SBS 2003 Server crashes due to growing memory or page file useage

[sethschmautz]

Hey all,

I've been searching for help on this topic for several months and I'm hoping that someone here might be able to help diagnose the problem. The stats:

HP Proliant ML370 G3
SBS 2003 w/ SP2
2x Intel Xeon 3.06GHz (4 virtual processors)
4GB RAM
System Partion (Drive E) 33.9GB, 14.8 GB free
File Partition (Drive F) 273TG, 158GB

The server's memory useage (physical or virtual) continues to grow until it chokes the server and various services stop and it drops from the network. According to Microsoft's suggestion I have a 6GB page file (3GB on E, 3GB on F), but at one time I had set the page file at its max at over 8GB. The server usually lasts for 3-4 days before it chokes and needs a reboot. The server is running Exchange 2003, ISA 2004, and SQL 2005. All SQL instances are throttled at 512MB. We were trying to run Antigen, but it was the straw that broke the camel's back and we pulled it off until we could figure out where the memory leak was going.

If anybody has any ideas on where to start, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

Seth

 

[TechSoEasyMVP]

Where does Microsoft suggest that you use a 6GB paging file when you have 4GB of RAM on an SBS? Because from what you have stated above, you are running a 32bit system, which has a maximum memory allocation of 4GB.

That is unless you configure your server to allocate memory a bit differently by using the /PAE switch in the boot.ini file. (Info on that is here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283037)

This will allow for some additional memory allocation but I still wouldn't use more than a SINGLE paging file of not more than the maximum allowed of 4096MB (4GB).

You will also see references to the /3GB switch in that KB article. Please note that the use of the /3GB switch is not recommended on SBS machines.


Jeffrey B. Kane
TechSoEasy

http://www.techsoeasy.com

 

[TechSoEasyMVP]

"This will allow for some additional memory allocation but I still wouldn't use more than a SINGLE paging file of not more than the maximum allowed of 4096MB (4GB)."

Actually... in your situation, I would let Windows manage the file initially... see what the OS wants to use and you might be surprised at the results.

But one other problem... you can't install Antigen/now called "Forefront Security for Exchange Server" on an SBS. Because SBS2003 does not currently support an upgrade to Exchange 2007, which is required to be running for use with Forefront.

You would have to install Exchange 2007 on a separate server on your network, and then be sure that you have all appropriate licenses and CALs because it's not covered under the SBS licensing model.



Jeffrey B. Kane
TechSoEasy

http://www.techsoeasy.com

 

[sethschmautz]

Jeffrey,

I changed the PF over to System Managed several days ago at the advice of other SBS MVPs on the Microsoft chat site. The server hasn't crashed for several days (3 days and 2 hours), but the page file has grown to 11.5GB. The microsoft literature that I've read in my research suggests to set the Virtual Memory to be 1.5x the size of the physical memory present. I've read this in several places. 1.5x 4GB is 6GB which is what I had set the PF size to.

However, the system managed PF size hasn't shrunk, it has grown larger than this. I'm hoping that regardless of the PF size, the server remains stable. Interesting point about Antigen. I'll have to take another look at that. We had it installed on the system previously and it was working - pulling spam and viruses from e-mail - but I'll double check your suggestion.

Thanks for your time, it's greatly appreciated. If you have any other thoughts, please let me know. Take care,

Seth

 

[TechSoEasyMVP]

The 1.5x recommendation is for when you have much less RAM installed. After you get above 2GB of RAM, that recommendation doesn't hold because you will exceed the maximum addressable memory of a 32-bit system.

I'd really suggest that you follow my recommendation that I originally made... which is to configure the /PAE switch on your boot.ini file, and then reduce your paging file to a much smaller size. You'll need to completely delete the current paging files though in order to get this fixed. So set them to NO paging file, reboot, and then you can set to allow Windows to manage it. I'd suspect that Windows will use about a 1.5GB file at that point.



Jeffrey B. Kane
TechSoEasy

http://www.techsoeasy.com

 

[sethschmautz]

Jeffrey,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to read the article and run the suggestion by a few others before I do it, but it looks like it might be a great fix.

As for Antigen, we have already had it on the server performing correctly with Exchange 2003. We have the older Antigen 9.0 which is designed specifically for Exchange 2003 and not the newer Forefront Security.

I'll keep you posted on the status and the /PAE switch. I think that I remembered reading somewhere that you could get into trouble setting your PF to none. Is there anything that I need to be wary of? Thanks,

Seth

 

[TechSoEasyMVP]

Certainly nothing to be wary of setting it to none as I have recommended, which is to toss out the old one and build anew.

What you're remembering reading though is that not having a paging file of at least 200MB on your System partition will inhibit the server's ability to create a Memory Dump should there be some situation which would trigger such a dump.

I rarely, if ever, review memory dumps anyhow, but I can assure you that if during the few minutes that your server is without it's paging file both it and you will survive the experience.



Jeffrey B. Kane
TechSoEasy

http://www.techsoeasy.com

 

[sethschmautz]

Jeffrey,

Just to be sure that I have the order correct, I would make the changes as such:

1. Add the /PAE switch to the boot.ini file and save
2. Change PF to none on both E: (system partition) and F: (file partition)
3. Reboot Server
4. Change PF to system managed (on E: or F:?)
5. Monitor

Thanks in advance for your help.

Seth