Windows 2003 SBS

[MrBadidea]

I've had enough of this goddamned operating system - first off, Microsuck had the decency to ship a defective 3rd CD - but you can now claim back for a new, fixed, 3rd CD AND get 5 free CALs... woohoo...

...if the damn thing would work properly.

The hardware I have it running on now has succesfully been running Windows 2000 SBS for god knows how long now perfectly fine, but SBS2003 refuses to run for any more than 9 days at a time before half of the services fall flat on its face (MSSQL, TermServ etc), and now the damn thing has decided to randomly reboot whenever it suits it most!

I swear, Ima murder whoever decided to relase it like this, because it cannot properly function as a server!!

Anyway, on to my question- Anybody have any idea WHY most of the services that make the fun stuff happen fall on their faces? In a two day period, the server e-mailed me the performance & usage details - 166 freakin critical errors in under 12 hours. Then the MSSQL service decided to die so that I couldn't get any more reports!

 

[SJConsultant]

Originally posted by MrBadidea
I've had enough of this goddamned operating system

If that is the case then switch to another server OS.

first off, Microsuck had the decency to ship a defective 3rd CD - but you can now claim back for a new, fixed, 3rd CD AND get 5 free CALs... woohoo...

If you knew enough about why the CD was "defective" , then you would have known it was a time related issue with DLLs that was found *after* the product was released and not have made your misinformed comment.

The hardware I have it running on now has succesfully been running Windows 2000 SBS for god knows how long now perfectly fine, but SBS2003 refuses to run for any more than 9 days at a time before half of the services fall flat on its face (MSSQL, TermServ etc), and now the damn thing has decided to randomly reboot whenever it suits it most!

I swear, Ima murder whoever decided to relase it like this, because it cannot properly function as a server!!

Anyway, on to my question- Anybody have any idea WHY most of the services that make the fun stuff happen fall on their faces? In a two day period, the server e-mailed me the performance & usage details - 166 freakin critical errors in under 12 hours. Then the MSSQL service decided to die so that I couldn't get any more reports!

Considering your not posting any *useful* information like errors, event logs, hardware specs, software specs, etc. How on earth do you expect *anyone* here to give you help?

 

[GreNME]

"I don't know how to install these multiple CDs or configure it right, so it sUx0rZ."

 

[MrBadidea]

Why have I missed all this important information? Because I've been awake trying to fix the damn thing for the god knows how long now.

As for changing to another operating system, thats a no-go. The servers are being built and setup for a custom software package thats having the final touches put on it that will tie all of the companies seperate software packages into one front end - basically lumping together all the availble information, from emails to CAD drawings, in one central page, rather than having to trawl through umpteen different programs to find what your looking for.

Hardware- KK here we go,
P4 2.8GHz "C" HT
2Gb Crucial PC2100 DDR ECC Registerd
2x 36Gb IBM 10K RPM SCSI drives (Mirrored)
Supermicro P4SCA Motherboard
Adaptec ASR-2110S
NEC ND1300A (QuickBackup, untill a new Travan drive is sorted (old one bust when somebody managed to jam a tape in backwards...))
Maxtor 120Gb Onetouch USB2 External HDD (Again, Quickbackup - If I can't use tapes, I'll make damn sure I ain't going to loose anything)
Antec TruControl 550W PSU
Jammed into a 4U rackmount case (just about)

Voltages are spot-on thanks to the TruControl PSU
Temperature has never hit anything over 40c under full-load in a pretty hot room.

Software wise, there is absolutely nothing on there apart from 2 F@H clients and a bat file used in the scheduled backups - everything else is stock. I did set up the server straight after the first install ready to be put in place in its final home, but after the first round of random errors/reboots, I reinstalled (complete format) and tried again, this time leaving everything stock.

As for error codes etc, the random reboots - I get no information about at all. It just happens, and I get nothing except the E-Mail that states that the system has turned itself back on. Nothing else.

As for event logs, try these...

MSSQL$SBSMonitoring service is Stopped.

This service is required in order to manage information displayed in server performance reports and usage reports. If this service is stopped, users will be unable to view server performance or usage reports.

Event Log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSSQL$SBSMONITORING
Event Category: (8)
Event ID: 19011
Date: 06/02/2004
Time: 03:00:09
User: N/A
Computer: GDWSERVER
Description:
The description for Event ID ( 19011 ) in Source ( MSSQL$SBSMONITORING ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: ConnectionListen(Shared-Memory (LPC)) : Error 5.

And again 4 seconds earlier

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSSQL$SBSMONITORING
Event Category: (2)
Event ID: 17052
Date: 06/02/2004
Time: 03:00:05
User: N/A
Computer: GDWSERVER
Description:
The description for Event ID ( 17052 ) in Source ( MSSQL$SBSMONITORING ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: The MSSQL$SBSMONITORING service terminated unexpectedly..

