Reduced performance when creating object in classic asp - performance

Question

Trying to measure a website performance I created a simple logging sub to see what parts are slow during the execution of a classic asp page.
sub log(logText)
dim fs, f
set fs = Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set f = fs.OpenTextFile("log.txt", 8, true)
f.WriteLine(now() & " - " & logText)
f.Close
set f = Nothing
set fs = Nothing
end sub
log "Loading client countries"
set myR = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.RecordSet")
myR.ActiveConnection = aConnection
myR.CursorLocation=2
myR.CursorType=3
myR.LockType=2
myR.Source = "SELECT * FROM CC ORDER BY ccName ASC"
log "Opening db connection"
myR.open()
log "Opened db connection"
Here are the results (only showing the time part):
...
11:13:01 - Loading client countries
11:13:06 - Opening db connection
11:13:06 - Opened db connection
...
Creating the ADODBRecordSet and setting a few properties takes about 5 seconds. This does not always happen, sometimes the code is executed fast, but usually when I reload the page
after a few minutes the loading times are more or less the same as the example's. Could this really be a server/resources issue or should I consider rewriting the code? (My best option would be to write this in C#, but I have to study this code first before moving forward anyway).
Update: I added more code after receiving 1st comment to present a few more code. Explanation: The code creates a combobox (selection menu) with the retrieved countries (it continues where the previous piece of code stopped).
if not myR.eof then
clientCountries = myR.getrows
send("<option value='0'>Select country</option>")
log "Creating combobox options"
for i = 0 to ubound(clientCountries, 2)
if cstr(session("clientCountry")) <> "" then
if cstr(clientCountries(1, i)) = cstr(session("clientCountry")) then
isSelected = "selected" else isSelected = ""
end if
end if
if cstr(session("clientCountry")) = "" then
if cstr(clientCountries(1, i)) = "23" then
isSelected = "selected"
else
isSelected = ""
end if
end if
optionString = ""
optionString = clientCountries(2, i)
send("<option value='" & clientCountries(1, i) & "' " & isSelected & ">" & convertToProperCase(optionString) & "</option>")
next
log "Created combobox options"
end if
myR.Close
myR.ActiveConnection.close
myR.ActiveConnection = nothing
set myR = nothing
log "Loaded client countries"
The next two log entries are as follows:
11:13:06 - Creating combobox options
11:13:06 - Created combobox options
...
So far, the SELECT query as the rest of the page (2 or 3 queries more) is executed within the next second more or less. The only part slowing the page down is what you can see in the first part of the log. I'm not sure if I can profile the SQLServer, because I only have cPanel access. This is the only way I know of, unless there's something else I could have a look at.

Answer 1

First, Check your connection string, I've experienced slower times with certain providers. The best provider I've found for classic asp is sqloledb
Second, I would close my SQL object before I did the For statement on the GetRows() array. You don't want to keep that open if you don't need to.
Third, I'd use stored procedures. You'll get a performance improvement by saving on compile time.
Fourth, I would avoid doing a SELECT * statement at all cost, instead I would return ONLY the columns I need. (Your code looks like it only needs 2 columns)
Fifth, I would build indexes on the tables taking longer than expected.
If this doesn't resolve the issue, I would consider other languages/solutions. Not sure what the dataset looks like, so can't say if a flat-file database should be considered or not.
Also, try this for a recordset instead and see what happens:
Set myR = Server.CreateObject("Adodb.Recordset")
myR.Open "SELECT * FROM CC ORDER BY ccName ASC", aConnection
If myR.RecordCount > 0 Then clientCountries = myR.GetRows()
myR.Close
Set myR = Nothing
If IsArray(myR) Then
For ....