The time stamp counter of CPU on scheduler id X is not synchronized with other CPUs

microsoft.public.sqlserver.server

3 Dec 2008 12:34 PM

Paul Cahill

We are shortly going to go live with our new (and 1st) 64 bit server. I have
just noticed the above errors in the Application Log.

The system is an HP DL580G5 with 4 x 6 core Xeon x7460 Cpus. It is running
Windows 2008 Enterprise and Sql Server 2005 Sp2 CU10.

I have done some googling. Items I have read point at cpu throttling being
an issue for SQL Server statistical timing. I have set the bios to run in
non-powersaving mode and set the Windows power settings to Maximum
Performance. Windows 2008 does not have the old "Always On" option. Using
CPUZ I can still see the cpu's clock up and down with the mulitplier
changing from x10 to x8 (2667Mhz x10 and 2133Mhz ). I have one of our server
staff looking into this as it might be the BIOS is overridden by HP
Integrated Lights Out

The article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931279 also mentions setting an
affinity mask. I am not sure what I should (if at all) set for a 24 core
system particularly as the BOL article,
ms-help://MS.SQLCC.v9/MS.SQLSVR.v9.en/udb9/html/5823ba29-a75d-4b3e-ba7b-421c07ab3ac1.htm,
suggests one should understand what NUMA architecture the system is to set
an affinity mask.

Is this something to worry about and if so can anyone recommend a solution?

Thanks
Paul Cahill

3 Dec 2008 3:06 PM

Joe

Hi Paul,
I wanted to send you 2 links from MS pss engineers that say this error has
never been linked to a problem. http://blogs.msdn.com/psssql/archive/2007/08/19/sql-server-2005-rdtsc-truths-and-myths-discussed.aspx http://blogs.msdn.com/psssql/archive/2006/11/27/sql-server-2005-sp2-will-introduce-new-messages-to-the-error-log-related-to-timing-activities.aspx

Please note from the above links.
(1) the "not synchronized" error is the less serious of the errors
(2) Generally the Microsoft SQL Server support team considers drift less
than several seconds, noise. Again, it is only a guideline for administrators
and support to be cautious when looking at the durational values from various
performance outputs.
(3)If you are receiving drift warnings it is a good practice to make sure
that you have the latest firmware, micro-code and BIOS updates.

As you read though the links above you will come upon
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931279
Yes I know you mentoioned the above link.
Is Always on set?
In addition reading the article carefully suggests changing the affinity
only when a reboot is not possible after changing power settings.
I am very wary of changing affinity. I know situations where it is
appropriate, but......

Hope the above helps earlier this year and late last year was seeing this
message alot with AMD processors. In that situation 3\4 of the issues were
positively impacted by updateing the firmware.

Show quoteHide quote

"Paul Cahill" wrote:

> We are shortly going to go live with our new (and 1st) 64 bit server. I have
> just noticed the above errors in the Application Log.
>
> The system is an HP DL580G5 with 4 x 6 core Xeon x7460 Cpus. It is running
> Windows 2008 Enterprise and Sql Server 2005 Sp2 CU10.
>
> I have done some googling. Items I have read point at cpu throttling being
> an issue for SQL Server statistical timing. I have set the bios to run in
> non-powersaving mode and set the Windows power settings to Maximum
> Performance. Windows 2008 does not have the old "Always On" option. Using
> CPUZ I can still see the cpu's clock up and down with the mulitplier
> changing from x10 to x8 (2667Mhz x10 and 2133Mhz ). I have one of our server
> staff looking into this as it might be the BIOS is overridden by HP
> Integrated Lights Out
>
> The article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931279 also mentions setting an
> affinity mask. I am not sure what I should (if at all) set for a 24 core
> system particularly as the BOL article,
> ms-help://MS.SQLCC.v9/MS.SQLSVR.v9.en/udb9/html/5823ba29-a75d-4b3e-ba7b-421c07ab3ac1.htm,
> suggests one should understand what NUMA architecture the system is to set
> an affinity mask.
>
> Is this something to worry about and if so can anyone recommend a solution?
>
> Thanks
> Paul Cahill
>
>
>
>

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3 Dec 2008 3:38 PM

Paul Cahill

Thanks for the Truths and Myths link and the hints that I should not be too
concerned.

Windows 2008 does not have the "Always On" setting. The power options are
the same as Vista's. I have chosen "High Performance".
I checked the firmware we are on P61, the latest released Sep/08.

The CPU's are still changing multipliers despite the BIOS setting telling
them not to. It's possible that HP's ILO program maybe overriding the BIOS.

We are not in production yet. The machine is idle and the warning occurs
every now and then eg twice in the past half hour.

Paul

Show quoteHide quote

"Joe" <J**@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:70617920-3B22-474E-BF51-5BDB28184063@microsoft.com...
> Hi Paul,
> I wanted to send you 2 links from MS pss engineers that say this error has
> never been linked to a problem.
> http://blogs.msdn.com/psssql/archive/2007/08/19/sql-server-2005-rdtsc-truths-and-myths-discussed.aspx
> http://blogs.msdn.com/psssql/archive/2006/11/27/sql-server-2005-sp2-will-introduce-new-messages-to-the-error-log-related-to-timing-activities.aspx
>
> Please note from the above links.
> (1) the "not synchronized" error is the less serious of the errors
> (2) Generally the Microsoft SQL Server support team considers drift less
> than several seconds, noise. Again, it is only a guideline for
> administrators
> and support to be cautious when looking at the durational values from
> various
> performance outputs.
> (3)If you are receiving drift warnings it is a good practice to make sure
> that you have the latest firmware, micro-code and BIOS updates.
>
> As you read though the links above you will come upon
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931279
> Yes I know you mentoioned the above link.
> Is Always on set?
> In addition reading the article carefully suggests changing the affinity
> only when a reboot is not possible after changing power settings.
> I am very wary of changing affinity. I know situations where it is
> appropriate, but......
>
> Hope the above helps earlier this year and late last year was seeing this
> message alot with AMD processors. In that situation 3\4 of the issues
> were
> positively impacted by updateing the firmware.
>
> "Paul Cahill" wrote:
>
>> We are shortly going to go live with our new (and 1st) 64 bit server. I
>> have
>> just noticed the above errors in the Application Log.
>>
>> The system is an HP DL580G5 with 4 x 6 core Xeon x7460 Cpus. It is
>> running
>> Windows 2008 Enterprise and Sql Server 2005 Sp2 CU10.
>>
>> I have done some googling. Items I have read point at cpu throttling
>> being
>> an issue for SQL Server statistical timing. I have set the bios to run in
>> non-powersaving mode and set the Windows power settings to Maximum
>> Performance. Windows 2008 does not have the old "Always On" option. Using
>> CPUZ I can still see the cpu's clock up and down with the mulitplier
>> changing from x10 to x8 (2667Mhz x10 and 2133Mhz ). I have one of our
>> server
>> staff looking into this as it might be the BIOS is overridden by HP
>> Integrated Lights Out
>>
>> The article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931279 also mentions setting
>> an
>> affinity mask. I am not sure what I should (if at all) set for a 24 core
>> system particularly as the BOL article,
>> ms-help://MS.SQLCC.v9/MS.SQLSVR.v9.en/udb9/html/5823ba29-a75d-4b3e-ba7b-421c07ab3ac1.htm,
>> suggests one should understand what NUMA architecture the system is to
>> set
>> an affinity mask.
>>
>> Is this something to worry about and if so can anyone recommend a
>> solution?
>>
>> Thanks
>> Paul Cahill
>>
>>
>>
>>