Declined Multithreaded internet operations

[nikkho]

When dealing with internet resources, operations like a multiple copy, are very slow:
copy ftp://ftp.elf.stuba.sk/pub/pc/pack c:\test

Would it be possible to do them in parallel?

 

[vefatica]

I chose one of the largest files there, wnzip170.exe (~100MB). I could download it in 1:05 (far below my local capabilities). With three instances of TCC I could download three copies of the same file in the same amount of time. I suspect that server has a download speed limit of about 2MB/sec/connection. So multiple threads (multiple connections) would help (up to a point).

But:

1. When I was done, the drive I downloaded to had gone from 0% fragmented to 7% fragmented.

2. Using multiple connections seems somewhat rude to other users of the server.

 

[vefatica]

That server allows a maximum of 5 connections per IP so perhaps it isn't too rude to use five connections. With a BTM (below) I downloaded 5 copies of wnzip170.exe (~100MB) in the same time as one copy. When it was over my disk had gone from 0% fragmented to 14% fragmented.

So yes (again) multithreaded downloading would save time, but

1. It will lead to a highly fragmented disk.
2. There's no telling how many connections from one IP a server will allow.
3. It might be quite difficult to implement (and have value only very occasionally)

timer

setarray z[5]

do i=0 to 4
    if not exist v:\test%i md v:\test%i
    start /c copy ftp://ftp.elf.stuba.sk/pub/pc/pack/wnzip170.exe v:\test%i
    set z[%i]=%_startpid
enddo

do while %@isproc[%z[0]] == 1 .or. %@isproc[%z[1]] == 1 .or. %@isproc[%z[2]] == 1 .or. %@isproc[%z[3]] == 1 .or. %@isproc[%z[4]] == 1 
    delay 1
enddo

timer

unsetarray z

 

[nikkho]

Indeed the advantage is mostly with small files.