linked server problem slow queries

We're using SS2000 SP4 on both servers. We've been running the following
query for 6 months or so. I'm not sure exactly how long it used to take
because the whole job has about 10 queries. But the whole job used to take
about 2 hours. Now this query alone can take 3 hours.
use branch_master
update t set t.branch = z.branch_new,
t.branch_old=z.branch_old,
t.reassign_date = getdate()
from server2.promo2004.dbo.tblmail_resp t, branch_master..tblZipReassign_New z
where z.ziprequestid = 58
and t.prop_zip = z.zip
and t.branch= z.branch_old
and z.process='Y'
and z.update_type = 'A'
However, if we change the query and put it on the remote server it runs in
under t seconds. Here is the query we use on the remote server.
use promo2004 --on maximus2
update t set t.branch = z.branch_new,
t.branch_old=z.branch_old,
t.reassign_date = getdate()
from tblmail_resp t, server1.branch_master.dbo.tblZipReassign_New z
where z.ziprequestid = 58
and t.prop_zip = z.zip
and t.branch= z.branch_old
and z.process='Y'
and z.update_type = 'A'
I don't know if it makes any difference but the tblmail_resp table on
server2 has about 8 million rows and the tblzipreassign_new table on server1
has about 2500 rows.
We have the same problem with a couple of other jobs have queries that go
from server1 to server2 and they have slowed down a lot of in some cases run
for over 8 hours before we stop them.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
--
Dan D.Hi Dan,
In order for me to better answer this I suggest you post the entire DDL
of the tables including indexes and the query plan.