VS interface accessing many files when solution opened

[robe070]

Hi,

I am developing 9 parrallel versions of our software concurrently. I have the working folder set in Vault for each of these versions. When I startup any solution (each solution includes only a subset of the files in child directories of the solution) in any of these versions ALL the files in EVERY directory structure are opened. Thats 182, 679 files! 5,931 folders and 15.5 GB of data. It takes a very long time slowing down all operations on the PC. I wonder why it needs to do this at all for any files in the solution, but maybe it needs to do that - some 20,000 files or more! But for OTHER working folders? Seems a bit unnecessary. Of course all my working folders are in one parent directory. Maybe that connection between the working directories is 'causing' it?

If I put Vault offline in the solution it does not occur.

How can I change this behaviour without going offline? (which itself takes about 10 minutes to go offline!)

regards

Rob Goodridge

[lbauer]

What version of Vault are you using? What version of Visual Studio? Are you using the Enhanced or Classic Client for integration?

Are you saying that when you open a specific solution, and other solutions/projects are opened as well, in Solution Explorer?

[robe070]

What version of Vault are you using? What version of Visual Studio? Are you using the Enhanced or Classic Client for integration?

[23/11/2009 9:31:36 AM] Version Check: This Vault client is version 4.1.3.18336
[23/11/2009 9:31:36 AM] Version Check: Your Vault server is version 4.1.3.18336

VS 2008 with latest updates (9.0.30729.1 SP)

Enhanced Client

Are you saying that when you open a specific solution, and other solutions/projects are opened as well, in Solution Explorer?

No. When ANY 1 solution is opened this occurs. And they all behave the same way. Each parrallel version contains 6 solutions. If any one of those is opened, it occurs. Close the VS instance. If a solution in a different parrallel version is opened, it also occurs. If I close the solution and open it again, it starts again, opening all the same files starting from the beginning.

[robe070]

I'm wondering when I might expect a response? I'm used to one daily from you and its now been 2 days without a reply. It really must have you stumped! (Stumped in Oz = perplexed in USA )

[lbauer]

Depending on how your solution is structured, it could be that when you open the solution file, it loads every project. That's one issue.

The other issue is that it takes a long time. The problem is that the projects are refreshed too much by Vault. We fixed the excessive refresh issue in Vault 5.0.1, so that might help with the amount of time it takes for the solution to open.

Which issue is most problematic for you?

[robe070]

Hi Linda,

Thanks for responding.

If Vault only opened all the files that are in the solution, I'd be much happier! To know that 5.0.1 is faster is good news. BUT, Its actually opening not just files that are in the same solution, its opening ones that are NOT referred to in any project in the solution, but just in the same directory. And worse, its going back UP the directory tree and opening files in directories that are not referenced at all in the current solution!

These 'external' directories are the working folders for other parallel versions that are in Vault.

It seems to me that Vault is opening all files that are in any working folder, regardless of what the current solution requires! This is entirely different to the first issue you suggested. But does the 5.0.1 fix address my issue described above?

ps I'm on leave for the next few days so I won't be able to respond until Monday.

[lbauer]

When you say "parallel version" what do you mean? Are these branches? Shares? Copies of the same project that are independent of each other? How did these projects get created?

[robe070]

Hi Linda,

There are various kinds of parrallel versions:
1) A straight branch
2) A completely separate pre-Vault version created directly from the source files. This then has:
a) A branched parallel version
b) 5 Share/Pin parallel versions of the parent or the branch.

The above are the directories that physically exist on my disk.

But, I recorded every single file access made by Vault (procmon.exe) and have determined that it has attempted to access EVERY SINGLE file for which I have a working folder set. There are another 7 or 8 working folders which I do not have on my disk at the moment, and it attempts to open all those folders too, and fails.

So, the issue is clearly that Vault is opening every single file that there are working folders for. Its is completely separate from what the solution actually contains, or even what is on disk. The kind of branch is completely irrelevant.

It would be simple for you to use procmon.exe (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysi ... fault.aspx) to check this behaviour out. Filter on devenv.exe and use the Tools\File Summary to get a quick look at what files have been accessed.

regards

Rob Goodridge

[lbauer]

The way our code is written currently, the Enhanced Client does check (or access) every file in a working folder and subfolders to determine the working folder status. It doesn't look for just files in the particular solution.

I discussed this with our developer and the recommendation is to upgrade to Vault 5.0.1, where the performance would be improved, as we eliminated some of the refreshes.

[robe070]

OK, I can understand its the whole working folder. For my situation that makes it take 10 times as long or even longer for some small solutions. So I request an enhancement to just go through the Solution's files.

But on the Working folder issue, it seems to be using every working folder in the entire repository. Why does it not stop at the solution's folder? I remember that one requirement for Vault to work correctly is that the Solution is in a folder that is a parent to all the files in the solution. So I request a second enhancement to just use the Solution's folder and lower, and this is much more important than the first enhancement request above. Of course, if the first one was done this would be irrelevant.

[lbauer]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have logged feature request 15122, and we will consider it for a future release.