[dba-Tech] System not responding for seconds at a time

LOL.  It is a hardware RAID controller, blazing fast.  A reboot "fixed 
it" whatever "it" might have been.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com


Bobby Heid wrote:
> John,
> 
> Maybe check the DMA mode on your drive(s) and see if any have switched to
> PIO mode?
> 
> Bobby
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
> Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 8:38 AM
> To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues; VBA; Dba-Sqlserver
> Subject: [dba-Tech] System not responding for seconds at a time
> 
> I don't quite know where to address this so I am cross posting it.  I am 
> working on a fairly powerful server running Windows 2003 x64 and SQL 
> Server 2003 x64.  It has 8 gigs of memory.  No malware software, 
> software firewall, virus scanner etc.  Nothing.
> 
> I am running a file shrink on the SQL Server file, trying to remove 
> about 140 gigs of empty space.  That process has been running since last 
> night, well over 8 hours now.  It APPEARS that process is using all of 
> available memory since task manager shows only about 200 megs 
> "available".  However if you look at the process tab, no process says it 
> is using more than 100 megs of ram.  The performance tab shows almost no 
> CPU cycles used, 4 cores hanging out about 0 - 10% used, and even then 
> only one of the cores appears to be doing anything.
> 
> The computer is "stuttering" badly.  Try to do anything - change to a 
> different program, page up in visual studios code etc, and the computer 
> will usually hesitate before doing whatever you requested.  I am trying 
> to work on a VB project and can't get anything done because as I move 
> around in the doc it may take 2 to 5 seconds just to respond to my 
> request to move my cursor.
> 
> Has anyone seen SQL Server lock up the the system like this, IOW is it 
> SQL Server?  Does anyone know how long the file shrink could take - 
> days, weeks, months?  Does anyone know how to cancel the file shrink? 
> This is the most powerful server I have, quad core, running x64 
> software, 8 gigs, high speed raid arrays etc.
> 
> Unfortunately I was in the middle of a vb.net project yesterday before I 
> started the shrink running after work and the server is unusable for 
> anything right now.
>