Flare 10 and subversion: slow check-in, check-out, sync

[tobydrake7]

Our writing group upgraded to Flare 10 late last week. Since upgrading, we've noticed a significant slowdown when checking files in and out. Our subversion administrator watched the echoed results from the subversion (svn) server while a writer checked out a Flare 10 project file. Turns out, with Flare 9/svn, when a check-out occurs, about 4 or 5 command line items are updated on the svn server side. When a Flare 10/svn check-out occurs, these 4 or 5 lines repeat many times until the check-out finally occurs at the Flare project. Checking files in is also occasionally very slow.

The result of this is that working in Flare is now extremely slow. And occasionally, the Flare project will hang in the check-out/check-in state for so long, it's almost easier to kill the Win7 task, restart Flare, and start over. Additionally, the local files listed in the Content Explorer tab continuously update when expanding folders. It seems as if the Flare 10/svn integration is pinging every single file in the repository when a folder is opened. I never noticed this behavior with Flare 9.

We tested using the following platform versions:
- Flare 9 / Tortoise 1.7.11 / svn server version 1.6.11 < all good, no issues
- Flare 10 / Tortoise 1.7.11 / svn server version 1.6.11 < long wait times, no good
- Flare 10 / Tortoise 1.8.4 / svn server version 1.6.11 < long wait times, no good

I've opened a MadCap Flare support ticket on this, but I was hoping that someone else may have been experiencing this same issue, with a possible resolution.

[Nita Beck]

Welcome to the forums, and I'm sorry it's about something really, really annoying.

I'm having the same problem, and I raised a support ticket last week. I just sent a link to your post to the support tech who's working my case as it might give her insights.

A nuance I'm seeing: For those Flare 10 projects that access an SVN server using https, no problems. For those that access an SVN server using svn+ssh, I'm definitely seeing issues. The check-ins, check-outs, etc. are incredibly and painfully slow. Just refreshing the Pending Check-ins list takes more than 2 minutes, and I tested a check-in of about 15 files: took 4.35 minutes. Painful... Something is clearly screwy...

[tobydrake7]

We are already using https. Thanks for the response. Much appreciated.

[Nita Beck]

That was just my observation re https vs ssh, not any official recommendation by MadCap. YMMV.

[tobydrake7]

They've pushed this issue to Flare development under bug #87227.
I will be notified via email if a fix for this is included in a future patch or release version

[stealth94rt]

I've been testing Flare 10 for our group for the past 2 weeks and having very similar problems. I can't take it (the extremely slow check in/out speeds) any longer, and I can't recommend the upgrade if it's being used with SVN. I'm going to revert back to Flare 9 until they get this problem fixed.

[Nita Beck]

Just in case this helps anyone, I'm not having any issues with Flare 10 + SVN if the protocol is https.

But I've having VERY sluggish performance if the protocol is ssh+svn, to the point where I won't use Flare 10 'til it's fixed.

In short, I think the decision to upgrade or not depends on one's SVN setup.

[tobydrake7]

Unfortunately my writing group is experiencing this behavior with https.
We've reverted to Flare 9 and Tortoise 1.711 until the Flare 10 issue is resolved.

[rob hollinger]

This issue has been addressed in the Flare 10.1 update.
The update is a full install that will un-install the current V10 and install V10.1

To install open Flare V10
Click Help > Check for updates

Or download the latest version from the MadCap website.

Release notes:
http://kb.madcapsoftware.com/#Flare/Gen ... _Notes.htm

[tobydrake7]

Yes. Seems to be all fixed. Thanks for your responsiveness.

[stealth94rt]

I don't think this is totally fixed. I just submitted three bug reports related to check-out problems that I'm seeing in the 10.1 patch.

[tobydrake7]

What issues are you seeing?

[stealth94rt]

As multiple files are checked out, the check-out process slows way down.
With multiple files checked out, navigation in the Content Explorer and File List slows way down.
With no files checked out, switching between tabs (for example, from Content Explorer to File List) has "lag" when compared to same operation in Flare 9. With multiple files checked out, it slows way down.

That said, the check-in process (of one or multiple files) seems to be fast now.

[servobot]

Check outs are worse for us in 10.1. It takes about a minute for a single file to check out and for Flare to become responsive after the check out completes. For our writers who have work a long distance from the SVN servers, the performance is even worse.

We use https.

[dberman]

I'm also experiencing a serious slowdown in my check-ins and check-outs using Flare 10.1 and SVN 1.7. While projects are imported from SVN more quickly in 10.1 than 10.0 or 10.0.1, Flare is still painful to use with subversion. Saving a single change in a file can take over 1 min. Could there be an issue of system requirements?

[Mark from Brooklyn]

I have major delays just saving one file.

I'm using Flare 10.1.0; TortoiseSVN 1.8.7, Build 25475 - 64 Bit; and Subversion 1.8.9.

I assume I'm using the https protocol to access SVN, not the svn protocol, as the Project Properties dialog / Source Control tab shows the Database and the Database Folder URLs with an https protocol.

[khicks]

I'm a little slower, but nothing to complain about. my issue is that all my green checks and red pluses are now gone for all flare 10 synced folders.

probably not a major issue, but makes me nervous not seeing my green checks. anyone else?

[Nita Beck]

I'm a little slower, but nothing to complain about. my issue is that all my green checks and red pluses are now gone for all flare 10 synced folders.

probably not a major issue, but makes me nervous not seeing my green checks. anyone else?

I assume you mean when viewing folders and files in Windows Explorer. I have the same issue but I believe it to be a problem with TortoiseSVN, not Flare. Other TortoiseSVN users have reported that their "folder overlay icons" have disappeared in Windows Explorer. I've not found a solution, but both Flare and TortoiseSVN do "know" that the folders are under source control, even with the icons missing. Within Flare's UI, I do see all the source control icons.