Re: Post Exchange SP1 - new threshold for store.exe

Tech Tip: Click here to run a free scan for Windows Errors and optimize PC performance

From: Les Connor [SBS MVP] (les.connor_at_DEL.cfive.ca)
Date: 05/31/04 

Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 14:26:34 -0500

Something is still not adding up in my mathematically challenged mind.

Where is the counter average in Alert Notifications drawn from? I have no
idea what it is counting.

I checked 4 SBS boxes prior to application of E2k3 SP1, and all of the
counter averages are higher than the threshold setting, yet no alerts. And
why is the counter average so high after SP1, just what is it counting ?
Somehow, I don't see where the counter average that is displayed in the gui
has anything to do with the threshold setting.

I'm really only curious, I don't really care - honest ;-). My bet is that
this could be fixed up in a jiffy by someone who actually understands it. 

-- 
Les Connor [SBS MVP]
-------------------------------------
SBS Rocks !
"Les Connor [SBS MVP]" <les.connor@DEL.cfive.ca> wrote in message
news:evxgarzREHA.2876@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Great !. Now I think we have the basis for a procedure to set the
threshold
> to a meaningful value !.
>
> Who will volunteer to write it ?
>
> -- 
> Les Connor [SBS MVP]
> -------------------------------------
> SBS Rocks !
>
>
>
> "M Callinan" <mcallinan@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
> news:%23Vz8sXzREHA.2520@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> > Good catch Les, I think you are right.  When I look at store.exe private
> > bytes usage in performance monitor, here's what I get:
> > Current: 310,022,144
> > Average: 310,047,212
> > Min: 310,009,856
> > Max: 310,054,912
> >
> > In my case, the value from Task Manager and Performance Monitor are
closer
> > than are yours.  I guess I got lucky since I set my threshold to
> > 314,572,800, which is just under the max private bytes value from
> > performance monitor.  From what I can tell, this is the value that will
> > trigger the alert.  To select a new max value, it's probably easiest to
> add
> > 5 or 10 MB to the max value reported by performance monitor, e.g. if max
> is
> > 310,054,912, set threshold to 315,000,000.
> >
> > If you want to be more anal about converting megabytes to bytes, then
> 315MB
> > is 315 * 1024 * 1024 = 330,301,440 bytes.  Conversely, if you divide
> > 315,000,000 bytes by 1048576 (1024 * 1024), you get 300.40 MB.  From
what
> I
> > can tell, it won't matter if you set the threshold on an actual MB
> boundary
> > or not.  The threshold is just a value that if passed triggers the
alert.
> >
> > Just took a look and my counter average today is 54,730,903.50, approx
> 54MB.
> > Before applying SP1 (about 2 days ago), is was around 32MB.  After 30
days
> > (the counter average window size), I would expect this to get close to
the
> > Average value reported by performance monitor.
> >
> > To convert your max value of 3.227542e+008 to bytes, move the decimal 8
> > places to the right, and zero fill any digits that aren't present.  For
> > example:
> > 3.227542e+008 = 322754200 or 322,754,200 bytes which is approx 322MB.
You
> > might want to try a new threshold value of 325,000,000 (~325MB) or
> > 330,000,000 (~330MB).
> >
> > For those that don't know how to view their store.exe private bytes
> values,
> > do this:
> >
> > On you SBS2K server, go to Start -> All Programs -> Administrative
> Tools ->
> > Performance.  Select System Monitor in the left side window, then right
> > click in the background of the chart window on the right, select Add
> > Counters.  Under Performance Object, select Process (not Processor).  In
> the
> > Select counter from list, select Private Bytes.  In the Select instances
> > from list, select Store.  Then click Add.  In the lower right window,
> select
> > the Private Bytest counter, and above this list but below the chart you
> will
> > see the Last, Average, Min, Max, and Duration values for store.exe
private
> > bytes.
> >
> > "Les Connor [SBS MVP]" <les.connor@DEL.cfive.ca> wrote in message
> > news:OM6Af%23yREHA.1312@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > > Cool :-). Now we're getting somewhere.
> > >
> > > That's a good job of translating. Any chance you can similarily
educate
> me
> > > on translating these numbers: i.e. how to get them to a common
> denominator
