Windows Server 2k3 R2 SP2 problem

[fluid]

I already requested official support for this, but there was a link to the forums so I thought I'd give it a try here too. While I am new to this forum, I am not new to SageTV. I am running Win 2k3 R2 SP2, win updates on auto. Its on a AMD64 x2 processor with 2 gb of ram. I upgraded this box from Win 2k3 SP1 and SageTV 6.0.19, which ran with no issues, to SageTV 6.1. This box is a server (obviously) and I do not run the UI on it (besides to set it up). I have the webserver running and that's it, no other customizations. This computer is newly built so it has almost nothing on it yet. I installed the OS, drivers, put on Acronis and SageTV. That pretty much it. Only small utilities like winrar and the like. No AV or firewall. I do have a NAT router and another box on my LAN does firewall/packet filtering between the router and my LAN. However, there are no packet/port control mechanisms between my LAN machines. I am running AD and this box is the global catalog and FSMO holder.

My problem is that SageTV seems to be seriously broken on Win 2k3 R2 SP2. Whenever I start the service or disable the service and run the UI, dfssvc.exe (distributed file system service) and lsass.exe (local security authorization service) go bananas. They take up 30%+ of my CPU time. Examining the problem, it seems that they are talking to each other every spilt second. DFSsvc is sending packets out on the LDAP port and lsass.exe is receiving them on every port. What I mean is lsass.exe opens every port, sequentially, every split second. Amounting to over 30 transaction between these two services every second.

I have tested every possible app on this box and it is definitely SageTV. Once SageTV starts (no matter service or non-service) this problem starts immediately, once I stop/kill SageTV, the problem stops immediately. Nothing else produces this behavior. I have tried every version of Java from the included version to the newest 6u1 (downloaded each from java.sun.com). All produce the same behavior. I have disabled the webserver, that didn't do anything. I have downgraded to 6.0.19 and it produces the same result. I have tried having the service log on a network service, local service, administrator, and 4 different user accounts (with different permissions/usergroup membership). All produce the same problem.

I believe it to be a pretty serious bug with SageTV. If you look here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935741 and here: http://knowledge.mcafee.com/SupportS...0%200%20484738. It seems Mcafee had the same problem. Its a little different but it is similar enough that it's almost impossible not to see its the same bug. They have fixed it, however. I do not use Mcafee (nor have I ever) so I am not able to contact them to discover what the problem is, I suggested to SageTV support that they do so (I am not sure how responsive SageTV support is, especially on Win 2k3 issues).

Any additional info I can provide, just ask. Permanently stopping either of these services is a no go (they are essential). What I am looking for is any ideas so I can get SageTV working. Suggestions for work-arounds or anyone who has any idea why SageTV would be causing this problem, so I can maybe track it down, would be extremely helpful. Or anyone who has any idea what would cause this kind of behavior in general, would be very helpful. Or anything at all, really. I am going nuts and am desperate for assistance. Sage is totally unusable for me right now. The only thing I haven't tried is to switch from UNC paths to drive letter, but I have 2 clients connecting to this SageTV server and I remember the reason I switched to UNC paths is because the clients didn't work till I did. Not having the clients working is the same as not having Sage working, so that is not a viable solution, I think.

Thank you very much.

[mayamaniac]

I'm running SageTV 6.2.4 and have ran many earlier versions of SageTV including 6.019 on my Win2k3 SP2 box, and its never a problem. I have lsass.exe running but not dfssvc.exe. Just out of curiosity, I stopped SageTV service, and enabled Distributed File System service, and then I started SageTV service. After a minute or so, the CPU usage is normal, about 2-6%. I've used many versions of Java and using the latest version now. And I have a mess of apps and services installed on my Win2k3 machine. I do have problems with the Promise Sata controller card that would cause the system to crash once in a while, but thats a driver problem.

I don't know what your is the problem with your setup though, sorry.

[fluid]

Thanks for the reply. Out of curiosity, are you running AD? I have also been running SageTV fine on w2k3 machines for a while now. I believe this is a problem particular to R2. See R2 improves the way AD works and one of the changes is that it uses DFS in place of file replication. Interesting enough, I believe DFS is what WHS uses for their drive pooling setup. I have not installed the RC I have of it, as I don't find anything about it compelling, so I am not sure. However SageTV is supposed to run on WHS fully. So I wonder if any WHS with SageTV beta testers are runing into any similar issues?

