Terminal server Bogs down

[ikidd]

I have 2K term server running in app mode and serving to about half a dozen dialup clients coming in on RRAS. Recently, the server starts throwing DCOM errors (COM servers not able to register with DCOM) and then just locks up, giving STATUS_TIMEOUT to term services.

The only way I can get around this is to do a hard shutdown. When it comes back up, everything is fine for a couple days.

I could not find anything in MS support, even the error #'s weren't in there. But then again, the search site sucks since they changed it. I think they're banking on support calls for revenue.

 

[jamor1999]

Just for some more info, what apps are the users accessing on the server? And just for my knowledge since I don't know beans about RRAS... is there any configuring needed on the Citrix server related to RRAS? or do user just get onto the network through RRAS and then make their way over to the Citrix server? Thanks!

 

[ikidd]

It's not using Citrix, I just have an application for golf teesheets at multiple courses and an accounting package for their product changes. Both fully windows based.

So I'm only using the Native windows terminal service.

 

[ikidd]

Oh, and RRAS is on the terminal server itself. One server in domain.

 

[GlenJohnson]

Try checking the error messages on

http://www.google.com

They have more info than ms. Just recently started getting these messages myself. Found this on

http://msdn.microsoft.com

but I've gotta admit, it's over my head.

http://www.microsoft.com/msj/defaultframe.asp?page=/msj/0398/dcom.htm&nav=/msj/0398/newnav.htm

Maybe somebody with more sense than I can make heads or tails on this article. Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
glen@nellsgiftbox.com

"Take nothing on its looks: take everything on evidence. There's no better rule."
Charles Dickens (1812-1870); English novelist, dr

 

[machinetype]

There are many things that can contribute to terminal server errors. We have Citrix running on nt 4. We reboot each night because having that many users on the computer really fragments the RAM, this seems to solve alot of ghost problems for us. It is recomened also that you need to have alot of processor and ram power to handle the workload. The requierments are that you have the recomended cpu and ram for the software for each user. So if you have 10 users on that it 10 times the requirements for windows 2k and whatever else you are running. Another thing is I was reading the article posted above and it seems that a dcom is like the application layer of the osi model which means that if you are having dcom errors then there is a application problem. I do know that on our citrix server we have to make sure with the software vendor that the software we are putting on there has been tested to run in application server mode. You could do this yourself if you had a test system but generally it is best to get the software vendor to tell you it is ok. (for support reasons)

In short: 1.Check to see if you have enough cpu,ram power.
2.Check to see if the software you are running is compatible with app servers.
3.Reboot more often(If none of the other works first)

Hope this Helps,

SLM

 

[machinetype]

Oh yeah, You could also look into ram defragers. I could not recommend any but if click this link:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=ram+defrag

It will take you to some

SLM

 

[jamor1999]

One more question, are any of these applications on that server using files on a shared directory on another server across the network? I had this issue with an app and there's some info I could dig up.

 

[GlenJohnson]

I'm also having terminal services problems. If I use ts to tunnell into one of our dc's, open active directory users and computers, the cpu pegs out at 100% and I have to hard boot it. I can use ts on the other dc, open active directory users and computers, then replicate to the first dc and there is no problem. I can ts into the first dc, and do anything else, but if I open ad users and computers, I'm dead. I've been dealing with ms, and this is a symptom of something else wrong with the dc. We are running ts in admin mode so only two people can use it. (I only figured out the ts problem yesterday.) How often do people tunnel in and what files are they opening. It might not have anything to do with ts, that may be a sympton such as mine. MS has me running performance monitor on the dc from a stand alone, and I'm going to send them a dump file when it happens. In the meantime I'm not using ts to open ad on the first dc. You're problem may be similar to mine.

The only way I can get around this is to do a hard shutdown. When it comes back up, everything is fine for a couple days Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
glen@nellsgiftbox.com

"A single stone can cause a building to collapse."
Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas (1580-1645); Spanish writer.

 

[ikidd]

Since I put a RAM defrag on at 6AM as Machinetype suggested, I haven't had any issues. It doesn't seem to bog down like it used (got slower and slower and slower). We keep a log of many system attributes of our servers, one of which is available Physical RAM, and of the 1.2GB in the server, we have 600MB more free every day now. I didn't realize it would get that fractured.

We only have 6 TS users on that server, running a local DB program (MSDE based) of a 40MB mem load each + image should require @150MB each. I've got servers with only 2GB running 30 TS users on similiar programs. I'm thinking the on/off nature of the users may be to blame. They also like to close the session by closing the windows, not logging off.

Ah, well. Hopefully that keeps it up. Otherwise, I'm throwing another GB RAM or tearing it down.

BTW, thanks machinetype.

Ian Kidd
SSI Solutions