TenjuZenjin

Q: AFP/SMB Directory Listings very slow in Finder

Hello comunity!

 

Since the upgrade to OS X Mavericks we are experiencing server problems, browsing AFP/SMB shares on remote servers (VPN). The Directory Listing is very slow an can take up to 30 minutes for large listings.

 

Here's the setup

 

  • 2 networks are connected thanks to a VPN connection.
  • All clients, in all connected networks can communicate to a common fileserver (MacPro with OS X 10.6 SnowLeopard Server) in Network A
  • Firewall is not an issue between those networks
  • The fileserver also has other network services set up (DNS, Mailserver, SMB, AFP, Firewall, ...)
  • The clients authenticate via OpenDirectory and Kerberos to the fileserver

 

So the problems occur if i want to connect a client on network B to the server on network A. Connection, authentication, ... all good. Even the performance over the VPN, to tranfer files is OK. But browsing subfolders is catastrophic. I used AFP and SMB alike, results are the same.

 

I also made tests on older clients, to see if the fileserver is the problem. 10.6 and 10.8 clients can browse normally, speed is OK. Even Windows Clients can browse normally all the subfolders of the fileserver.

 

I analyzed different approaches made here, but none of them worked:

  • Connect to share with explicit port
  • Connect to share with FQDN
  • Connect to share with port 445 (SMB)
  • Setup an nsmb.conf with notify_off=yes
  • ...

 

I also did analyze different logs and there's something i found, but can not say if it's connected. I did see many log entries like this:

...

29.10.13 12:21:51,960 icbaccountsd[775]: -[ICBLocalDictionary writeLocalMapping:]: Status: Writing out local mapping to disk

29.10.13 12:21:51,960 icbaccountsd[775]: -[ICBLocalDictionary writeLocalMapping:]: Status: Ending writing out local mapping to disk

29.10.13 12:21:51,960 icbaccountsd[775]: -[ICBRemoteDictionary writeDevices]: Status: Writing out of devices

29.10.13 12:21:51,960 icbaccountsd[775]: -[ICBRemoteDictionary writeDevices]: Status: Ending writing out of device

...

 

I also saw tha a process "icbaccountsd" was often coming up an using all of my CPU, when i start browsing the share. Thus i could not find any documentation on it.

 

So my question: What can I do to accelerate the browsing of my AFP/SMB shares for all my Mavericks clients? What can I do to speed up the Directory Listing? And yes: i know about solutions like PathFinder, TotalFinder, .... but i'm more interested in a native solution to this problem.

 

Thx!!

OS X Mavericks (10.9), 10.6.8 Server

Posted on Oct 29, 2013 4:33 AM

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Q: AFP/SMB Directory Listings very slow in Finder

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  • by TenjuZenjin,

    TenjuZenjin TenjuZenjin Nov 14, 2013 11:42 PM in response to TenjuZenjin
    Level 1 (27 points)
    Nov 14, 2013 11:42 PM in response to TenjuZenjin

    To reply to the new informations: yes, i did try NFS and it was as slow as AFP and SMB2. I also did try to force to SMB1 using CIFS, with no better results as SMB2. I think all those protocols are based on the same implementation. That's why switching protocols does not offer any relief.

     

    The only solution thats seems practicable for the moment is SSHFS/SFTP. The directory listings are quick, browsing is fast and file transfers are quite comfortable. I think the SSH protocol is the only one that they left untouched and is still based on the original OpenSource implementation. It's sad that you have to think first:"What did Apple not touch?" to get to a working solution...

     

    Note that using SSHFS/SFTP is a quick and dirty fix and should not be used further in the future. I'm hoping Apple fixes this URGENTLY! I'm also conerned about the fact that Apple until now did not commented this issue, even to just say:"OK, we will fix this ASAP".

     

    Also note: i tested all teh protocols on other clients with other systems (Windows 7 and OS X with Snow Leopard or Mountain Lion) and they all did not have any problems with any of the cited protocols. I did not try OS X Lion because IMHO it's not a working system, it's a **** of a mess.

  • by neilp,

    neilp neilp Nov 15, 2013 1:58 AM in response to -KEPHSTER-
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 15, 2013 1:58 AM in response to -KEPHSTER-

    Experienced similar problems; most probably due to problems with the browsing client's Finder using .DS_store files on the remote server. The deeper into the remote server's directory tree you browse, the longer the delay. All good though after typing the following in Terminal (no SUDO needed) and rebooting the client.