> > ?
> > >
> > > a) In Alert Notifications the threshold is by default: 104857600
> > >
> > > b) The counter average currently shows 52,833,461.62
> > >
> > > The decimal confuses me.
> > >
> > > What confuses me even more is Health Monitor, which is the guts of the
> > > monitoring and alerting.
> > >
> > > Here's what it shows for the store.exe private bytes after about 30
> hours
> > of
> > > uptime after applying the SP. (Note that this is a moving target for a
> few
> > > days after a restart of exchange)
> > >
> > > Private Bytes STORE
> > > (Current) 3.227812e+008
> > > (Minimum) 3.135283e+008
> > > (Maximum) 3.228836e+008
> > > (Average) 3.227542e+008
> > >
> > > We can see that the threshold is the default 104857600.
> > >
> > > Store.exe is currently using 204,176 k (task manager). I don't believe
> > task
> > > manager is showing the Private Byes for Store.exe, rather some other
> > counter
> > > is used. If you go into Performance Monitor, you can monitor the
Private
> > > Bytes for store, and the number in this case is presently 322781184.
Now
> > > that is starting to resemble some of the digits that Health monitor is
> > > showing (above). Other than the decimals and other charachters.
> > >
> > > I guess I should have stayed in school longer ;-(. In any case, I
wonder
> > if
> > > you could translate these actual numbers for us, so we could use it as
a
> > > basis to arrive at a proper threshold.
> > >
> > > Sidebar:
> > >
> > > In a way, it's seems odd to me that the monitoring threshold is a
> default.
> > > I've got SBS2k3 boxes with 1, 2, and 3 gb of ram, and of course it's
> only
> > > natural that Store.exe takes different amounts of each. Makes you
wonder
> > > whether the thing is even worth monitoring.
> > >
> > > -- 
> > > Les Connor [SBS MVP]
> > > -------------------------------------
> > > SBS Rocks !
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > "M Callinan" <mcallinan@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
> > > news:uaPN7gyREHA.3528@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> > > > Here's what I did to stop the nightly threshold alert email. You
want
> to
> > > set
> > > > the memory threshold for store.exe to something slightly greater
than
> > what
> > > > that process normally runs at.  To determine an appropriate value,
> open
> > > Task
> > > > Manager, and if you don't have the Peak Mem Usage column already
> > > displayed,
> > > > do so by selecting View -> Select Columns ..., put a check mark next
> to
> > > Peak
> > > > Memory Usage, click OK.  Now select store.exe from the process list,
> and
> > > > look at the value for Peak Mem Usage and Mem Usage values.  Mine
> peaked
> > at
> > > > 297,292K and the current value is 292,840K.  Since my peak memory
> usage
> > > was
> > > > 297MB, I rounded up and figured I would set my new threshold to
300MB.
> > > This
> > > > should allow for a little more growth by this process, which is
going
> to
> > > > vary based on the load its processing at the moment, but not so much
> > > larger
> > > > that if something is going wrong, that I won't be notified of the
> > > condition.
> > > > Since the value set in the Performance Counters threshold for
> store.exe
> > is
> > > > in bytes, I calculated my new threshold as 300 * 1024 * 1024 =
> 314572800
> > > > bytes.  By the way, my original threshold was set to 100MB (100 *
1024
> *
> > > > 1024 = 104857600) out of the box.  The new value is entered on
SBS2K3
> in
> > > > Server Management -> Monitoring and Reporting -> Change Alert
> > > Notifications,
> > > > select Performance Counters tab, select "store.exe private bytes
> STORE",
> > > > click Edit button, enter your new threshold value, click OK, OK.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "Andrew H" <ajhpms@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > > news:ONu4UruREHA.1312@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> > > > > At all of my sites where I've installed Exchange 2003 Service Pack
> 1,
> > > I'm
> > > > > getting notification alerts that store.exe is allocating more
memory
> > > than
> > > > > usual.
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm sure this is just a harmless side-effect of the upgrade, but
> what
> > > > would
> > > > > be an appropriate level to set the threshold at in Server
Management
> > > > > Monitoring and Reporting?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
Quantcast