[AccessD] Can anyone help me with this

[Jim Dettman]

John,

  Just to circle back around on this.

" The log as it comes back up says "unexpected shutdown" kind of thing.  "

  In that case, it's not updates, software, or anything else that normally happens.   Shutdowns because of normal things would all be logged in the event log.    If the system simply reboots and the log shows "unexpected shutdown", then it's almost always hardware or power quality.   In rare cases it can be a driver at fault, but outright reboots are almost always hardware.  You generally get a stop screen with most software faults rather than just a reboot.

  Do you have a UPS on it on the system and has it been tested recently? 

  I would definitely reseat the memory and run the hardware diagnostics.  Since keeping the system active avoids the reboots, then most likely something is getting cold when you don't.  You may have a cold solder joint on the mother board or in the power supply.  My bet would be on the power supply given that this is pretty loaded (if I remember correctly).

  Of course depending on its age, it may be simplest to replace it and I would seriously consider that if it's more than eight years old.  Beyond ten would be a definite.  Boards eventually do get brittle and then you start having all kinds of problems.

Jim.

-----Original Message-----
From: AccessD [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of John Colby
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2017 11:19 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving; Jim Lawrence
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Can anyone help me with this

The machine just reboots.  It does not put anything in any log. The log 
as it comes back up says "unexpected shutdown" kind of thing.  So what 
is bizarre is that it will stay running as long as I keep a core running 
something.  NEVER reboots as long as it is kept active.  Which is my 
"solution" at this point.  The reboots are at random times.  Sometimes 
once every few days, normally a few times a day, sometimes 10 times in a 
day.  But if overheating or other "hardware" issue, why will it NOT 
reboot as long as it is kept active.  I run long queries maxing out all 
16 cores for hours and it works just fine.  NEVER reboots if kept 
active.  Let it go idle and it starts rebooting.

Puzzling and frustrating.

In the end, keeping a single core busy keeps it alive so it is no longer 
a problem that I feel pressed to deal with, but I'd like to have my core 
back. ;)

On 10/14/2017 2:20 PM, Jim Lawrence wrote:
> Hi John:
>
> You have probably gone through all these checks but I will post them anyways. Have you checked your logs? Is there an exact time when this reboot occurs? Is the reboot spawned by something like an "exceptions error" or a system process? Considering that all your software is probably up to date could it be a hardware error? A failing piece of equipment or some new hardware that was introduced?
>
> One comment I have seen is that an active SQL server eventually runs out of address space and if possible it is quicker and cleaner to just do an "idle time" reboot than to run the "garbage collection" routine. If that is the case there should be some option setting that would control the activation and timing?
>   
> Jim
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Colby" <jwcolby at gmail.com>
> To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving" <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2017 7:45:46 AM
> Subject: [AccessD] Can anyone help me with this
>
> My SQL Server (Windows 2008) reboots periodically.  Periodically implies
> on a schedule so perhaps sporadically is a better description.  This has
> been going on for years.  It will do so several times a day.
>
> What I have discovered is that if I keep one of the cores busy, and I
> use a script in SQL Server to do that, then it never reboots.
>
> I read that Windows 2008 can be led to believe (accidentally in my case)
> that it needs to reboot to finish an install or something of that
> nature, and it will do so when the system is "idle".  By keeping a core
> active, the system never does that reboot thing.  I do not know for sure
> that this is what is going on but it absolutely makes sense.  In he
> meantime I have to do this "keep a core active" thing or my server
> reboots.  If anyone out there understands what is really going on and
> how to tell Windows to knock it off, please contact me.
>
> Thanks,
>

-- 
John W. Colby

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