Forcing server restart. Best methods?

[Lawrence]

I love Abyss. I've been hosting sites with it for years, but since a server upgrade I've had no end of trouble. It crashes randomly after as little as an hour's uptime. There's no rhyme or reason for it, except that it seems to happen most when I'm not around to notice and restart the server. Aprelium's apparently on the case, but in the interest of continued uptime I'd like to try something new:

I want to shut down and restart the server every hour.

It's drastic and annoying and I really don't want to, but this inelegant solution should guarantee me a whole lot more uptime. The question, then, is: how?

The first idea I had was to dig up a similar idea discussed in these forums yonks ago, intended to solve the problem of the locked access.log file. Unfortunately I can't find the thread, despite a half hour's search.

So I came up with this: a .BAT file run on a 1-hour repeating schedule that would use XP's TASKKILL command to kill the server:

[aprelium]

Lawrence,

A week or two ago, we sent you a suggestion using a simple BAT script running Abyss Web Server is a loop. Was there a problem with it?
_________________
Support Team
Aprelium - http://www.aprelium.com

[Lawrence]

Sorry Aprelium, I never received that email. I'll check the spam folder!

Aha, there it is. November 4th.

I have replied to your mail. Sorry for the wait. I have punished the spam filter severely.

[AbyssUnderground]

[Lawrence]

AbyssUnderground: I've seen your file on another thread. Unfortunately when Abyss goes down, it goes down hard. No response to anything, except in the rare occasions that it just starts issuing 100% 404 pages instead.

Site's got a really popular article on it now, 4x more traffic this morning (6 hours) than all of yesterday. I've got the server on a 1-hour restart regime and it still manages to go down at least once within one of those hours. The problem might be related to traffic...?

Still, one hour is better than <time until I wake up and fix it>.

Update: Still spiking, 2,000 unique visitors per hour now.

[AbyssUnderground]

[Lawrence]

Fast CGI didn't work for me so I abandoned it.

I'd believe the script theory except that all these problems never occurred until the day I replaced the server with new hardware (Dell SC430 server with ECC RAM) and OS (Windows Server 2003).

I don't think it's a script or I'd have seen this before (or perhaps long after) I replaced the server. The coincidence is too much for me.

[AbyssUnderground]

The OS could explain it. Win2k3 server was a real pain when I used it for a few months. It p****d me off so much I went back to XP and so far I havent had a single problem at all. I regret even changing.

2k3 used to randomly crash, BSOD, program crashes and wouldnt work with my backup software (Norton Ghost) so this was enough to make me abandon it.
_________________
Andy (AbyssUnderground) (previously The Inquisitor)
www.abyssunderground.co.uk

[Lawrence]

So far 2003 has been rock-solid for everything but Abyss. FTP, Mail, etc etc. They all run happily and have since April, the last time I rebooted.

I would have preferred XP but I couldn't get it to install.

[aprelium]

Lawrence's problem is a bit odd and not related to scripts. Abyss crashes on his computer because the memory it uses is corrupted. But we're unable so far to understand what is causing this corruption.
_________________
Support Team
Aprelium - http://www.aprelium.com

[AbyssUnderground]

[Lawrence]

I wish I could believe that it's a simple hardware fault. Not that it's proof of anything, but it's a brand new server running name-brand ECC RAM.

Hardware issues would almost certainly result in corruption in other software, which simply hasn't happened. The OS never crashes, not once since I built the system. No other app has ever reported a problem. I find it completely unlikely Abyss just happens to use the same segment of bad RAM every time, and no other app does. =)

My guess is software is doing it. Some sort of conflict, a misbehaved app, perhaps. I'd have to guess that it's server2003 that's part of the problem, as the XP install, running all the exact same apps, worked flawlessly.

(as an aside, Aprelium, it's my turn to ask: did you get my email yesterday re: batchfile? =)

[TRUSTAbyss]

Windows Server 2003 is a rediculous server OS to use. Even the ISAPI sucks. I
recommend just using Windows XP as a server now.

