Proliant ML350 G4 Server SBS 2003 & Server 2003 Console Freezes

Hello All;

We are running two Proliant ML350 G4 Servers. One server is running MS SBS
2003, the other is running MS Serve 2003 Std. Both are on the latest MS
Service Packs. Sys Vol have 4 Gig or greater available on both systems. The
data drives have greater than 50% space available. Both servers are runnng
ADS and are the primary domain controllers. Both servers have been recently
experiencing console freezes/ unresponsive. The servers can be pinged, RDP
works, but when issuing Server Restart through RDP, server will not shut
down. Have had to hard restart to get console to return. Have checked all
Event Logs, etc. and cannot find an indicator as to the cause. This issue
has been occuring more frequently after applying the most recent security
packs to the servers. There are three others servers running MS Server 2003
(not ADS or PDC) the are not experiencing the same issues.

Any thoughts as to the cause?


--
SysAdmin

On the shutdown issue, use scripts to shut down. Especially with SBS, you'll
have far fewer problems if you use a script to first shutdown the exchange
services (and any AV services), and then shutdown the server. I posted a
link a few days ago to Susan's blog where she archives off my version of SBS
shutdown scripts.

On the hang question, shut off TOE and Tcp/ip offload on the NICs. And make
SURE you have the latest HP drivers on there. There are definite issues with
Broadcom NICs.

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel


"SysAdmin" <> wrote in message
news:961BF91F-5849-4209-8291-...
> Hello All;
>
> We are running two Proliant ML350 G4 Servers. One server is running MS
> SBS
> 2003, the other is running MS Serve 2003 Std. Both are on the latest MS
> Service Packs. Sys Vol have 4 Gig or greater available on both systems.
> The
> data drives have greater than 50% space available. Both servers are
> runnng
> ADS and are the primary domain controllers. Both servers have been
> recently
> experiencing console freezes/ unresponsive. The servers can be pinged,
> RDP
> works, but when issuing Server Restart through RDP, server will not shut
> down. Have had to hard restart to get console to return. Have checked
> all
> Event Logs, etc. and cannot find an indicator as to the cause. This issue
> has been occuring more frequently after applying the most recent security
> packs to the servers. There are three others servers running MS Server
> 2003
> (not ADS or PDC) the are not experiencing the same issues.
>
> Any thoughts as to the cause?
>
>
> --
> SysAdmin

Thank you Charlie. I am working on your remediation recommendations. I
appreciate the quick response!
--
SysAdmin


"Charlie Russel - MVP" wrote:

> On the shutdown issue, use scripts to shut down. Especially with SBS, you'll
> have far fewer problems if you use a script to first shutdown the exchange
> services (and any AV services), and then shutdown the server. I posted a
> link a few days ago to Susan's blog where she archives off my version of SBS
> shutdown scripts.
>
> On the hang question, shut off TOE and Tcp/ip offload on the NICs. And make
> SURE you have the latest HP drivers on there. There are definite issues with
> Broadcom NICs.
>
> --
> Charlie.
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>
>
> "SysAdmin" <> wrote in message
> news:961BF91F-5849-4209-8291-...
> > Hello All;
> >
> > We are running two Proliant ML350 G4 Servers. One server is running MS
> > SBS
> > 2003, the other is running MS Serve 2003 Std. Both are on the latest MS
> > Service Packs. Sys Vol have 4 Gig or greater available on both systems.
> > The
> > data drives have greater than 50% space available. Both servers are
> > runnng
> > ADS and are the primary domain controllers. Both servers have been
> > recently
> > experiencing console freezes/ unresponsive. The servers can be pinged,
> > RDP
> > works, but when issuing Server Restart through RDP, server will not shut
> > down. Have had to hard restart to get console to return. Have checked
> > all
> > Event Logs, etc. and cannot find an indicator as to the cause. This issue
> > has been occuring more frequently after applying the most recent security
> > packs to the servers. There are three others servers running MS Server
> > 2003
> > (not ADS or PDC) the are not experiencing the same issues.
> >
> > Any thoughts as to the cause?
> >
> >
> > --
> > SysAdmin
>

Hello Roy;

I used the Exchange and AV scripts suggested by Charlie. The scripts save
"banging up" Exchange and AV services. I also use the psshutdown command to
shut down and restart the server when a freeze occurs. With the ML350
running SBS, I also turned off the monitoring service for store.exe. I think
that store.exe was consuming too many resources causing the console to lock.
I have not had a reoccurence on the SBS server in approximately 5 days.

