the Mac mini is slow.

Hoping there is some networking setting that will speed things up.

Cheers,

Craig

[ahoward]

What sort method are you using when opening a Contact Sheet?

The only setting related to network drives in Photo Mechanic is in the "Navigator and Favorites Preferences" (which you can get to by right-clicking in the Navigator and selecting "Preferences"): "Always check... on servers".

This has happened for a long time on different machines so I don't think is related to either machine specifically, I just have never got around to asking about this before

Am I understanding correctly that for as long as this has been happening there is always a computer acting as a server and the issue is always occurring on a client computer that is accessing it? How does Photo Mechanic perform when accessing files that are local or on an external drive connected over USB or Thunderbolt?

Even trying to go to a menu in PM6 on the Mac mini is slow.

Which menus? The one in the MacOS menu bar (Photo Mechanic, File, Edit, etc.)? Or something like the 'sort menu' or right-click menu?

[Craig_S44]

Hi Thanks for your reply

The only setting related to network drives in Photo Mechanic is in the "Navigator and Favorites Preferences" (which you can get to by right-clicking in the Navigator and selecting "Preferences"): "Always check... on servers".

Will check this out.

Am I understanding correctly that for as long as this has been happening there is always a computer acting as a server and the issue is always occurring on a client computer that is accessing it? How does Photo Mechanic perform when accessing files that are local or on an external drive connected over USB or Thunderbolt?

Yes. The images are always stored on my machine - either on the boot volume or on a USB or TB connected external drive, and the issue happens on the client computer.

Accessing the files from my machine is fine, super fast. it's just from other machines that it is slow.

Which menus? The one in the MacOS menu bar (Photo Mechanic, File, Edit, etc.)? Or something like the 'sort menu' or right-click menu?

I will double check this and get back to you - it is my Wife's machine so I am not certain about that part.

Craig

[Craig_S44]

What sort method are you using when opening a Contact Sheet?

Missed that the first time I read your response - ha, the first line!

Filename is the default sort method.

The only setting related to network drives in Photo Mechanic is in the "Navigator and Favorites Preferences" (which you can get to by right-clicking in the Navigator and selecting "Preferences"): "Always check... on servers".

Please see attached screen grab.  This is on my machine, but my wife's was the same, I checked the only unchecked box on her's and it made no difference.

Even trying to go to a menu in PM6 on the Mac mini is slow.

Which menus? The one in the MacOS menu bar (Photo Mechanic, File, Edit, etc.)? Or something like the 'sort menu' or right-click menu?

what actually happens if she clicks to another program, and then comes back to PM, you get a spinning beach ball for about 90 seconds or so berfore you can access the program again.

Would love to figure this out at last as it is very time consuming and frustrating as she needs to go between programs frequently and this slows thing down a lot. 

So to recap.

1) Initially opening the program takes an age.
2) once open, selecting a folder of images to view from the navigator or favourites side bar, is within expected time ranges given it is a networked volume being accessed
3) Switching to a different program, and then coming back to PM, takes about 90 seconds of spinning beachball before PM is useable again.

Craig

[ahoward]

3) Switching to a different program, and then coming back to PM, takes about 90 seconds of spinning beachball before PM is useable again.

Go to Photo Mechanic's Preferences, and in the section for Contact Sheet, disable "Rescan on Resume"

1) Initially opening the program takes an age.

Have you modified the cache values in the Caching preferences from the defaults?

[Craig_S44]

Hi,

Wow. That changed things. untiking the resume on rescan checkbox, has made all the difference for switching between PM and other apps and back.   It is checked on my machine still though and I do not have that issue, but unticking it on my Wife's  machine has solved the issue of lag when going back and forth between apps.

As for the caching values - the are as shown below.  To my knowledge, I have never changed these.

Starting up PM is much faster, so it appears that the rescan on resume was the culprit on both counts.

Thanks very much, really wish I had gotten around to asking this, oh, 4 or 5 years ago. 

[Craig_S44]

Hi Again,

I also have a 4.4x version of PM on an older machine running Yosemite, that does not have this option and also I am unable to bring up preferences in the navigator, as you had me do earlier. 

Are there ways to do what have said in this version of PM (4.4.3.3)

Craig

[ahoward]

The Rescan on Resume preference was added in Photo Mechanic 6. I am not sure what the behavior was in Photo Mechanic 4.4.3.3. The earliest version of Photo Mechanic I have ever used was 4.5.

If you've got a license for Photo Mechanic 6, can I suggest just installing it on that computer?

[Andrew Wevers]

Hi there - Has this been solved? I am having similar issues. Working off a networked server (mac mini) mounted on my Mac, when I make changes to images (uploading, changing color tags, etc) on the contact sheet through my computer, it is extremely slow. When I do it straight on the Mac Mini, it is instant.

[Odd Skjaeveland]

...it is extremely slow. When I do it straight on the Mac Mini, it is instant.

I guess networked is slower than local, by nature. "Extremely slow" may hint at network issues. I do not use Mac myself, but I have observed Mac users indicate that the chosen network protocol for file sharing makes a noticeable difference.

[Andrew Wevers]

Unfortunately using Mac File share, the only available option is SMB now. I don't see any option for AFP after updating to latest macOS. I am also directly connected to the Mac mini via a switch sitting on the same desk, so network speeds are definitely not an issue.

[ahoward]

Unfortunately using Mac File share, the only available option is SMB now. I don't see any option for AFP after updating to latest macOS. I am also directly connected to the Mac mini via a switch sitting on the same desk, so network speeds are definitely not an issue.

Photo Mechanic's read patterns (small seeks and reads to get the portions of data needed) does not work well when the network protocol has high overhead per operation.

[Andrew Wevers]

I hope this gets fixed with their new subscription based model