Test 2: File handling

OK, so we ruled out any possibility of multiple machines sharing a central cache. Next, we wanted to test how Bridge handled a very large number of files within one folder.

I created a test “Images” folder of 8250 image files, taking up 45+ gigabytes of space.

Machine 1 (PC/Bridge CS3)

Machine 2 (Mac/CS3)

Machine 4 (Mac tower/CS4)

Machine 4 (Mac lap/CS4)

Copying files within drive –

Machine 4. Copy files within library drive – 837 files/4.5 gigs:

Using Bridge copy/rename: “could not process some files” – failed to copy/rename

Using Bridge: “could not process some files” – failed to copy

Using Mac finder (drag and drop): 17 mins

Machine 1. Copy files within library drive -- smaller test of 202 files/800mb:

Using Bridge copy/rename: 17 mins

Using “window to window”: 4 mins

Conclusion: Move rather than copy files.

Performance within drive -

Machine 1. Navigated to image library and accessed “Images” folder – machine hung up at 40% indexing (-/+ 20 minutes) and stopped after 62 mins.

Clicked off onto another folder in library – which worked fine and loaded previews and metadata – and then clicked back on “Images” stalled again/hung up entire program after that.

Machine 2. Navigated to “Images” folder and Bridge loaded after 45 mins Bridge loaded only two image files with thumbs and metadata, all other previews remained blank. Progress wheel stopped but no files loaded.

Machine 1. Attempted to purge and then rebuild cache with the same result as Machine 2: loaded two images with thumbs and metadata but then stopped indexing.

Machine 3. Navigated to “Images” folder and it completed indexing in 15 mins – keyword indexing complete only by manually scrolling down through the image files.

Machine 4. Navigated to “Images” folder and it completed indexing in 18 mins – keyword indexing complete only by manually scrolling down through the image files.

Note: CS4 Preferences allow for adjustment of number of items stored in a given cache – CS3 on the PC does not -- further confusion here since one Mac/CS3 had a slider allowing for "smaller" to "larger" in the cache prefs but another Mac/CS# did NOT.

Conclusion: Significant disparity between CS3 and CS4 in accessing one folder with large number of image files.

Additionally, both late model Mac CS4 machines experienced a significant slow down for adding existing keywords/metadata to the last 1400 or so files of the "superfolder" of 8250 files.