Microsoft Excel .XLS Slow to Open after 8.0.0.4

Hi agentdo,

As far as the cluster is concerned, there isn't any distinction in how the files are handled based on file type like that.

When you say Antivirus, do you mean cluster side AV? There is a scan-on-open option with AV that can slow some things down, but again isn't specific to file type. Oplocks have also historically been in contention with AV scan-on-open, but that should also slow all files down, not just one file type.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any reason why the cluster would treat .xls files any different than .xlsx.

I'm certainly not saying that you can't have some kind of discrepancy somewhere, I just don't know how it would tie into the cluster.

Yes, it's cluster side AV with ICAP scan on open.  There were no issues with the same files when we were on OneFS 7.  With the file open you can convert to the new file format of .xlsx and the problem is gone.  Not an option for all users since many still depend on the older format types.

... The Cluster not, but the application does!

while xlsx is a compressed container and is downloaded in big chunks (64k in normal WAN/SMB with Win7 setup, but depends on File-Protocol in use) the behavior differs with older files which are loaded in parts of different size depending on the data in the file itself. Best example is of such an behaviour is pdf (even if it's not office) where pictures may be own elements and a site number may also be a single element which get's loaded in a extra smb-paket.

Long Story short:

maybe it's just a problem with latency (maybe because the cluster is doing some internal post upgrade cleanup) which you only recognize using files which are more latency dependend

Rgds

-- sluetze

KB 000330701 talks about excluding the Excel file from scanning. ( It deals with VNX and CAVA).

Are there any specific instruction for Excel files when it comes to Isilon and ICAP server combo?

We have resorted to excluding the .xls files from scanning for now. 

What is the Antivirus solution you are using? What was the licensing approach from the AV vendor towards the Isilon? Is it based on the number of nodes?