Server freezes for 40 minutes after boot and then returns to normal
I am unable to find out why my server freezes and is completely unresponsive for 40 minutes after boot.
In safe mode, it works fine so it has got to be something software or driver related. Nothing obvious in perfmon except exchange taking up a lot of resource.
Right now I am in the server and it is running fine. What should I disable/change so that I can diagnose what might be causing this slowdown on boot? Would msconfig > diagnostic startup be sufficient?
In safe mode, it works fine so it has got to be something software or driver related. Nothing obvious in perfmon except exchange taking up a lot of resource.
Right now I am in the server and it is running fine. What should I disable/change so that I can diagnose what might be causing this slowdown on boot? Would msconfig > diagnostic startup be sufficient?
How much physical RAM do you have and how much is available (free) when the server finally comes to?
You can temporarily disable your Exchange in services and see if you boot faster.
It may be a combination of insufficient RAM and the server is swapping to a file and also fixing/de fragging/indexing the Exchange Database.
You can temporarily disable your Exchange in services and see if you boot faster.
It may be a combination of insufficient RAM and the server is swapping to a file and also fixing/de fragging/indexing the Exchange Database.
ASKER
16GB of RAM... I will check that. I'll setup a perfmon log of memory usage.
Sounds like a networking issue to me. The exchange services are not starting correctly and keeping it waiting. Review the logs and see what the issues with exchange are.
First of all I will like to know why does the server reboots?
If you always have the same time, it might be exchange checking its database(s) if the reboot or shutdown was not "clean". Also, check if you have your mailbox manager process to run after a reboot (when system starts).
Regardless your findings you should add more RAM to that server.
If you always have the same time, it might be exchange checking its database(s) if the reboot or shutdown was not "clean". Also, check if you have your mailbox manager process to run after a reboot (when system starts).
Regardless your findings you should add more RAM to that server.
ASKER
Ok so here's the situation... been on the case with microsoft all day with this...
The hanging startup was because the server was in journal wrap, but the performance degradation doesn't end there.
We've taken the hard drives out and booted the OS in a really beefy server (in terms of spec) and the server boots fine but hangs for about 20 minutes about 5 minutes into being in windows.
On another machine which we restored the windows backup bare metal restore to, the server resources are accessible but moments after logging into the console, and loading the desktop, the server hangs again.
On the actual machine we are attempting to recover, we are now stuck on the green windows loading bar which isn't the case when moving the hard drives to another box.
So the mystery thickens... Just to note, all exchange servers were disabled during this time and enabled afterwards.
Nothing in the event log points to anything crucial.
The hanging startup was because the server was in journal wrap, but the performance degradation doesn't end there.
We've taken the hard drives out and booted the OS in a really beefy server (in terms of spec) and the server boots fine but hangs for about 20 minutes about 5 minutes into being in windows.
On another machine which we restored the windows backup bare metal restore to, the server resources are accessible but moments after logging into the console, and loading the desktop, the server hangs again.
On the actual machine we are attempting to recover, we are now stuck on the green windows loading bar which isn't the case when moving the hard drives to another box.
So the mystery thickens... Just to note, all exchange servers were disabled during this time and enabled afterwards.
Nothing in the event log points to anything crucial.
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ASKER
Great tool. Allowed us to diagnose boot :)
what was the cause?
- start>run
- type: msconfig>click ok
- click services tab>hide microsoft services
- disable all service
- click on startup tab
- disable all startup items
If this works for you, start enabling services (few at a time) until the issue starts again. From there you will be able to narrow down that is causing your server to lock up.
Also check your event viewer as well to see if you are getting any issues related to application or system. It is possible that some sort of authentication is trying to take place and it is timing out or failing.
Will.