I have no idea why SageTV would break or effects DFS, though. The drives I have SageTV recording to are straight SATA plugged into the motherboard with no funky setups, raid, pooling, JOBD, or anything like that at all. DFS should nto be interacting with them. I am not sure if it is (any idea how to tell), but it shouldn't be. I could understand if this problem only came up if I was using a domain account, but the problem happens even using the UI (no service), logged in as local machine account administrator, or the service running under local system. Earlier today I tried running other network aware Java apps to see if they would cause the same problem. They did not. I am totally out of ideas. Any other suggestions, ideas, anything?

Thank you!

[bcjenkins]

I am running 2K3 SP2 service mode. LSASS and DFSSVC are both running. The server is an AD primary as well. Runs DNS/SSH (Cygwin)/INADYN for OpenDNS/Nielms Web Server.

The server specs:

Intel C2D E6420
2 GB 1066 RAM
PATA and SATA disks in JBOD
NVIDIA DualTV running 4 DTV D11-100s via serial tuning
2 OTA HD Tuners
Java 1.6u2 - Found here: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
SageTV 6.2.4 increased java heap to 512MB max (you may try this)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Frey Technologies\SageTV]
"JVMMaxHeapSizeMB"=dword:00000200

4 MVPs/2 client computers/2 PS licenses

Everything is sitting at 0-1% as I type this.

B

[mayamaniac]

I don't use AD, I would test it, but I don't even know how to set that up. I also set the java heap size to 200 (512M), but it wasn't a problem with the default value. I just increased it to boost the media library performance in handling of large number of photos and music files.

Really sorry I can't help you fix it, but just so you know its not a problem with every win2k3 setup, there are several SageTV users running it just fine with Win2k3.

[Razillian]

Originally Posted by fluid

I upgraded this box from Win 2k3 SP1 and SageTV 6.0.19, which ran with no issues, to SageTV 6.1.....No AV or firewall.

Are you certain that SP2 didn't reenable the windows firewall or such nonsense? Also, do you have the "/noexecute=optout" switch in your boot.ini to make sure DEP (the pain in the butt that it is) is turned off?

Just shooting in the dark...

[fluid]

Are you certain that SP2 didn't reenable the windows firewall or such nonsense? Also, do you have the "/noexecute=optout" switch in your boot.ini to make sure DEP (the pain in the butt that it is) is turned off?

Yup, ICS service is disabled. One of the first things I do to a new install of MS OSes . No, I do not have that switch, its set to optin. I totally forgot about DEP. I will try that now and post back, thank you!

Really sorry I can't help you fix it, but just so you know its not a problem with every win2k3 setup, there are several SageTV users running it just fine with Win2k3.

I wonder if there is anyone using Win2k3 R2? I would love to know if someone on R2 is not having the same issue. I am in the process of building another win2k3 R2 test box to see if the problem appears there too. However, that test machine would still be on my LAN. I would love to know if someone with a different setup, but running R2, is experiencing the same thing or not. My suspicion is that this is a bug similar to the Mcafee one (which also only appears on R2 from what I have read). I am really tempted to install Sage on one of my machines at work , but I think I would loose my job, lol.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the help!

Edit: Ah well, it was a great suggestion, but disabling Dep didn't fix it, thanks though!

[bcjenkins]

Isn't WHS based on R2? I know there are several folks running WHS as well.

B

[fluid]

Yeah, I'd like to know as well. My guess is that it has something to do with AD which WHS doesn't support, but I am still curious. I got that test box up and ran SageTV (trial) on it and it produced the same behavior. The test box didn't have FSMO roles (obviously) or global catalog but I did DCpromo it to a DC. It didn't have any capture cards and was nothing but the OS, drivers and SageTV.

After that, it seems its a SageTV bug and I, frankly, can't go without SageTV running any longer. So, I have broken my drive pools and, I believe (I will see), rolled back AD changes so I no longer require DFS and I have disabled the service. I am not sure this is going to work without trashing my DC, as DFS is considered a central domain controller service (especially for windows file serving, a central role of the box), but at least I get SageTV back till SageTV support replies to my support request or we can figure out some way for me to run SageTV and dfs. Its a bad workaround, so additional help still desperately requested, thanks!

Edit: Uh oh, getting AD and userenv errors, I hate those .

[valnar]

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I'm running Windows 2003 SP2 (not R2). No DFS, no AD, running as a Sage Server. Plain Jane home Win2003 server. No problems.

It may very well be a R2/DFS issue. I didn't need that functionalty, so I didn't install it.

Robert

[fluid]

Problem fixed!! A bit counter intuitive, but thats how MS stuff works sometimes . I created a DFS namespace (e.g network drive pool) and put all my Sage recording directories in it making 1 big shared directory. I did the moving folder deal to keep my recordings and no more problem now! SageTV support hasn't gotten back to be yet, is there a way to close an open ticket? Thanks for all the help! I should come by here more often.