For the last 2 nights now, my Server Performance Report has this error:

 

"The processor is experiencing a low level of idle time.  Consistently low levels of idel time can cause performance problems.  Use Task Manager to view the top processes by CPU.  If a service or less important process appears to be unusual, try stopping and then restarting it.  You can disable this alert or change its threshold by using the Change Alert Notification task in the Server Management Monitoring and Reporting taskpad."

 

I checked the task manager and the the top 3 processes are System Idle, Store.exe, and SQLserver.exe.  Normally system idel is around 80-90%, but recently it has been as low as 30%.  I have also noticed that the server is very slow when using it.  Sometimes it takes many minutes to open parts of the Server Management screen.

 

We have a Dell PowerEdge 2600 server with SBS2003 R2 with SP2 installed.  It has one dual 3.06 GHz Xeon processor with 4GB of memory.

 

This server runs Exchange and SQL server.  We do not use ISA.  We have not made any hadrware changes in the last month so I'm not sure what woudl be causing this now.  My biggest fear would be to have the server go down because we do not have a second server to use.  Is that a possibility or what can I do to troubleshoot this problem.

 

I have also been having problems with Outlook becoming disconnected from the server.  I have to go to the server and restart the Microsfot Exchange Information Store for the connection to work again.  This has also been getting more common.  Could this be related? 

 

Mike

Tony,

 

Thanks for the response.  We only have about 15 computers and users here, so it seems unlikely that I have over 32 sessions connected to any one Exchange mailbox and I haven't received any event logs related to session limits.  I guess the search continues.  Any other ideas?

 

I want to get the Exchange problem fixed but at this point I at least have a work arond.  The processor error that I have been getting concerns me more.  If there is a possbility of the server going down then that would be a huge problem that I don't really have an answer to.  I recevied the same error last night again.  I'm thinking about turning off the tape backup tonight and see if I still get the error.  Any ideas?

Hi Mike,

 

Which processes are taking a lot of CPU at what time? What 3rd party software is installed on the server? What kind of harddisks are in the server?

I restarted the server over the weekend and have not received the low processor errors yet.  But to answer your questions below, the processes that were taking the most time was SQLserver.exe and store.exe.  How can I figure out when the processor is having the hardest time?  How do I track what processes are causing it?

 

As for 3rd party, we have NOD32, Quickbooks server, some CAD software license managers, and Backup Exec.

 

On the server we have 6 hard drives that are 146GB 10K Ultra 320 SCSI. 

 

I ran the SBS BPA and it found some small things like an update to the Exchange Server and Update Services but nothing that seemed major.

 

I attached the IP config from the server and one of the workstations.

Hi Mike,

 

Ipconfigs are looking good, although you can delete the WINS on the SBS external nic. Is that client a Vista by any chance?

At the moment you are getting processor alerts, you would need to pull up taskmanager, and have a look in the CPU column to see which process is taking a lot of cpu. If you add the PID column, you will get the process PID. Run tasklist /svc from the command line to find the responsible application.

Make sure that the AV is NOT filescanning any of the Exchange folders.

Yes the client was Vista, why, was there a problem with the IP report?

 

I'll check the AV again.

 

I have the PID turned on so I'll try and watch for it.  So far the processor alerts happen overnight. I run backup at night so maybe that is causing the problems.

 

Mike

Hi Mike,

 

What is the status now?

I am still getting these errors.  Would it make sense to put an additional processor in the server?  Any other ideas?

 

Mike

Hi Mike,

 

An additional processor would gain you something, but a good checkup on your server will do a lot more.