The other ML350 is running MS Server 2003 std with MS Exchange 2003 std.
Both Server and Exchange are up to date on service packs. This issue started
occuring about 2 months ago. I thought I had it fixed, but it recently
started reoccuring. The console froze this morning in the same condition that
you described. I ran the Exchange net stop script and saw a successful
shutdown of the Exchange services. I then ran the psshutdown script and the
server did not shutdown. I attempted a shutdown using RDP, that shutdown
would not work either. There must be a "pin" hung that is stopping the
shutdown. I need to investigate further.

I will continue to monitor this dicussion group. If I run across a fix, I
will let you know.
--
SysAdmin


"" wrote:

> Hi Guys,
>
> any further news on this ?
>
> I ask as I have exactly the same issue on the same hardware, ML350
> G4 / w2k3 std (sp1).
>
> The console freezes intermittantly maybe once per week, always
> overnight. The server is backed up overnight using Arcserve 11.5 and
> an HP Ultrium2 drive. This started happening about two months, prior
> to this it's never occured before
> (server has been in use over 18 months).
>
> The server continues to work fine but the console session screen just
> shows the desktop background and nothing else, I can't invoke Taskman.
> RDP (non-console session) to this server works okay, RDP to the
> console session gives the same screen as the server console
> (physical). Nothing untoward in the server event logs shows up.
>
> I've held off upgrading to sp2 due to all the broadcom related NIC
> issues.
>
> Rgds
> Roy
>
>
>
>
>

Hello Roy;

Arch Serv v 10 build 5520. The drive is a Sony AIT drive. The server runs
three full 10 p.m. to MidNight back-ups per week. Last week I removed a
remote agent back-up to see if that could be the issue. The server has not
experienced a console "freeze" since the removal of the remote back-up.

The server is the ADS PDC running DHCP, Print Services, a small SQL
database, Arch Serv, DiskKeeper, MS Exchange std. and SMSE v 11. I moved the
paging file from the C:\ drive to the D:\ drive as SMSE was consuming
significant system drive space. I routinely remove all SMSE definition
updates, and IIS logs to keep the System Drive as clean as possible.

Knock on wood, no problems for several days.
--
SysAdmin


"" wrote:

> Hi Sysadmin,
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> We both have the same hardware / OS and we both started having this
> problem two months ago?
>
> Sounds like an updates related issue to me?
>
> What hardware/software do you use to backup your system and is this
> done overnight ?
>
> I ask as we both seem to get the console locking overnight and this is
> when my backup run.
>
> I'm using arcserve v11.5 and an ultrium2 drive.
>
> Rgds
> Roy
>

Sorry that you are having this problem Alfaec. I have not experienced this
particular issue. With two good back-ups, it might be worth a software
reload to eliminate the possibilities of hardware firmware updates and
software patches interference. A SBS Server should take about a day to
reload.

Hopefully there are better ideas from other Discussion Group participants.

Good Luck!
--
SysAdmin


"alfaec" wrote:

>
> Hi
>
> I experienced your problems on HP ML350 G5; i have 4 sas hard drive
> broken on 8 hdd totally, too.
>
> My server runs WINDOWS SBS 2003 R2 and i tried to update smartport.sys,
> hp fiirmware e2001 sas controller (from 1.72 to 1.78 rev), hp controller
> driver (hp released new version on july).
>
> 4 days that server running up.
>
> Have done someone same operations?
>
> Waiting your idea.
>
> Alessio
>
>
> --
> alfaec
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>
>

From your description, I'd strongly suspect a memory leak in Arcserve. But
regardless, it appears to run fine without it, but not with it. So, get an
update from them or get rid of it.

I've got a G5 here, and it's been up for 4 months only one reboot (for a
patch tuesday). Running at 12-14 GB (of 16 GB) RAM usage continually. But
I'm using the 400 SmartArray controller, not the built in 200.

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel

"Mdriessen" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Sounds like i have the same problem
> specs:
> SBS 2003 on ML350 G5 (nic driver 07-08, lates w2003 updates)
> Symantec endpoint 11.0.2 (latest updates)
> Exchange 2003
> Sybases
> Arcserve r12 latest updates
>
> Problem:
> The server runs fine after an reboot, after an couple of days the
> server freezes. You can ping the server succesfully, but when you loggin
> with RDP or on console, after the logging you get the blue screen from
> windows and windows isn't booting anny further so you can't get on the
> desktop.
> Clients can't communicate to the netwerk, but they are getting an ip
> from dhcp.
>
> We uninstalled arcserve r12 and for two weeks the server runs fine, we
> installed it again an after 3 day the problem was back.
> We made some changes in the open file agent, but that didn't work.
>
> We also shutdown exchange because it was in test fase, but that didn't
> work.
> Now i deinstalled arcserve again and i have to wait if the problem
> comes back.
> I also read on an newsgroup that someone disabled the vss. and that it
> solved a similar problem.
>
> If someone has an solution, please let me know
>
> Thxs
> Mark
>
>
> --
> Mdriessen
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>