Server playing up - any ideas?

Hi,
I have a Dual 2.3GHz PowerPC XServe with 3GB RAM running 10.4.8 server software which seems to be playing up. It is an Open Directory Master, Windows PDC running DNS, DHCP, NAT, VPN and acts as the company mailserver for around 80 users.
What seems to be happening is that I receive a phone call from one of the users (normally either around 9.30am in the morning, or around 6.00pm in the evening) saying that the server has stopped working. They normally perceive that it has stopped working because their mail client (Outlook) has tried to send and/or receive a mail message and it has reported that it cannot contact the mailserver and has popped up an error message on their screen, prompting a phone call to me at the help desk.
9 times out of 10, I can at this stage, log on with ARD and all appears to be normal. The server is responsive and nothing untoward shows up in the logs. Then, on phoning others in the office to see if they have a problem, they report all is fine and indeed the user who had originally reported the problem is working again.
It's almost as though some sort of timeout has been invoked in the client software which is causing them to think the server has fallen over. However, having said this, on other occassions, I have failed to connect to the server with ARD and have had to perform a reboot of the server in order to get the system running again.
The interval between these 'failures' seems to have no pattern. Sometimes, the server will run for 3 or 4 days with no occurence of the problem, and other days, like today, it was reported to be a problem at 9.36am and again at 17.50pm. The strange thing was that this morning, by the time I picked up the voice mail reporting the problem - around 20 mins later - I had another voicemail from the same user saying, "thanks for fixing it, it's all working again" and I hadn't actually got around to even logging on with ARD due to other support calls! This evening, I couldn't connect, and had to get a colleague to reboot.
Does any body recognise this pattern? Has anybody experienced this and have some sort of idea as to what might be the cause or where I should start to look? Logs don't seem to give a clue, and I have trawled through them looking for problems and honestly can't see any.
3GB should be enough to run this server, but I am as a matter of course, going to try installing another 4 x 1GB modules to give it a total of 7GB and see if the pattern of failures still happens.
Please let me know if you have any other ideas.
Thanks
Paul
PowerBook G4 17"   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

As you say, it does sound like an authentication timeout - around the 'busy' times?
Anything in these that might help you (you might have seen them already)...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304106
http://www.afp548.com/article.php?story=20060329213629494
-david

Similar Messages

  • I synced iTunes from my computer to a new iPad. All of my purchases appear and are listed as downloaded, but none of the will play. Any ideas?

    I synced iTunes from my computer to a new iPad. My purchased music appears as normal in the list and is designated as downloaded, but none of it will play.  Any ideas of what I can do?

    try resetting the device by holding down the home and sleep key, past the red power down slider and until you see the silver apple. Let it reboot and see if that helps.
    Also, try finding a free app, any free app, download it on your ipad then see if that gets your others to work.You can delete the free app if it works (or if it doesn't for that matter)

  • Videos, such as the videos on Youtube, will not play. Any ideas?

    videos, such as the videos on Youtube, will not play. Any ideas?

    will1942 wrote:
    Adobe Flash will not work
    Please start a new topic about your issue so it can receive more focused attention. 
    Include your system information along with the model of your Macbook Pro which you did not supply and describe in detail all you have attempted to do in order to resolve the issue.

  • I have an ipad 2 and it constantly buffers on I players such as itv and 4od. I have an iPhone 5 and on the same wifi it's perfectly fine yet my ipad won't play. Any ideas??

    I have an ipad 2 and it constantly buffers on I players such as itv and 4od. I have an iPhone 5 and on the same wifi it's perfectly fine yet my ipad won't play. Any ideas??

    Hi,
    Have you tried a reset?
    This solves a lot of these problems, and I'm not sure if this will work in your case, but give it a try. You hold down the sleep and home buttons at the same time. A slider will appear. Ignore it and keep holding both buttons down. After about 15 seconds the Apple logo will appear. See if that helps.
    You will not lose anything on your ipad when you do a reset. (A restore is a whole other issue!)
    The following link addresses your issue and offers some other possible solutions.
    http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/fix-slow-streaming-ipad-27814.html
    Hope this helps.

  • TS1424 I have downloaded an audiobook, but it won't play.  Any ideas?

    I have downloaded an audiobook, but it won't play.  Any ideas?

    on what device does it not play on?