     

    defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores true

     

    This fix worked for me - cheers -KEPHSTER-

  • by chattphotos,

    chattphotos chattphotos Nov 15, 2013 8:56 AM in response to TenjuZenjin
    Level 4 (2,412 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 15, 2013 8:56 AM in response to TenjuZenjin

    Is your network Gigabit?

     

    Do you have anything with a 10/100 port/switch?


    What is your VPN throughput/internet bandwidth?

     


  • by pguthrie,

    pguthrie pguthrie Nov 15, 2013 9:22 AM in response to chattphotos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 15, 2013 9:22 AM in response to chattphotos

    I think I can reply to this as I'm seeing the same thing.  I have one desktop running Snow Leopard and two laptops running Mavs on the same network.  Our VPN performance to the data center is very good ( downstream above 10Mbits and upstream 2-3Mbits).  Doing the same thing on SL vs. Mavs is night and day difference... SL is immediate, Mavs takes many minutes.  I'm using AFP.

  • by TenjuZenjin,

    TenjuZenjin TenjuZenjin Nov 15, 2013 9:22 AM in response to chattphotos
    Level 1 (27 points)
    Nov 15, 2013 9:22 AM in response to chattphotos

    If you're asking me, here are the specs:

     

    VPN is a network to network tunnel with a QoS of 2MBit/s up/down guaranteed. The peak can go up to 30MBit/s down and 6MBit/s up, on the weakest side. The strong side has 50MBit/s up/down. Internet connection is VDSL on the weakest side and fibre on the strong side.

     

    Both networks are 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet. All clients are connected with CAT-6 Cables connected to Cisco 10/100/1000 stackable switchs, stacked with 10Gig fibre cables.

     

    I dont wanna go into detail but we are also talking DHCP, internal DNS, Firewalls, Port management and routing, VLAN, ... Generally said: you can exclude all those params as possible problem. Why? Because all other OS X and Windows clients have the same network specs and dont suffer from the performance loss, as the Mavericks clients do... To keep it short: all the same for everyone and the problems only occur on the Mavericks clients.

  • by tekwerx IT,

    tekwerx IT tekwerx IT Nov 17, 2013 12:26 PM in response to chattphotos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 17, 2013 12:26 PM in response to chattphotos

    defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores true

     

    This worked for me... I spent a total of 8 hours troublshooting insanely slow file transfer speeds for a new client (the reason they called me). I even reconfigured their network and put in a new gigabit switch and patch cables.

     

    Wow, I can't believe it had to do with the .ds stores.

  • by Mac Admin1,

    Mac Admin1 Mac Admin1 Dec 7, 2013 2:37 AM in response to tekwerx IT
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 7, 2013 2:37 AM in response to tekwerx IT

    defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores true


    While turning off creation off the invisible .DS_Store files made browsing over VPN a bit faster, it's still nowhere close to acceptable speed.

     

    What really made a 10x speed improvement - in our case - is using 3th party product 'Path Finder' instead of Finder.

     

    Not to mention: if we copy a file to the local Desktop from an OS X Server over VPN(afp/smb) and initiate a copy of another file too > these 2 copy processes are sharing the bandwidth 50-50%

     

    With 'Path Finder' it's possible to queue file transfers which is a nice feature I personally like.

     

    I don't like to replace the built-in functionality of the OS by default, but it seems like I have to,

    if this is the best what apple engineers / product managers are able to offer.

  • by dpasarchi,

    dpasarchi dpasarchi Dec 7, 2013 4:28 AM in response to Mac Admin1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 7, 2013 4:28 AM in response to Mac Admin1

    I have already turned off the .DS_Store option and have just downloaded the trial of Pathfinder.  The result at my end was that Pathfinder stopped responding when attempting to access a network share and I got the spinning beach ball.  It required a force quit.

     

    Clearly there's a more involved change to the filesystem that is causing this issue and essentially the Mavericks upgrade is going to break a lot of networks if applied in business.

     

    Apple should address this issue urgently OR provide a work around until fixed.

     

    I suspect, like their badly implemented rewrite of the SMB protocol with a previous OS upgrade, is to blame.  This is URGENT.  I've managed to spend days FTPing the files of the network disks to copy locally but this is unacceptable.  My clients however are another matter.

