Server Event (Error) ID 1000

[NYPoke]

We had a major crash this afternoon on our Server: Version 5.5, Windows 2003.

We have had problems on and off all year. This is our second major crash. The first one took down one file. This one took down our entire Server.

I would cut&paste a copy of the actual screen dump, but I'm not sure if the admins would like that. The info goes like this:

Event ID: 1000

Source: Application Error

Category: (100)

Text: Faulting Application Server fmserver.exe, version 5.5.0.1, faulting mode fmserver.exe, version 5.5.0.1, fault address 0x000014f2.

...

I found nothing on the FileMaker Website (suprise). The one thing I did find talked about General Protection Faults & Print Drivers. Not likely the problem, but it referred to the Cache (and increasing the Cache).

Is it possible that our Server problems are coming from a small Cache size?

I assumed (dumb, dumb, dumb) that FileMaker would dump the Cache when it was full. Our default is about every 2 hours.

But, the problems always occur at peak hours, during the backup. I could see that relating to the Cache.

Anybody experience anything similar?

[DykstrL]

It almost sounds to me like a memory overflow problem, where part of the memory that holds FM server is being overwritten by another application. Is your server being used for anything else besides FileMaker Server?

Here's some other things to check:

Set the Cache to 40 mb, which the max for v5.5. Also set the Cache to flush a little more often than 2 hours - maybe try 30 minutes?

You should also include the Flush Cache script step in the close script for the hosted files - that will force a cache flush whenever any users close files.

Using the machine as a print server, as well as a FileMaker Server, in my opinion, is a big NoNo - especially for a lot of users. All it would take is one user sending a HUGH print job and you're toast.

On a Windows Server OS file sharing and print server services, along with just about every other service on the server, will take priority over FMS for processor time and hard drive read/writes. Turn off ALL services and software that is absolutely not needed to run FileMaker Server.

Using the machine as a fileserver for JUST a few users is not recommended, and may cause some performance issues, but, also in my opinion only, may be OK.

[NYPoke]

I hadn't ran across the memory overwrite/overflow problem in my knowledge quest, but I had seen most of the other suggestions:

- We were at 40Mb Cache, on 2 Hr Interval. Our 4 O'Clock backup is the trouble maker. We couldn't control when that 2 Hr Interval was hitting. So, we turned off the timed Cache, and will let FM flush as it sees fit. Didn't want to go that way, but it was our best option. (Day 1: No problem)

- We decided against the Close Script step in the files, because we have so many users. The potential for out of control flushing (remember the Big Flush during the Super Bowls back in the mid 80's?) didn't seem wise.

- Ah, we had a Blackberry Server installed in November/December. Our hardware stud didn't want to move it, but after yesterday, we are looking at the best way to separate them. I don't think we are doing any printing or running an Exchange Server, just the Blackberry.

We do have some Mapped drives on the server, that we use for Monthly & Daily Backups. Our Financial people use them at times. We will try to move them with the Blackberry Server.

Thanks for the recommendations. I did find mostly the same answers this morning, while scrounging around the Internet.