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View Full Version : Stupid unstoppable CPU spikes on my server..


Mini-Me
09-29-2008, 07:59 AM
Hi.

Windoze XP Pro w/SP2
512MB RAM
OS only - no applications installed at all except ZA anti-virus, as it's just a server.
Admin via RDS.

On my server, I am getting 100% CPU spikes EVERY 60 SECONDS PRECISELY.
This is playing mary-hell with my video playback, as it is a media server, and this means that ever minute, precisely on time, there is a freeze of the video and audio for about a second - a real pain in the backside if you are trying to watch anything.
:mad:

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/1521/cpuusagezh3.gif

This may not actually be that much of a problem for me shortly, as I have almost finished building my Linux-based server, but it would be nice to know why the hell Windoze is doing this.

I had a similar problem a few months back with XP as the OS for the server, although that problem, the video would freeze, but the audio would not freeze, and the CPU load was about 60% spikes max.

This time, the CPU is maxing out every every minute - XP is obviously looking for something, but what?

UPDATE: I found out what the problem was - ZA.
If I shutdown ZA, the spikes vanish, and video playback is fine.
If I restart ZA, the problem comes back. It would seem to be a ZA-specific problem then.
I'd still love to know why ZA should be doing this - it never did before.
The spikes are happening, even with the server idle - not streaming any data to the mediaplayer, and no other box on the network accessing it.

Looks like the new Linux-based server could be a blessing in disguise.

Onward...

mjc
09-29-2008, 10:53 AM
Run Process Explorer (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx) on the server. It should be able to profile ZA close enough to track down where the spike is coming from.

Mini-Me
09-29-2008, 11:10 AM
Cool - thanks - will download and install tomorrow.
Well, 3:12AM here, so better get some shut eye...
*yawn*