Running finPOWER Connect under Terminal Services

TSB1031 | Tuesday, 9 July 2013

This article applies when running finPOWER Connect under Windows Terminal Services.

Memory Usage

Memory usage for finPOWER Connect may be quite high. Some of the reasons for this are explained below:

  • The finPOWER Connect program files are quite large.
  • To provide a responsive user interface and minimise database traffic, finPOWER Connect caches admin libraries (e.g., External Parties) in memory.
  • For large databases, opening certain forms, e.g. the Account List will result in large amounts of data being retrieved from the database and using large amounts of memory.

Memory Guidelines

Before deploying finPOWER Connect to a Terminal Services environment, it is essential that memory usage is taken into account. This will vary from site to site and will affect the maximum number of users you may want to connect to a single Terminal Server.

The Windows Task Manager "Memory (Private Working Set)" column shows how much memory finPOWER Connect is using, but due to how the Microsoft .NET framework works should only be used as a guide.

Using NGEN to Share Code Memory

The memory finPOWER Connect occupies is split between 'Code' memory, i.e. the memory that the finPOWER Connect program itself occupies, and 'Data', i.e. the memory that forms, admin libraries etc occupy.

When several users are connected to a Terminal Server, each of them running finPOWER Connect, the amount of 'Data' memory will fluctuate depending on what the user is doing. Opening a form like the Account List may cause a large amount of 'Data' memory to be used. 'Code' memory however will remain static.

The Windows Task Manager "Memory (Private Working Set)" column will include both the 'Code' and 'Data' memory usage.

Microsoft's Native Code Generation tool (NGEN) allows Windows to share 'Code' memory, thereby reducing the overall amount of private memory used per user since all users will be sharing the same 'Code' memory. It also has the side-effect of decreasing startup times.

To run the NGEN tool you will need to run NGenInstall.bat, which is located in the installation folder. This is normally "C:\Program Files (x86)\Intersoft\finPOWERConnect".

  • You should ensure finPOWER Connect is not open when running this batch file.
  • You may need to run the batch file with Administrator rights.
    • Locate the 'ngen.exe" file in the same folder, right click it and click Properties.
    • Under the "Compatibility" tab, Privilege Level block, check "Run this program as an administrator".
    • Alternatively, in the same tab, Compatibility mode block, check "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and select "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)".
  • If this does not correct the issue please contact your Dealer.

Link for more information

Ngen.exe (Native Image Generator)