SQL CPU Utilization goes to 0

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  • Patrick Moore

    #1

    SQL CPU Utilization goes to 0

    We have a SQL 7.0 Standard Server running on a Windows 2000 Server
    machine with 2 800mhz Pentium III with 2GB memory. Our front end is
    Access 97 and 2000 with most ADO connections for the scripts but some
    DAO for forms and reports. We recently "released" a new version of
    the "database" that caused a catastrophic event to start happening
    with our SQL server.

    Using PerfMon we monitored the CPU utilization on the server and
    noticed that the CPU load would drop to 0 for approx 5-10 seconds and
    then jump back up to our average 60-70% utilization. During this
    drop, there is NO disk activity no new connections being made, etc.
    We then took the process a step further and loaded a "stress" program
    that put about 30% load on the server to start with. Then we
    monitored each processes load. SQL Server process would drop to 0%
    while the stress process continued at 30%.

    The problem is that the SQL does absolutely NOTHING for 5-10 seconds.
    You cannot connect, any querys that are running stop, their is no disk
    activity (logs, data drives), and you cannot even get sp_who2 to run
    from Query Analyser. We thought maybe blocking (we have built an
    "app" that monitors this), but we don't see any blocking before it
    locks and nothing after it locks.

    Out of despiration we "rolled back" to our previous version to get
    people working again. After business hours, we have tried to
    duplicate the problem on machines (2 or 3 at a time) but cannot get it
    to duplicate the problem.

    The only experience we had previous to this was using DNS to resolve
    the server name which caused a problem EXTREMELY familar to this
    problem. However, we have double checked every machine we have, and
    none of them are using DNS to resolve.

    Any idea's would be most appreciated.

    Patrick Moore
  • Jake Jessup

    #2
    Re: SQL CPU Utilization goes to 0

    To www.sysinternals.com and download two programs. One is called Filemon,
    the other is Regmon.

    I suspect Filemon will help you more.

    This will show you if there is any file or registry activity at all and if
    not, will likely reveal what file was running and causes the CPU to drop.

    I would also suggest taking an image of the production server, putting it on
    similar hardware and reinstalling your upgrade. Heck, you might even want to
    image it and do it on the same machine (after getting a proper backup AND
    the image file).

    Regmon is similar to filemon but may provide clues to what's going on as
    well.

    I hope this helps.

    "Patrick Moore" <patrick@wyrmho le.org> wrote in message
    news:4e024fd1.0 406221655.7032c 65f@posting.goo gle.com...[color=blue]
    > We have a SQL 7.0 Standard Server running on a Windows 2000 Server
    > machine with 2 800mhz Pentium III with 2GB memory. Our front end is
    > Access 97 and 2000 with most ADO connections for the scripts but some
    > DAO for forms and reports. We recently "released" a new version of
    > the "database" that caused a catastrophic event to start happening
    > with our SQL server.
    >
    > Using PerfMon we monitored the CPU utilization on the server and
    > noticed that the CPU load would drop to 0 for approx 5-10 seconds and
    > then jump back up to our average 60-70% utilization. During this
    > drop, there is NO disk activity no new connections being made, etc.
    > We then took the process a step further and loaded a "stress" program
    > that put about 30% load on the server to start with. Then we
    > monitored each processes load. SQL Server process would drop to 0%
    > while the stress process continued at 30%.
    >
    > The problem is that the SQL does absolutely NOTHING for 5-10 seconds.
    > You cannot connect, any querys that are running stop, their is no disk
    > activity (logs, data drives), and you cannot even get sp_who2 to run
    > from Query Analyser. We thought maybe blocking (we have built an
    > "app" that monitors this), but we don't see any blocking before it
    > locks and nothing after it locks.
    >
    > Out of despiration we "rolled back" to our previous version to get
    > people working again. After business hours, we have tried to
    > duplicate the problem on machines (2 or 3 at a time) but cannot get it
    > to duplicate the problem.
    >
    > The only experience we had previous to this was using DNS to resolve
    > the server name which caused a problem EXTREMELY familar to this
    > problem. However, we have double checked every machine we have, and
    > none of them are using DNS to resolve.
    >
    > Any idea's would be most appreciated.
    >
    > Patrick Moore[/color]


    Comment

    • Vincento Harris

      #3
      Re: SQL CPU Utilization goes to 0

      "Jake Jessup" <watcherdude@ho tmail.com> wrote in message news:<F26Cc.764 08$EK5.32404@ne wssvr29.news.pr odigy.com>...[color=blue]
      > To www.sysinternals.com and download two programs. One is called Filemon,
      > the other is Regmon.
      >
      > I suspect Filemon will help you more.
      >
      > This will show you if there is any file or registry activity at all and if
      > not, will likely reveal what file was running and causes the CPU to drop.
      >
      > I would also suggest taking an image of the production server, putting it on
      > similar hardware and reinstalling your upgrade. Heck, you might even want to
      > image it and do it on the same machine (after getting a proper backup AND
      > the image file).
      >
      > Regmon is similar to filemon but may provide clues to what's going on as
      > well.
      >
      > I hope this helps.
      >
      > "Patrick Moore" <patrick@wyrmho le.org> wrote in message
      > news:4e024fd1.0 406221655.7032c 65f@posting.goo gle.com...[color=green]
      > > We have a SQL 7.0 Standard Server running on a Windows 2000 Server
      > > machine with 2 800mhz Pentium III with 2GB memory. Our front end is
      > > Access 97 and 2000 with most ADO connections for the scripts but some
      > > DAO for forms and reports. We recently "released" a new version of
      > > the "database" that caused a catastrophic event to start happening
      > > with our SQL server.
      > >
      > > Using PerfMon we monitored the CPU utilization on the server and
      > > noticed that the CPU load would drop to 0 for approx 5-10 seconds and
      > > then jump back up to our average 60-70% utilization. During this
      > > drop, there is NO disk activity no new connections being made, etc.
      > > We then took the process a step further and loaded a "stress" program
      > > that put about 30% load on the server to start with. Then we
      > > monitored each processes load. SQL Server process would drop to 0%
      > > while the stress process continued at 30%.
      > >
      > > The problem is that the SQL does absolutely NOTHING for 5-10 seconds.
      > > You cannot connect, any querys that are running stop, their is no disk
      > > activity (logs, data drives), and you cannot even get sp_who2 to run
      > > from Query Analyser. We thought maybe blocking (we have built an
      > > "app" that monitors this), but we don't see any blocking before it
      > > locks and nothing after it locks.
      > >
      > > Out of despiration we "rolled back" to our previous version to get
      > > people working again. After business hours, we have tried to
      > > duplicate the problem on machines (2 or 3 at a time) but cannot get it
      > > to duplicate the problem.
      > >
      > > The only experience we had previous to this was using DNS to resolve
      > > the server name which caused a problem EXTREMELY familar to this
      > > problem. However, we have double checked every machine we have, and
      > > none of them are using DNS to resolve.
      > >
      > > Any idea's would be most appreciated.
      > >
      > > Patrick Moore[/color][/color]


      Without knowing too much about your system
      I will highly recommend you run a trace/profiler
      A poorly indexed and highly accessed table
      has been known to bring things to a halt.
      After you do that feed the index tuning
      wizard with the trace file for a start
      May be that will put out the heat

      Vincento

      Comment

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