VMware Communities: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Sep 11, 2008 1:22 PM

RParker 5,270 posts since
Dec 6, 2006

2 vCPU with more than 4GB of RAM?

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Sep 11, 2008 1:26 PM

in response to: RParker

Dr No 82 posts since
Feb 15, 2008

Yes

I am running x64 Windows Server 2008 with v4 CPUs and 16GB RAM

The 32-Bit version seems to boot faster.

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Sep 11, 2008 1:45 PM

Bastien_P 96 posts since
Jul 20, 2006

Hi,

we had some similar issue with 2008 server. (32 or 64 bit in our case). In our case the ipv6 was the problem. We removed this option (that we wont use anyway) and after that it went clean. With a bit of chance it might help you..

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Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Sep 11, 2008 2:44 PM

in response to: Bastien_P

Texiwill 10,056 posts since
Jan 13, 2004 Moderator

Hello,

Moved to the VI: Virtual Machine and Guest OS

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354
As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Sep 17, 2008 10:38 AM

in response to: Bastien_P

Dr No 82 posts since
Feb 15, 2008

I removed IPv6 and still takes about 5-10 minutes just to boot.

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Sep 18, 2008 12:34 PM

in response to: Dr No

Dr No 82 posts since
Feb 15, 2008

Just to clarify, it is actually only my x64 Windows that takes forever to boot.

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Mar 23, 2009 1:52 PM

in response to: Dr No

Marco Germann 8 posts since
Aug 9, 2008

Same problem at my site:

Guest with Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise, 4vCPU, 8GByte RAM for Exchange Server 2007 is booting very long and the handling with the machine is very slowly.
Another Guest with Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise, 4vCPU but only 4GByte RAM boots up more quickly.
What can I do? I'm on the way to migrate my Exchange Server 2003 to Exchange Server 2007 and 8GByte RAM is necessary.

Best regards
Marco

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Mar 24, 2009 3:24 AM

in response to: Marco Germann

aleph0 420 posts since
Oct 28, 2004

hello all,

why do you use 4 vCPU? can you explain me this choice?

Thank you

\aleph0
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Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Mar 24, 2009 7:49 AM

in response to: aleph0

Marco Germann 8 posts since
Aug 9, 2008

Hello aleph0,

My Exchange Server 2003 which I will migrate is also a VM with 4vCPU's and the performance is great.
Should I change it to 2vCPUs and try?

best regards
Marco

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Mar 24, 2009 7:54 AM

in response to: Marco Germann

aleph0 420 posts since
Oct 28, 2004

Yep!

try this:

now that you have 4 vCPU run esxtop on the host that's running that VM: take note of the %RDY counter value: le lower is the better

then decrease the vCPU to 2:

take notes of the %RDY time and see if it's lower.

remember: the lower the %RDY time the better performance you have.

Keep me informed

Thank you

cheers

\aleph0
____________________________
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http://vmusergroupitalia.blogspot.com/ (in italian)
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Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Mar 24, 2009 11:08 AM

in response to: Dr No

RParker 5,270 posts since
Dec 6, 2006

Just to clarify, it is actually only my x64 Windows that takes forever to boot.

Just as a test, did you try 2 vCPU, lowering the Memory to under 4GB, and check the boot time as well? It may be something with the way your ESX is configured, that may be the best performance you get. Also what are you doing inside the VM that you need that much RAM? Maybe you really don't need that much RAM.

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Apr 1, 2009 5:52 AM

aleph0 420 posts since
Oct 28, 2004

hi all,

any news on the subject?

\aleph0
____________________________
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http://vmusergroupitalia.blogspot.com/ (in italian)
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Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Apr 10, 2009 3:58 PM

tallsky 5 posts since
Nov 10, 2008

It's not just 2008, I have the same problem with 2003.
The issue has something to do with using multiple vCPUs and more than 4 GB of memory, and I'm sure has something to do with the co-scheduling SMP discussed here:

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-4960
But not sure why the problem only kicks in when we're over 4 GB. Probably related to ESX still being 32bit. Betcha!

Apparently, there's a "solution" here:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/VMWare/Q_24028438.html

But I sort of doubt it. I don't think it can be fixed short of ESX 4.

(EDIT: Side Note* When you find an Experts-Exchange "Solution" in a google search, follow google's cached link, scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see all the hidden answers. As I suspected, there was nothing useful.)

1 vCPU works great with 32 GB of memory. Make that 2 vCPU and it takes FOREVER to boot.
VM seems OK after booting, but booting takes so damn long.
It's a bit scary with big important services like SQL and Exchange. If you need to restart it, hope you're not in a hurry lol.
I hope they fix this soon. It's anoyning as hell.

Reply Re: Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot Apr 11, 2009 1:28 AM

in response to: Dr No

tom howarth 7,299 posts since
Jul 25, 2005 Moderator

There is a known issue with Exchange 2007 and IP6 the Edge Transport service to be exact.

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Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: www.planetvm.net
Contributing author for the upcoming book "VMware Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment”.

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Windows Server 2008 Slugish and slow to boot

Sep 11, 2008 1:03 PM

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