  • Have just install itunes on a new PC running windows 8 and I am getting very bad distortion when playing music, any ideas

    Have just install itunes on a new PC running windows 8 and I am getting very bad distortion when playing music, any ideas. Music on web (youtube) is working fine.

    Use a different browser.
    iTunes can only be installed and run in desktop mode.

  • HT1657 my movie rental downloaded but it will not play. I rented a movie yesterday so I know that my laptop is capable. I can see images of each chapter but the movie won't play. Any idea?

    my movie rental downloaded but it will not play. I rented a movie yesterday so I know that my laptop is capable. I can see images of each chapter but the movie won't play. Any idea?

    Hi there kirk279,
    You may find the troubleshooting steps in the article below helpful.
    Troubleshooting iTunes for Windows Vista or Windows 7 video playback performance issues
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1718
    -Griff W. 

  • Can't open my Yahoo email.  Message says "connection to the server failed". Any ideas to get there?

    Can't open my Yahoo email.  Message says "connection to the server failed". Any ideas to get there?

    Hi saghd,
    I have an article for you that will walk you through some troubleshooting steps regarding this issue:
    iOS: Troubleshooting Mail
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3899
    Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities!
    Cheers,
    Braden

  • Cannot use Safari or any net based apps. Keep getting "server not responding" any ideas?

    when trying to use Safari, or any internet based Apps (ie:facebook,youtube) my daughters Ipad gives me a few min wait, then says " unable to connect, server not responding" . At first I thought it was my Wifi.. nope.. everything else in the house connects just fine. Then I thought that maaaybe I needed to re-login onto my wifi from the Ipad... nope.
    Any ideas??
    Thank you
    I am asking about an original Ipad... idk whyit says Ipad2

    Even though other devices are connected to wifi, it still could be that you are not connected. Is the wifi icon at the top of the display illuminated.
    Look at iOS Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections  http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1398
    Additional things to try.
    Turn Off your iPad. Then turn Off (disconnect power cord) the wireless router & then back On. Now boot your iPad. Hopefully it will see the WiFi.
    Change the channel on your wireless router. Instructions at http://macintoshhowto.com/advanced/how-to-get-a-good-range-on-your-wireless-netw ork.html
    How to Quickly Fix iPad 3 Wi-Fi Reception Problems
    http://osxdaily.com/2012/03/21/fix-new-ipad-3-wi-fi-reception-problems/
    If none of the above suggestions work, look at this link.
    iPad Wi-Fi Problems: Comprehensive List of Fixes
    http://appletoolbox.com/2010/04/ipad-wi-fi-problems-comprehensive-list-of-fixes/
     Cheers, Tom
    How to Quickly Fix iPad 3 Wi-Fi Reception Problems
    http://osxdaily.com/2012/03/21/fix-new-ipad-3-wi-fi-reception-problems/

  • On Mini iPad cannot connect to iTunes or AppStore when signed in - works on other devices. iTunes states that server certificate invalid - any ideas?

    When signed in with valid Apple ID have started receiving the following message when trying to open iTunes 'The certificate for this server is invalid. You might be connecting to a server that is pretending to be "itunes.apple.com" which could put your confidential information at risk.'
    When I try to access teh App Store it says "Cannot connect to server"
    When re-entering Apple ID and Password in Settings I get 'Cannot connect to iTunes Store'.
    This is a new problem - I have been connected until very recently and the Apple ID and connectivity are fine on other devices...
    Any ideas?
    Thanks!

    Saw this on another post.
    Applecare Senior Advisor Txx Bxxx (I have his contact info in an email he just sent) just confirmed with me that the problem people are having with the App Store not loading is an apple issue with there servers, ITS NOT YOUR IPAD so don't go restoring it!   It's not happening to everyone however but they are looking into it, its really hit or miss.
    In the meantime ...........
    The Complete Guide to Using the iTunes Store
    http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/the-complete-guide-to-using-t he-itunes-store/
    Can't connect to the iTunes Store
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1368
    iTunes: Advanced iTunes Store troubleshooting
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3297
    Best Fixes for ‘Cannot Connect to iTunes Store’ Errors
    http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-tips-tricks/best-fixes-for-cannot-connect-to-itunes- store-errors/
    Try this first - Reset the iPad by holding down on the sleep and home buttons at the same time for about 10-15 seconds until the Apple Logo appears - ignore the red slider - let go of the buttons.
    This works for some users. Not sure why.
    Go to Settings>General>Date and Time> Set Automatically>Off. Set the date ahead by about a year.Then see if you can connect to the store.
     Cheers, Tom

  • AVI's have stopped playing.. any ideas?