[Lawrence]

Sorry, TrustAbyss, I'd have loved to have used XP. I don't know if you missed the part where i said XP wouldn't install.

This server is located approximately 7131km away from me. Reinstalling the OS is not possible. Fixing a bizarre software conflict is, however, and hopefully that's all the problem will turn out to be.

Just as an update, with this mad influx of traffic I'm now finding that even hourly restarts aren't enough. The heavy load is crashing the server within that hour about 25% of the time.

[EDIT] I wonder if the new beta would solve any of my troubles.

[aprelium]

[aprelium-beta]

Lawrence,

You have apparently a very zealous spam filter because it seems that you have not received our last email (sent 2 days ago). It contained an explanation of the BAT file way of working as well as the new X2 Beta.

Please confirm us that you've received that email and if possible whitelist our email addresses. We won't reply to your last email if we do not get that confirmation (we'd like to be sure that our messages do not get in a black hole by your filter :-) ).
_________________
Beta Testing Team
Aprelium - http://www.aprelium.com

[max_carpenter]

Hi everyone,

how is everyone? Not been on this forums for ages been so busy that I have neglected alot of the things I used to keep up.

Just a bit of information that might help you a little,

I have Windows 2003 Server running my Domain server, FTP server, Exchange 2003, Media Server and variouse other things along with Abyss running on it. Abyss has never crashed on me once. Yes I do not have lots of traffice (actually barly none as Abyss on my server is normally testing but Next July my hosting company is be chucked and Abyss will have both my websites) but it has never had a problem (touch wood)

I did talk to someone once who had a similar problem but I can't remember exactly how we fixed it, I remember going through normal tasks of Disk Cleanup, Defrag and CHKDSK with /f then reboot (although your server will be down for a few mins) and we looked at the Windows Updates but I can't remember exactly what it was though sorry.
_________________
M.Carpenter

DHCD Computing
max@dhcd.co.uk
www.dhcd.co.uk

[madman1337]

my best guess would be another program is interfering. What all is running when it crashes?

If it is not that, I would have to guess that there might be a messed up file that you are hosting or a messed up file with abyss. does it still do this when you reinstall abyss?
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[max_carpenter]

In reply to Windows being up-to-date that is what I mean quite often on many different areas Microsoft updates can effect the way other software or even hardware works causing it to have problems, time and time again microsoft have to release an update for an update that has effected things.

if it does happen on spercific pages then yes I agree have a look at the code to the page again maybe try it on another Webserver just to see if it works fine there just to eliminate all possible problems.

Have you run dskchk on that partion and the windows partion just to check its fine, just oprn up CMD goto the drive you want to check and type chkdsk also if you can afford 5 min down time it doesnt hurt to do a dskchk /f and restart your computer.

If possible I suggest what madman1337 suggest find out what else is running and try to close as many thing down as possible you might be suprised at what is running if you go to Task Manager and the Processes tab. (Remember closing things from Task Manager will not save data and certain processes are need to run some will refuse to shut down and any other critical one you do shut down will either reboot your system or something will become unavailable until next system restart) You will not harm your computer by shutting any processes down it will recover itself if they wernt meant to be.

The only other thing I can think of is do you have any Antivirus etc then it may be having a problem with those files causing them to lock which in turn is causing Abyss to lock, you could try adding te Abyss Program Files folder and your documents folder to your Anti-Viruses Exclusion list.
_________________
M.Carpenter

DHCD Computing
max@dhcd.co.uk
www.dhcd.co.uk

[madman1337]

I wonder, if what it is not a problem with abyss, but if it is a problem with an interpreter, and abyss is waiting for the interperter to respond, and therefore locks up?
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[max_carpenter]

There will be log fies for the interpreters but apart from that not really the only thing that any Network Administrator would highliy recommend is check the system event logs as they always hold the critical events and can be very helpful, but then agai at the same time as Microsoft made them they can be quite rubbish lol thats Microsoft for you
_________________
M.Carpenter

DHCD Computing
max@dhcd.co.uk
www.dhcd.co.uk