Adding items to custom list - performance issues - Request timed out error

Question

Hi,
I am using VS 2010, c#.
I am inserting records from an excel file, which contains 6000 records to a custom list.
I am using the Visual webpart, and oledb connection. I am not using the openXML format, as i need to use "xls" and "xlsx" type.
I am doing the below steps currently:
1) From the file upload control, i am saving the excel to the sharepoint layouts - inside that a custom folder, to keep the records.
2) Using the oledb connection to read the records and fill it in a datatable.
3) Inserting the datatable values to a custom list.
Looping through the datatable and inserting 3000 – 4000 records to List, I am getting the "Request timeout error".
Below is the sample code, where i am looping the datatable and inserting the record:
SPList prjCmpList = oWeb.Lists[strListName];
SPListItemCollection prjCmpListItems = prjCmpList.Items;
SPListItem prjCmpListItem;
foreach (DataRow dr in dt.Rows)
try
prjCmpListItem = prjCmpListItems.Add();
prjCmpListItem["Title"] = dr[0];
prjCmpListItem["FirstName"] = dr[1];
prjCmpListItem.Update();
catch (Exception)
I am using the "using block" for the spsite and web objects. When I see the execution time out in my web.config it is set to 3600.  But I am getting the request time out after 2 mins only.
I have checked these link's : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa973248%28v=office.12%29.aspx
http://www.etechplanet.com/blog/how-to-import-an-excel-spreadsheet-in-sharepoint-and-save-it-as-a-custom-list.aspx
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sharepoint/en-US/8664375c-fae0-483a-b43f-ce7d353b896a/importing-3000-records-to-sharepoint-list-causing-requesting-time-out-error?forum=sharepointadminlegacy
However, I am following the best practices, and also the insertion of records is to be done programmatically.
Has anyone faced this kind of issue? How to fix this?

Answer 1

HI,
Thanks for the reply.
If the list has custom columns which consists of string and Date types, can the same type be used? Or should the list be an empty list without any columns?
In the xml if it is put as "onerror= continue", how to fetch the records which error out?
Also, in the datatable code block, which I had put in the first post, I am also trying as below:
if(dt[1] != null)
if(!string.IsNullorEmpty(dt[1].toString())
prjCmpListItem["FirstName"] = dt[1].toString();
Can these condition checks be performed with the "processbatchdata" approach?
Thanks