Problems logging onto server via Remote desktop connection...

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philves

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I currently help manage a server that requires rebooting approx every 2 weeks
- the server is new. The reboot is required because we are unable to rdc to
the box. However a visual check of the server shows no issues (can ping
server, onsite ops team visually check server reporting no issues).

Originally we thought this may have been system resource problem, we setup
various performance counters which showed no evidence of a memory leak.

It could be a DNS problem though I don't really know where to start? There
is no evidence in the event logs indicating a problem.

This is one of 16 servers and is the only one to have this problem.

Does anyone have a good guide to investigating problems with RDC? Is there a
good starting point when attempting to diagnose problems of this nature?
 
Re: Problems logging onto server via Remote desktop connection...

What's the OS and SP of the server?
Is it a Terminal Server, or just configured for Remote
Administration?
If it's not a TS, what is the server's main function (mailserver,
fileserver, ...)?
What's the role of the server in the domain (menber server, DC)?
What's the error message that you get when you can't connect?

186645 - Troubleshooting RDP Client connection problems
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=186645

_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

=?Utf-8?B?cGhpbHZlcw==?= <philves@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
on 16 maj 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> I currently help manage a server that requires rebooting approx
> every 2 weeks - the server is new. The reboot is required
> because we are unable to rdc to the box. However a visual check
> of the server shows no issues (can ping server, onsite ops team
> visually check server reporting no issues).
>
> Originally we thought this may have been system resource
> problem, we setup various performance counters which showed no
> evidence of a memory leak.
>
> It could be a DNS problem though I don't really know where to
> start? There is no evidence in the event logs indicating a
> problem.
>
> This is one of 16 servers and is the only one to have this
> problem.
>
> Does anyone have a good guide to investigating problems with
> RDC? Is there a good starting point when attempting to diagnose
> problems of this nature?
 
Re: Problems logging onto server via Remote desktop connection...

What's the OS and SP of the server? - windows server 2003 (SP1)

Is it a Terminal Server, or just configured for Remote Administration? -
Configured for remote admin

If it's not a TS, what is the server's main function (mailserver,
fileserver, ...)? - File server (used to distribute software to
workstations). It has no other role. It does have SQL database running on it.

What's the role of the server in the domain (member server, DC)? - Member
server

What's the error message that you get when you can't connect? - Can't
remember exactly, I believe the error message indicated that it had timed
out. After entering the IP address and pressing enter, it waited for a few
minutes then timed out. We don't actually get to the logon prompt for the
server.

Initially we believed the problem was a memory leak, as the system appeared
to 'freeze' however subsequent performance monitoring has ruled this out so
far.

Also there is no pattern to the freezes, it can happen day or night.

Many thanks for you help so far
 
Re: Problems logging onto server via Remote desktop connection...

Did you investigate non-paged and paged memory issues?

--
Daniel Petri
www.petri.co.il



"philves" <philves@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:59B25BAE-5139-4F9E-97B5-85FA840F0496@microsoft.com...
> What's the OS and SP of the server? - windows server 2003 (SP1)
>
> Is it a Terminal Server, or just configured for Remote Administration? -
> Configured for remote admin
>
> If it's not a TS, what is the server's main function (mailserver,
> fileserver, ...)? - File server (used to distribute software to
> workstations). It has no other role. It does have SQL database running on
> it.
>
> What's the role of the server in the domain (member server, DC)? - Member
> server
>
> What's the error message that you get when you can't connect? - Can't
> remember exactly, I believe the error message indicated that it had timed
> out. After entering the IP address and pressing enter, it waited for a few
> minutes then timed out. We don't actually get to the logon prompt for the
> server.
>
> Initially we believed the problem was a memory leak, as the system
> appeared
> to 'freeze' however subsequent performance monitoring has ruled this out
> so
> far.
>
> Also there is no pattern to the freezes, it can happen day or night.
>
> Many thanks for you help so far
>
>
 
Re: Problems logging onto server via Remote desktop connection...

comments inline. Please write comments on a separate line, it will
be very difficult otherwise to see who wrote what.

=?Utf-8?B?cGhpbHZlcw==?= <philves@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
on 17 maj 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> What's the OS and SP of the server? - windows server 2003 (SP1)

Have you considered installing SP2? There are many TS-related fixes
in SP2, for example:
923630 - A Windows Server 2003-based terminal server stops
responding to new connection requests, and the logon window does
not appear
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=923630

> Is it a Terminal Server, or just configured for Remote
> Administration? - Configured for remote admin
>
> If it's not a TS, what is the server's main function
> (mailserver, fileserver, ...)? - File server (used to distribute
> software to workstations). It has no other role. It does have
> SQL database running on it.

Distributing software can put quite some load on the server and the
network, I imagine. Have you included monitoring of the network
when you were investigating a possible performance problem?

And when the server is unaccessible by rdc, does it still perform
its main function without a problem (i.e. distribute software)?

> What's the role of the server in the domain (member server, DC)?
> - Member server
>
> What's the error message that you get when you can't connect? -
> Can't remember exactly, I believe the error message indicated
> that it had timed out. After entering the IP address and
> pressing enter, it waited for a few minutes then timed out. We
> don't actually get to the logon prompt for the server.
>
> Initially we believed the problem was a memory leak, as the
> system appeared to 'freeze' however subsequent performance
> monitoring has ruled this out so far.

I understand that you can regain RDC access to the server by
rebooting it. But what happens when you don't reboot the server but
just wait for a couple of hours? Does the problem disappear or not?

And when you cannot access the server trough an rdp session, can
you still logon to the physical console of the server?

> Also there is no pattern to the freezes, it can happen day or
> night.

Are you running any anti-virus software on the server? If so,
which?

_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
 
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