SMS 2003 Perf Threshold: Site Server Scheduler Jobs Backlog > 10,000 over 3 hours

Summary

The total number of site server scheduler jobs queued has exceeded the standard operational threshold. The site server scheduler manages data transfer between sites so large backlogs mean information is not being processed to send through the site hierarchy. If this condition is caused by isolated events such as a large software distribution package being sent to another site, the problem may resolve on its own if there is sufficient processing time. If the condition is caused by repeated events, such as large numbers of clients sending resynchronized inventory, the problem will not be resolved until you fix the root cause. If the queued scheduler jobs count keeps going beyond the threshold, the length of time required to complete site-to-site communication increases. This could result in delays in processing software distribution to child sites or in refreshing inventory information about parent sites.

Causes

The site server scheduler job messages can exceed the threshold because:

• The SMS Executive service is stopped or not responding on the site server.

• The site server scheduler jobs processing rate is slower than the incoming rate of jobs to be scheduled.

• The site server has insufficient resources such as CPU, memory, or disk space.

• The administrator has sent a large package, or several packages, to one or more child sites.

• The sender is not functioning properly between the two sites. This could be due to several reasons, such as network connectivity issues, account access problems, or sender configuration errors.

• The administrator has deleted a large number of inventory records, which triggered a large number of inventory resynchronization requests.

• A large number of clients has attached to a new site, which triggered a large number of inventory resynchronization requests.

Resolutions

To resolve this issue and lower the number of queued scheduler jobs:

• Verify that the threshold for this alert is not too low and is beyond the standard operating threshold for this specific SMS site.

• Verify that the SMS Executive service is running on the site server. If it is stopped or not responding, restart the service.

• Verify that the sender can connect to the destination site.

• Evaluate the processing rates for software distribution to child sites. If the baseline performance for typical package processing is unacceptable, add resources or upgrade to a more powerful computer.

• Reduce the size of packages sent to child sites or send them less frequently.

• Avoid actions that generate large amounts of traffic between sites, such as resynchronized inventory.

External

For more information about server sizing, see Scenarios and Procedures for Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003: Planning and Deployment at the Systems Management Server 2003 Product Documentation Web page.

For more information about backlogs and site maintenance, see Scenarios and Procedures for Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003: Maintenance, Backup and Recovery at the Systems Management Server 2003 Product Documentation Web page.

For more information about troubleshooting Scheduler, see Troubleshooting Flowcharts at the Systems Management Server 2003 Product Documentation Web page.

For more assistance, a list of additional support options is available in the support section of the SMS Web site at Support for Systems Management Server.

Additional

If this alert is generating too many false positives, you can modify the threshold tab of the rule properties to designate values more appropriate for your environment.

This alert is best handled by SMS administrators

Related Events

You can also look for alerts relating to the SMS Executive service being stopped or the site server has insufficient resources (such as CPU, memory). These alerts are the potential cause of the site server scheduler jobs alert. Depending on the cause, it is likely that other types of backlogs such as scheduler send requests on the site server are also increasing, and corresponding alerts are occurring. If the backlog is due to sender problems, you may see sender-related alerts.