  • by Marcel van Setten van der Meer,

    Marcel van Setten van der Meer Marcel van Setten van der Meer Dec 17, 2013 7:38 AM in response to TenjuZenjin
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    Dec 17, 2013 7:38 AM in response to TenjuZenjin

    I have the same issue here !

    After some upgrades of clients to Mavericks, directory listing is very slow in Finder. (Network shares AFP, CIFS.)

    Some of our people have upgraded to Mavericks, stupid, nothing is free for a reason....

     

    10.6.8 however seems to me the most stable relaible version. After testing with a client on 10.6.8, the results are mutch better. Directory browsing on a network disk is a lot quicker.

     

    I Hope apple wil fix this very soon. Then they will be happy in the office again.

  • by tekwerx IT,

    tekwerx IT tekwerx IT Dec 18, 2013 9:00 AM in response to tekwerx IT
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 18, 2013 9:00 AM in response to tekwerx IT

    Update:

     

    Some users are now saying that the .DS stores command is not working for them, and still have issues browsing AFP. One in particular uses a Time Capsule and going more the 2-3 levels deep in the folders takes Finder 30-90 seconds to show the files.

     

    One thing to note is that users connecting to Mac servers don't seem to be complaining. I'm not sure if they are experincing any issues or not. I assume if they were I would hear about it, making me think Mavericks clients on Mac server is not affected. The compaints I have recieved are mainly from users of Time Capsules (5th gen), and other NAS storage such as the Buffalo LinkStation Pro.

     

    Anyone have any other updates besides how no one can believe this isn't fixed yet?

  • by Marcel van Setten van der Meer,

    Marcel van Setten van der Meer Marcel van Setten van der Meer Dec 18, 2013 9:08 AM in response to tekwerx IT
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    Dec 18, 2013 9:08 AM in response to tekwerx IT

    We have a Xserve with 10.6.8 server installed on it. Users are connecting to our AFP server trough VPN.

    Same issues , so i does affect  shares on macservers.

  • by eurisko67,

    eurisko67 eurisko67 Dec 18, 2013 10:01 AM in response to Marcel van Setten van der Meer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 18, 2013 10:01 AM in response to Marcel van Setten van der Meer

    This problem needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.  Not only is it affecting my client's network but it's affecting access to my own NAS.

     

    This is fundamental stuff and being able to connect to network shares is absolutely essential in business and whilst it's broken, I am looking at server alternatives.

     

    The server product is cr*p so I've left it at version 10.6.  Now the client is broken.  If Apple do not fix this soon then there are going to be a lot of very unhappy customers and I am one of them.

     

    Strange thing is, I have more success with Windows 7 connecting to a Mac share over SMB than I do with a Mac.  Go figure.

     

    How to destroy your entire corporate market by not testing the basics.  Microsoft is bad enough but this is not something I expect from Apple.  I may have to recommend putting in a Windoze server and that's sacriledge in my eyes.  Although their more recent server software *****.

  • by neilp,

    neilp neilp Dec 19, 2013 3:09 AM in response to TenjuZenjin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 3:09 AM in response to TenjuZenjin

    Thsi issue gardually came back over a period of time and it was VERY annoying.

     

    I've just upgraded tp 10.9.1 and viewing and accesing large files (PSD etc.) over AFP to a Mac server running 10.5.8 use to be very slow to preview and and load file directories via finder (simple stuff) in my 10.9.1 finder window. Browsing and importing images across the network to an InDesign document also took an age - it's all pole opposite now - quick to load and fluid - much as it was prior to Mavericks.

     

    Apple clealry knew the issue and this update has rectified - well for me anyway. Anyone else?

  • by eurisko67,

    eurisko67 eurisko67 Dec 19, 2013 3:57 PM in response to neilp
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2013 3:57 PM in response to neilp

    No, I've upgraded and the problem still exists.  Have connected through SMB and AFP and get the spinning 'clock' in the bottom right of the window. 

     

    It's appalling.  Any upgrade to Mavericks is going to destroy realistic network connectivity.   It's totally unacceptable.  I'd rather pay for an OS upgrade than suffer this incompetence.

  • by jynk,

    jynk jynk Dec 20, 2013 2:06 AM in response to eurisko67
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Dec 20, 2013 2:06 AM in response to eurisko67

    same here - no improvement...

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