Configuring Antivirus for NEOSYS

Preferably try to avoid installing an Anti-Virus software on the NEOSYS server as it is known to lower the performance of the work by checking each and every file. If the client insists on installing an Anti-Virus then exclude NEOSYS *.ov and *lk files and preferably the whole of \neosys folder from the Anti-Virus checking with the following instructions:

Norton / Symantec

Symantec and other especially older version AV software slow neosys down a lot. Excluding LK and OV files (and ALSO excluding the neosys folder and removing OV* from the list of files to be checked) improves the situation but only removal of the av solves the problem completely. ie the exclusion options DOESNT FULLY WORK in symantec and some other especially older AV software.

Ideally you should remove Symantec because it has a number of problems which are difficult or impossible to overcome.

Older versions of Symantec may require all the following options even to only partially exclude NEOSYS from checking. Running FILESPEED with Symantec disabled gives an idea of the possible slow down caused by Symantec but even disabling it often doesnt cause speed up compared to removing it completely.

It is advisable to do all the following to protect against non-NEOSYS system adminstrators reconfiguring the options.

1. Check that it has no managing "parent server" otherwise you configuration will be overwritten by the parent server within hours or days.
2. Check Selected Files Only instead of All Files
3. Remove "OV?" from the list of Selected Files
4. Add NEOSYS folder to list of folders to excluded
5. Add OV and LK to the list of file extensions to be excluded

Important Note: Symantec / Norton Email Scanners (outgoing and incoming) can corrupt Neosys backup files if you email them as attachments.

AVG Anti-Virus

It is best advisable to use AVG Anti-Virus program which does not interfere with Neosys files if they are excluded. Also the Email Scanner does not create any problem as noticed in using Symantec / Norton.

Checking if disabling OV files speeds up Neosys

You can test the diskspeed in NEOSYS by pressing F5 and typing FILESPEED to see how long it takes to create and delete 1000 records in a temporary file. You can repeat this to get an average.

You can disable AV for a while to check if the AV is getting in the way despite neosys being "excluded" according to the av options. Even disabling the AV does not always get back all the speed. Sometimes removal of the AV completely gets back the speed.

AV is not really necessary on computers dedicated to NEOSYS and can be removed.

Using FILESPEED and AV disabling you can tell if your attempts to configure exclusion of NEOSYS are successful or not.