sophos 3.66 to 3.67, load jumps?

[Julian Field]

Can someone do a quick test with
         cd /usr/lib/MailScanner
         time ./sophos-wrapper -TNEF /dev/null
with 3.66 and 3.67.

Then, with 3.67, try turning off their "new options":
         cd /usr/lib/MailScanner
         time ./sophos-wrapper -TNEF -nopt=Pdf -nopt=Elf -nopt=Rtf
-nopt=Java /dev/null

What are the timings like?
This will give us the startup time as scanning /dev/null should take 0 time.

At 18:13 11/03/2003, you wrote:
>I just spoke with Sophos about this issue and I am attaching their response.
>One interesting note about my conversation with the tech support person is
>that
>he did not want me to call my issue a "problem with Sophos". He repeatedly
>said
>that the performance jump is due to providing "BETTER" protection. I will let
>you read their repsponse.
>
>----- Forwarded message from mark.danus at sophos.com -----
>     Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 12:54:44 -0500
>  Subject: Unix performance issues
>       To: marco at muw.edu
>
>Version 3.67 of SAV on non-windows platform sees a big jump in engine
>capabilities. In particular it contains plug-ins enabling thorough scans of
>four common file types - pdf, rtf, elf (Linux/BSD binaries) and .class
>(java 'executables').
>
>Addition of these plug-ins means that the engine is doing more work to
>provide better protection.
>
>As a result of this some customers may report significant increases in the
>time taken to scan their file systems. Increases will very according to the
>number and proportion of the file types mentioned above. The extreme
>example is scanning a set of files consisting solely of pdfs, rtfs, elf
>binaries and java files. In this case the scan time increases by a factor
>of just over 3 (60 minutes -> minutes).
>
>If you receive calls from customers complaining of scans taking longer to
>complete or SAVI applications having to work harder than usual, it is more
>than likely down to these issues.
>
>The important thing to remember is that the slowdown is due to the
>increased level of protection that we need to provide given the continuing
>growth in the number of different file types that can carry viruses.
>
>It is possible to disable these for options when using sweep by adding the
>following command-line arguments:
>
>-nopt=Pdf
>-nopt=Elf
>-nopt=Rtf
>-nopt=Java
>
>don't forget that use of any of these options may seriously impact our
>ability to detect viruses in those types of file.
>
>Regards,
>
>MGD
>
>
>----- End forwarded message -----
>
>
>____________________________________________________________
>     _/     _/  _/    _/  _/     _/ | Marco Obaid
>    _/_/ _/_/  _/    _/  _/     _/  | Network Administrator
>   _/  _/ _/  _/    _/  _/  _/ _/   | McDevitt Hall
>  _/     _/  _/    _/  _/_/ _/_/    | W-Box 1621
>_/     _/   _/_/_/   _/     _/     | Columbus MS 39701
>____________________________________________________________
>M I S S I S S I P P I  U N I V E R S I T Y  F O R  W O M E N
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>This mail is sent through MUW Webmail: http://www.MUW.Edu/webmail
>For the latest MUW Events, visit  http://www.MUW.Edu/calendar

--
Julian Field
www.MailScanner.info
Professional Support Services at www.MailScanner.biz
MailScanner thanks transtec Computers for their support