Sybase SQL V12 on MS Azure is slow as anything

[Former Member]

We have a database, the size is only 32MB.  It's running on Microsoft Azure Server,

We have a call opened with Microsoft, and it's been going on for three weeks now.  We are at our wits end with these people.

The bottom line is - when the system needs to go into a CheckPoint, it seems to freeze the entire system.   And in one case, the CHECKOUT took more than 7 minutes.   CheckPoints are supposed to take seconds/milliseconds....and why would this CHECKPOINT take 7 minutes.

We know it took 7 minutes because we simply got the Transaction Log File.  It shows Started CheckPoint, Ended CheckPoint - and the time lapse was more than 7 minutes at 4:37AM (in the morning) when nothing else was going on.

Also, to backup this database (BACKUP DATABASE .... TRUNCATE TRANSACTION LOG) --- and it's only 32MB, it is taking close to 2 minutes on an Azure Server!

Microsoft is just giving us a lot of smoke and mirrors and we are thinking our entire issue is using Microsoft - and thinking our best bet is to move to Amazon (AWS) instead of using Microsoft Azure.  But, the application is written using a lot of VSO/MSNET and not sure if we can even do this.

1. Why would a checkpoint take 7 minutes, is this normal?

2. Does anyone using Sybase SQL Anywhere 12 in an MS Azure Environment?

3. What should I be looking at to find the issue?

[JasonHinsperger]

Robert,

     I am not sure if this will help you or not, but it may help point the Azure support folks in the direction to help you diagnose the problem. 

Checkpoints and backups are both forcing writes to the file system.  IO is notoriously slow in virtualized environments. It could be that Azure IO performance is really bad (in which case your out of luck), or something in your Azure instance configuration or current state that is causing a slowdown when file writes occur.

I would be interested to know if you do get a resolution to this problem, as I have not heard of it before.

--Jason