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How To Diagnose Performance Degradation
We have a Small Business Server 2003 SP2 server running on a Dell PowerEdge 2650. The SBS servers hosts services for about 60 workstations (and about 20 windows mobile phones).
The problem:
My problem is that the server has *really* started to slow down.
The symptoms:
- Even on a wired gigabit network, Outlook is always popping up with messages about how it's waiting for the server to respond.
- Trying to load a shared calendar or manipulate emails takes a lot longer than it used it...sometimes you're even sitting at an hour glass waiting for the server to catch up.
- Working locally on the server is sluggish - trying to close a windows explorer window takes about a second longer than it should.
- Trying to bring up ADUC takes forever (10-15 seconds?)
- There has been no new software installed on the server
The question:
I want help figuring out the cause of the slowdown. What are the basics to diagnosing a server slowdown like this? Where do I start?
Services on this server:
Acronis True Image Server (runs backups only at night)
DHCP
DNS
Dell OpenManage services (DSM SA)
GFI MailArchiver
GFI MailEssentials
Exchange
IIS 6
OWA
Exchange RPC over HTTP (Outlook Anywhere)
Exchange Resource Manager
Indexing Service (on manual)
Microsoft Search (automatic)
Microsoft Firewall
Microsoft ISA 2004 SP2
SQL Server Desktop Engine (for ISA 2004 and SBSMonitoring)
Native POP3 Connector (the server is behind a firewall and our email gets delivered to google, we download our mail from their servers via POP3, but outgoing emails get sent out directly, not through google)
NOD32 For Exchange AntiVirus (currently disabled to try and diagnose problems, there are safeguards at other points in the network)
SMTP
The hardware specs:
Xeon 3.06 GHz
4GB RAM
PERC 3/Di configured for RAID-5 (using 99 out of 135GB)
2 Onboard Broadcome NetXtreme Gigabit cards (disabled)
1 Intel PRO/1000 MT Dual Port Server Adapter (1 port disabled, 1 port active)
Everyone is on a gigabit switch.
Let me know if there is any other information you need.
The problem:
My problem is that the server has *really* started to slow down.
The symptoms:
- Even on a wired gigabit network, Outlook is always popping up with messages about how it's waiting for the server to respond.
- Trying to load a shared calendar or manipulate emails takes a lot longer than it used it...sometimes you're even sitting at an hour glass waiting for the server to catch up.
- Working locally on the server is sluggish - trying to close a windows explorer window takes about a second longer than it should.
- Trying to bring up ADUC takes forever (10-15 seconds?)
- There has been no new software installed on the server
The question:
I want help figuring out the cause of the slowdown. What are the basics to diagnosing a server slowdown like this? Where do I start?
Services on this server:
Acronis True Image Server (runs backups only at night)
DHCP
DNS
Dell OpenManage services (DSM SA)
GFI MailArchiver
GFI MailEssentials
Exchange
IIS 6
OWA
Exchange RPC over HTTP (Outlook Anywhere)
Exchange Resource Manager
Indexing Service (on manual)
Microsoft Search (automatic)
Microsoft Firewall
Microsoft ISA 2004 SP2
SQL Server Desktop Engine (for ISA 2004 and SBSMonitoring)
Native POP3 Connector (the server is behind a firewall and our email gets delivered to google, we download our mail from their servers via POP3, but outgoing emails get sent out directly, not through google)
NOD32 For Exchange AntiVirus (currently disabled to try and diagnose problems, there are safeguards at other points in the network)
SMTP
The hardware specs:
Xeon 3.06 GHz
4GB RAM
PERC 3/Di configured for RAID-5 (using 99 out of 135GB)
2 Onboard Broadcome NetXtreme Gigabit cards (disabled)
1 Intel PRO/1000 MT Dual Port Server Adapter (1 port disabled, 1 port active)
Everyone is on a gigabit switch.
Let me know if there is any other information you need.
SBSWindows Server 2003Microsoft Server OSAcronis
Last Comment
DVation191
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Yes, it's a managed switch.
After checking the port status for every connection, all cards and interfaces are running at their advertised negotiated speeds (1000mbit or in some cases 100mbit) all in full duplex. (Dell Switch settings: auto negotiation is on, backpressure and flow control are disabled)
"Check to make sure you are not using all physical ram and utilizing paging file."
Commit Charge is 3,500,000. Total Physical is 3,900,000.
Top Utilization:
store.exe 828,000
sqlservr.exe 753,000
services.exe 421,000
Page File is set to 4GB. Currently utilization: 3.3 GB.
"Check Fragmentation on hard drive(s)."
Fragmentation is bad.
Volume Size: 136GB
Used Space 103GB
Total Fragmentation: 44%
File Fragmentation: 89%
Pagefile Fragmentation: Total Fragments, 1,441
The hard drives in this server are 15k ultra scsi drives.
So it seems like the fragmentation and the RAM are the two biggest issues at the moment. I can put in another 2GB of ram to see is that helps.
As far as defragging the server goes, do I have to worry about running a defrag on a server that's running AD and Exchange?