topic Re: Slow directory display from Windows in ONTAP Hardware

Slow directory display from Windows

OLIVIER_SCHAWLB — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 05:30:12 GMT

Hello,

We have a FAS2220 in 7-Mode with SATA hard disks. I know SAS drives are faster, but it's a question of budget...

From any Windows computer (Win XP/7/8, Windows server 2003/2008/2012), it takes more than a minute to display the content of folders with about 6000 sub-folders. Sub-folders appears by group of about 150, until all are shown. Before starting the display, sysstat -u 1 shows disk activity to 5% (for example), and while I browse the directory, disks activity on netapp goes to 20% for a minute, then goes back to 5%.

Reseller support has not been able to find out why, escaladed it to netapp support with no more success for the moment...

Network itself does not seems to be the culprit, as from a Windows server to another, similar folder with 6000 subfolders displays very quickly.

It's not specific to a folder or volume or share, all have the same slowness. Some are with dedup, some are not, so dedup is not the cultprit either. Reallocate is fine too. Once a folder has been displayed, as long as it stays in the netapp cache, it's quick to display. But it does not stay there for a long time...

SMB2 is deactivated (gives some errors with some scripts we run), but even with SMB2 on, it's not quicker.

Any idea ?

thanks

Olivier

Re: Slow directory display from Windows

DOMINIC_WYSS — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 19:31:15 GMT

maybe MaxDirSize:

https://kb.netapp.com/support/index?page=content&id=3011562

Re: Slow directory display from Windows

OLIVIER_SCHAWLB — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:39:26 GMT

Thank you for this try, Dominic.

After more tests, it appears that even reading a single file is very slow, even with low disks/low CPU/low network activity on netapp. 10 to 20 seconds to read a 200MB file, compared to about 2 seconds on a windows filer...

Re: Slow directory display from Windows

JGPSHNTAP — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:45:49 GMT

a few comments and questions

what is the exact configuration aggregate wise of your system.

What version of 7-mode are you running

Also, should look at statit for disks, from what you say it should be low, but let's have a look

priv set advanced

statit -b

*wait 10 seconds*

statit -e

Look at the aggregate and maybe post some of the raid group

Are you sure your network is setup right.. meaning switch/filer match. duplex, etc...