    I did a clean install... plugged in my ext. hd, and was happy to find that my avi movies coupld play in the finder, through quicklook.
    Now, though, they won play in quicklook, but they also won't play in quictime(or qt-amateur). I tried flip4mac, but I wonder if that caused more harm than good. Any ideas as how to get my avi functionality back in the finder(btw, i've tried the MIME settings...).
    thanks in advance.

    ty. i've used perian before, when i was on tiger.
    i'm gonna try and reinstall qt first though. i dont like the idea of having fix something with a plug-in, that worked less than 4 hours ago, natively.

  • Ipod has stopped putting songs into the recently played list, Any ideas Y?

    My ipod has stopped counting songs and also now wont put any songs into the recently played playlist and its really annoying- Any ideas on how i can sort this out? I've reset the ipod which has done nothing and i have also updated itunes but again to no avail- Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
    Lisa

    I am also having this (or a similar) problem. For years I had an Auto Playlist of Podcasts with "Play Count is Zero"/Live updating rules so they were removed each time I synced my iPod after I listened to them. Recently, the Playlist has stopped updating. That is, the podcasts stay in the playlist because the play counts never update. They show in the podcast library with 0 plays no matter how many times I play them on my iPod.
    I also noticed that none of songs I play have their playcounts updated in the Library after I play them on my iPod. All the syncing seems to be going one way (from the PC to the iPod and not the other way around). I picked a song with a playcount of 1 and it over and over just to test it out and no dice/no update.
    Any clues? Is there a setting I am missing? I tried resetting the iPod.... And the iPod played tunes/casts are also not appearing in the Recently Played list....
    Message was edited by: Brian Kovach
    Message was edited by: Brian Kovach

  • When we are watching something on Apple TV and our Macbook Pro turns on or off the Apple TV goes back to the menu and stops whatever is currently playing.  Any idea how to stop this?

    Any ideas?

    Thanks, but there has to be someway through ITunes or something to make this not happen.  It used to not do this so something with an update or something must have changed a setting somewhere.  Anyone else have any ideas?

  • I have first gen I pad and using king app like candy crush and all of a sudden they are crashing when I try open or play them any ideas what I can o, they seem can help me,

    I have I pad first gen and have laded King App Candy Crush and all of sudden they keep crashing when I try playing them, any suggestions.  king Forum was no help.

    One of the basic troubleshooting steps for apps that continue to crash is to delete them and reinstall them. but you don't want to do that because you will lose all of your progress and have to start all over again. On the other hand, if the apps are unplayable anyway, what good is the progress that you have achieve if the apps won't work?
    I would start with real basic things. Close all other apps on your iPad, reset the device and then see if that makes any difference. Since you are running iOS 5, you close apps by double tapping the home button to get to the multitasking tray at the bottom of the screen, hold down on an app icon until all of the icons wiggle, then tap the minus sign in the upper left corner of the icon. Close all of the apps in the multitasking try this way. Swipe to the left to get to each and every app and close them all. After they have all been close, tap the home button twice.
    Now reset your iPad by holding down on the sleep and home buttons at the same time for about 10 seconds until the Apple Logo appears on the screen. Let go of the buttons when you see the Apple logo and let the iPad start up.  Try Candy Crush or one of the other games and see how they work for you now.

  • Installed iTunes 11.1.5.5 om Windows Vista 64 and iTunes always crashes after a few minutes of playing tunes.Any ideas why?

    Any help appreciated. ITunes always crashes (stops working and I get the message to close it) after a few minutes of playing tunes.

    Hello there, TMacID14.
    The following Knowledge Base article offers up some great pointers tor troubleshooting playback issues in iTunes:
    iTunes and QuickTime for Windows: Audio does not play or plays incorrectly
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1362
    Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
    Cheers,
    Pedro.

Maybe you are looking for