Data:
0000: b9 37 00 00 19 00 00 00 ¹7......
0008: 18 00 00 00 47 00 44 00 ....G.D.
0010: 57 00 53 00 45 00 52 00 W.S.E.R.
0018: 56 00 45 00 52 00 5c 00 V.E.R.\.
0020: 53 00 42 00 53 00 4d 00 S.B.S.M.
0028: 4f 00 4e 00 49 00 54 00 O.N.I.T.
0030: 4f 00 52 00 49 00 4e 00 O.R.I.N.
0038: 47 00 00 00 07 00 00 00 G.......
0040: 6d 00 61 00 73 00 74 00 m.a.s.t.
0048: 65 00 72 00 00 00 e.r...

or

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: (100)
Event ID: 1000
Date: 25/01/2004
Time: 04:45:13
User: N/A
Computer: GDWSERVER
Description:
Faulting application mssbsssr.exe, version 5.2.2651.0, faulting module msvcrt.dll, version 7.0.3790.0, fault address 0x00034d30.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 6d 73 73 ure mss
0018: 62 73 73 73 72 2e 65 78 bsssr.ex
0020: 65 20 35 2e 32 2e 32 36 e 5.2.26
0028: 35 31 2e 30 20 69 6e 20 51.0 in
0030: 6d 73 76 63 72 74 2e 64 msvcrt.d
0038: 6c 6c 20 37 2e 30 2e 33 ll 7.0.3
0040: 37 39 30 2e 30 20 61 74 790.0 at
0048: 20 6f 66 66 73 65 74 20 offset
0050: 30 30 30 33 34 64 33 30 00034d30

I would continue... but I really don't have the energy to do.

Incidently, everything seems to start falling apart at the same time every day - 3AM (which is around the time the setup procedure for the OS was finished- maybe theres something to that?) then I continue to get e-mails throughout the day warning me of more and more things failing, untill finally the system gives up, reboots and starts the process again at about 4~5PM

I'll C&P some more info from the eventlog when you ask for it - otherwise I'd be sat here from now untill next year... and please, you don't have to be an asshat about it... I maybe a cheeze, but thats no way to respond to somebody.

And as for...

If you knew enough about why the CD was "defective" , then you would have known it was a time related issue with DLLs that was found *after* the product was released and not have made your misinformed comment.

I knew what I ment, I just thought of the wrong word

 

[SJConsultant]

Ok,

Is the server on a UPS? if these problems are occuring around the same time frame e.g. daily or weekly. check to see if there is any electrical devices that may be in operation around the same time that might be causing power dips or surges.

Any scheduled tasks happening around the same time the server starts with the errors?

Are there any dump files being generated? search for files with the extension DMP and see if the file dates corrospond around the same time the server reboots.

Do you have any other systems with the same specs having the same problems?

Uninstall any programs that are not required for the server to operate.

Check your RAID hardware and make sure the latest firmware is installed as well as check to make sure the RAID is functioning correctly. Some hardware RAID cards will automatically attempt a synchronization on a scheduled basis which *could* cause data corruption in rare cases.

If you can find any recent dump files, we may be able to discern whether the problems you are having are hardware or software related.

If I had to make an educated guess, I would say its a hardware related problem with the memory, mobo, or Raid setup.

 

[MrBadidea]

Is the server on a UPS? if these problems are occuring around the same time frame e.g. daily or weekly. check to see if there is any electrical devices that may be in operation around the same time that might be causing power dips or surges.

No, but its connected to the same powersource as my computer which has been running perfectly fine throughout this.

Any scheduled tasks happening around the same time the server starts with the errors?

No, but there is a task named "Collect Usage Data" scheduled for 4:30AM - I'll try removing it anyway.

Are there any dump files being generated? search for files with the extension DMP and see if the file dates corrospond around the same time the server reboots.

Theres one MEMORY.DMP file around 11:20PM last night, which seems to fit in with the time I recieved the email stating that the system had been restarted. I'll look into it when I get back from work.

This is the only server of this spec running this operating system - Theres a Dual Xeon 2.8 thats running Windows 2003 Server perfectly fine.

Folding@Home is the only program that I've added, and I've removed it for the time being.

I'll check the firmware/setup of the card when I get back from work.

I'll try and squeeze down the size of the MEMORY.DMP file, and make it available to those who want to help.

 

[Sid]

I've been running sbs2k3 premium for a few months now and have not had a single problem.

I run a dually tyan amd system and had random lockup and restarts with the same exact PSU(win2k server). Disconnect the control panel and just use the default voltages(that fixed mine). BTW it only occured when running F@H on both CPU's and the control panel plugged in.

 

[hulksterjoe]

this might help.. or not

Summary
Microsoft has discovered an issue that affects installations and upgrades of Windows Small Business Server 2003 performed after November 24, 2003. This issue is specific to Windows SharePoint™ Services which is included in Windows Small Business Server 2003. In response to this issue, all Windows Small Business Server 2003 (standard and premium edition) customers are eligible to order five free Client Access Licenses (CALs). See below for more information about this issue and how you can participate in the free 5-pack CAL offer.


description of problem
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/techinfo/sharepointinstall.mspx


free 5 pack link
http://microsoft.order-4.com/sbscal/




enjoy the free cals

 

[MrBadidea]

I've applied the patch thats available, and registered for the replacement CD & the free CALs - should be arriving within the next fortnight (hopefully!)

run a dually tyan amd system and had random lockup and restarts with the same exact PSU(win2k server). Disconnect the control panel and just use the default voltages(that fixed mine). BTW it only occured when running F@H on both CPU's and the control panel plugged in.

Thanks, I'll try that.

If you take a trip up to the Distributed Computing forum and read up on the F@H program locking up on some AMD systems when SSE is forced on, when I did have F@H running on this box (Remember, its a P4 box...) at least one of the two processes would freeze up every day, sometimes multiple times a day. A dually AMD that I have as a workstation when, SSE is forced on has, has had F@H freeze up once or twice, which according to what I've read, is what most people are experiencing.