Windows 2008 R2 Server frequently freezes network activity
Hi, fellow experts,
one of our customers runs Windows 2008 R2, fully updated using Microsoft Update, Intel Pro/1000 PT NIC (drivers 9.16.10.0). Several times during the day all network activities freeze for some seconds to some minutes, and then resume as if nothing had happened. During that time the server's console can be used pretty normally, notepad (for example), task manager etc. can be started and used normally. Only network activies are frozen. I can't even ping 127.0.0.1 at that time. To test this, I'm running a batch with an endless loop that pings 127.0.0.1 and logs the time - when the server freezes the network acitivies, the ping just pauses and eventually resumes as if nothing had happened. It still lists pings roundtrip time as <1 ms. The servers logs nothing particular in the event logs for that time.
There's another server running in a Hyper-V instance on that server, and that, too, experiences identical problems - can't ping 127.0.0.1 when the network on the physical box freezes.
I have already replaced the server's NIC, although by another Intel one, and thus using the same drivers. No change here either...
Do you have any clue what's happening here? Especially the lack of entries in the eventlog bothers me - the problem just goes away after some time as if nothing had happened...
I'm attaching an Excel-File that shows the ping log - should be 2-3 seconds per ping...
Thanks for your feedback,
Thomas
Pingtest.xlsx
one of our customers runs Windows 2008 R2, fully updated using Microsoft Update, Intel Pro/1000 PT NIC (drivers 9.16.10.0). Several times during the day all network activities freeze for some seconds to some minutes, and then resume as if nothing had happened. During that time the server's console can be used pretty normally, notepad (for example), task manager etc. can be started and used normally. Only network activies are frozen. I can't even ping 127.0.0.1 at that time. To test this, I'm running a batch with an endless loop that pings 127.0.0.1 and logs the time - when the server freezes the network acitivies, the ping just pauses and eventually resumes as if nothing had happened. It still lists pings roundtrip time as <1 ms. The servers logs nothing particular in the event logs for that time.
There's another server running in a Hyper-V instance on that server, and that, too, experiences identical problems - can't ping 127.0.0.1 when the network on the physical box freezes.
I have already replaced the server's NIC, although by another Intel one, and thus using the same drivers. No change here either...
Do you have any clue what's happening here? Especially the lack of entries in the eventlog bothers me - the problem just goes away after some time as if nothing had happened...
I'm attaching an Excel-File that shows the ping log - should be 2-3 seconds per ping...
Thanks for your feedback,
Thomas
Pingtest.xlsx
ASKER
In the meantime I have used another NIC from another manufacturer - same problem. Also, the physical server has been fully replaced by now, so I can exclude a hardware problem. (Harddisks were kept, so the OS and software was not changed.) Other - identical - servers (same hardware, some OS) at other sites are working fine, so I suspect some sort of software problem.
I don't see how fine tuning network settings would help - could you please be a bit more specific there? I mean, after all even pinging 127.0.01 stalls for many seconds (to a couple of minutes). This requires more than "fine tuning"...
I don't see how fine tuning network settings would help - could you please be a bit more specific there? I mean, after all even pinging 127.0.01 stalls for many seconds (to a couple of minutes). This requires more than "fine tuning"...
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
There were no other significant comments...
For Windows 2008 R2, you can fine tune the network settings, follow the document for Windows 2008 R2 from the below link
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn529134