Eventlog Pauses

[spazman]

I have Server 2003 Enterprise R2 SP2, running TS and SQL. AD also runs on this computer as it is the only server in the domain. All clients connect via RDP.

On a fairly random basis, the server slows to a crawl. No new TS sessions, existing sessions are frozen. Sometimes we are able to connect to the console. CTRL+ALT+DEL does not work. Sometime the system comes back but requires a reboot as no new TS sessions can start.

A few times we have been watching the system when this happens, performance monitor pauses, as in it stops showing ANY performance data, then 10 minutes later picks up where it left off.

At the same time we go to look in the Eventlog, it has a 10-15 minute window of no entries, System, security, Application.

Other than a few warnings in the eventlog about normal system activity there is nothing in the logs, before this event happens.

The system is dual processor Xeon 4 core, with 6 GB RAM. RAID 5 system and Data volumes, swap file on a completely separate drive, all drives are 10K RPM.

The one weird thing is the swap file is set to 2096 - 4092 on the system volume, and 10000 - 20000 on the swap file drive. I did not set this system up, as I normally do it 1.5 * physical RAM for min and max size. So in this case 9216.

Has anyone seens similiar behavior, maybe a place to start looking?

 

[itsp1965]

Although you say the Event log pauses.. what are the types of entries in the System event log that you see prior to the pause and after starts again. As you have TS, SQL and AD (really not a recommended combination) have you checked all applicable logs besides the system log for errors?

 

[spazman]

They vary, really nothing similiar as far as order etc. A few from SQL, no errors. I have checked all Event logs.

I know it's not ideal, SQL, TS and AD.

 

[58sniper]

You're right - TS is never recommended on a domain controller.

Have you looked at perfmon counters to see what's going on? Maybe memory resources are low?

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[spazman]

No, Memoery is fine, COU is never taxed. The server it self is over built for the 10-15 users that connect.

The strange thing is that Perfmon, stops recording data as well. The counters all drop, and then pick up again when the "slowness" occurs.

 

[spazman]

Well the issue was the the system board. It was a dual processor system, the timing processor was screwed.

anf FYI for anyone who hits the same issue.

 

[spazman]

Just for those who may run accross this.

The issue ended up being a timing issue on the system board on the dual processor server. This issue has also caused some corruption so we are rebuilding the server.