It seems that Windows Server 2008 includes a predefined task in the task scheduler library called \Microsoft\Windows\Cerficate Services Client\SystemTask which runs every 8 hours and seems to be responsible for the launch of a tracerpt process which then proceeds to consume up to ~7GB of private bytes. Although it is set to below normal CPU, it is the fact that it still manages to swap everything else out that brings the server to a crawl. Given that the server's normal memory load is 4GB, I'm not keen to recommend adding extra memory just to satisfy this one process. Does anyone have any other information about this task? For instance, I'm wondering whether it's safe to change the schedule of the task so that it only runs when the server has no active users. In case it helps, the command line of the tracerpt process is "C:\Windows\system32\tracerpt.exe" *.etl *.blg -report "report.xml" -y -df "C:\PerfLogs\Admin\System Performance\\20110421-0390\RPTF8C2.tmp"

It sounds like the System Performance data collector set is running and gathering a lot of data. If you open Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) and expand out Data Collector Sets\System\ you should find System Performance. You might want to take a look in there and see if it's scheduled or if anything looks out of place. I'm looking at a 2008 R2 server right now, so it might be different, but there's also a "Data Manager" option that allows for data to be pruned. How large is C:\PerfLogs\Admin\System Performance right now?

Hi Customer, I check on windows 2008, the system task setting is not do any actions about tracerpt. Tracerpt is a command for generating trace analysis reports from file *.etl and *.blg. Please remove this action from the task. You could export this task (xml format)from another server and import this task to this server. If the server does not use certificate, just remove the task should be ok. Tracerpt http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc773221(WS.10).aspx Regards, Rick Tan

It sounds like the System Performance data collector set is running and gathering a lot of data. If you open Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) and expand out Data Collector Sets\System\ you should find System Performance. You might want to take a look in there and see if it's scheduled or if anything looks out of place. None of the System sets was scheduled, but I noticed a User Defined set also called System Performance that was scheduled to run from 08:00 to 16:00 every day, starting on the 25th of March. (There was also a User Defined copy of the System Diagnostics set, but that wasn't scheduled.) I'm looking at a 2008 R2 server right now, so it might be different, but there's also a "Data Manager" option that allows for data to be pruned. How large is C:\PerfLogs\Admin\System Performance right now? In total, about 3.5GB. (It gets deleted after tracerpt.exe finishes processing. According to Process Explorer, tracerpt.exe ended up consuming 9.7GB in private bytes.)

I check on windows 2008, the system task setting is not do any actions about tracerpt. Tracerpt is a command for generating trace analysis reports from file *.etl and *.blg. Please remove this action from the task. It seems that one process was being used to run two tasks, one of which was this SystemTask but there is also a second task called "\Microsoft\Windows\PLA\System Performance" which I couldn't see because it's a hidden task.

Hi Customer, Please use Process Explorer tool to monitor tracerpt process more details, you could rename tracerpt.exe to work around this issue. Process Explorer v14.1 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-au/sysinternals/bb896653Regards, Rick Tan

Well, I've delete the two apparently bogus user defined sets, with no ill effects so far, fingers crossed...