msmsql.exe is eating my resources during backup.

I had the task manager open on Windows Small Business Server 2000 during the
last half of the backup and I took a peek every so often. In the last 15
minutes the backup started copying the sql databases on the Small Business
Server. The free memory went from 68% to 10% and stays at 10% after the
backup has finished. The CPU usage also soared to 100% during the backup of
these databases (which took maybe 5 to 7 minutes).
When I switched over to the processes tab sure enough sqlservr.exe was the
one eating up all the resources. After the databases were finished the cpu
usage went back to normal as it finished the rest of the backup but the mem
usage is still the same, even well after the backup finished.
The Backup Exec 9.1 server with backup exec sp3 is a Windows 2000 terminal
server box. I have the SQL backup portion of the backup job configured as
follows:
Backup Method: Full - Back up entire database or filegroup
Consistency Check before Backup: Full check, including indexes
Continue with backup if consistency check fails: checked
Consistency Check after Backup: Full check, including indexes
The backups are succeeding though, and several backups without any reboots
doesn't seem to lower my resources much more. The SBS server currently has 7%
virtual memory, 280mb of free ram (out of 4gigs) and the cpu usage is 15% to
20%. After the backups. My sqlserv.exe on the SBS server is currently using
1% to 2% of the cpu, 1.7gigs of ram, and 1.7gigs of virtual memory. This is
all after I think two succesful 5-hour full backups with no reboots.
My concern here is that the sql service is eating up more memory than it
needs to because itâ's not releasing it when its done the backup. I've tried
running a ram defragmenter/washer but the most effective solution is a reboot
after each backup. Is there anything I can do to either in Backup Exec, or on
the SBS SQL server so that the resources are released when the backup is
complete, or is there a way to stop sql from eating all the resources in the
first place?
Both servers have sql sp3a and the symantec sasser identification tool I ran
claims both servers are secure so I've already elininated that obvious
suggestion for you.
I'm looking for some sort of tweak solution, not necessarily reboot, or
start and stop mssql services before and after the reboot, so If you can
help, I'd greatly appreciate the assistance, because Veritas is doing little
to help me.
And yes, I'm inquiring about this because this is creating performance
issues that sometimes causes the servers to hang or network connectivity to
be lost.Hi
Have a look at this
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321363
It is by design. Once other applications ask for memory, SQL Server gives it
back.
Regards
--
Mike Epprecht, Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Zurich, Switzerland
IM: mike@.epprecht.net
MVP Program: http://www.microsoft.com/mvp
Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/epprecht/
"Ryan" <Ryan@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:20F4D8B6-EC0B-455B-94B7-38EBFADDC892@.microsoft.com...
>I had the task manager open on Windows Small Business Server 2000 during
>the
> last half of the backup and I took a peek every so often. In the last 15
> minutes the backup started copying the sql databases on the Small Business
> Server. The free memory went from 68% to 10% and stays at 10% after the
> backup has finished. The CPU usage also soared to 100% during the backup
> of
> these databases (which took maybe 5 to 7 minutes).
> When I switched over to the processes tab sure enough sqlservr.exe was the
> one eating up all the resources. After the databases were finished the cpu
> usage went back to normal as it finished the rest of the backup but the
> mem
> usage is still the same, even well after the backup finished.
> The Backup Exec 9.1 server with backup exec sp3 is a Windows 2000 terminal
> server box. I have the SQL backup portion of the backup job configured as
> follows:
> Backup Method: Full - Back up entire database or filegroup
> Consistency Check before Backup: Full check, including indexes
> Continue with backup if consistency check fails: checked
> Consistency Check after Backup: Full check, including indexes
> The backups are succeeding though, and several backups without any reboots
> doesn't seem to lower my resources much more. The SBS server currently has
> 7%
> virtual memory, 280mb of free ram (out of 4gigs) and the cpu usage is 15%
> to
> 20%. After the backups. My sqlserv.exe on the SBS server is currently
> using
> 1% to 2% of the cpu, 1.7gigs of ram, and 1.7gigs of virtual memory. This
> is
> all after I think two succesful 5-hour full backups with no reboots.
> My concern here is that the sql service is eating up more memory than it
> needs to because it's not releasing it when its done the backup. I've
> tried
> running a ram defragmenter/washer but the most effective solution is a
> reboot
> after each backup. Is there anything I can do to either in Backup Exec, or
> on
> the SBS SQL server so that the resources are released when the backup is
> complete, or is there a way to stop sql from eating all the resources in
> the
> first place?
> Both servers have sql sp3a and the symantec sasser identification tool I
> ran
> claims both servers are secure so I've already elininated that obvious
> suggestion for you.
> I'm looking for some sort of tweak solution, not necessarily reboot, or
> start and stop mssql services before and after the reboot, so If you can
> help, I'd greatly appreciate the assistance, because Veritas is doing
> little
> to help me.
> And yes, I'm inquiring about this because this is creating performance
> issues that sometimes causes the servers to hang or network connectivity
> to
> be lost.sql