Virtual Guests ( Windows Server 2003 ) performance degradation after patch Tuesday

POTENTIAL LONGEVITY BUG

We observed two Windows Server 2003 Standard 32 bit virtual guests degradation of performance on VMWare Server 2 64 bit on a RHEL 5.1 64 bit host.  The Linux vmx processes eventually reached 100%, and we suspect that a recent Patch Tuesday, which caused guests to reboot, may have been a catalyst.  To diagnose the issue we shutdown one guest and observed the guest's process being killed (the stop) and a new process taking its place (the start).  The Linux CPU consumption went from 100% average to 5% average for that guest (observed at the host and guest levels).  The other guest was rebooted instead of shutdown, and the Linux process hovered near it's earlier extreme CPU demand (dropping from 85% to 65% average).  Then we stopped and started the second guest and it normalized aroun 5% CPU utilization, much the same result that occurred on the other host.

The only way we know how to deal with this issue going forward is to shutdown each host after a Patch Tuesday patching event rather than relying on a reboot.

Anyone else experience this?  Where do I file a bug?

HOST INFORMATION

$ uname -a

Linux dcrh4vmh03 2.6.18-53.el5 #1 SMP Wed Oct 10 16:34:19 EDT 2007 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ cat /etc/redhat-release

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server release 5.1 (Tikanga)

$ rpm -qa | grep VM

VMware-server-2.0.0-122956

$ rpm -q --qf "%\n" VMware-server

x86_64

$ egrep '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

$ cat /proc/cpuinfo

processor    : 0

vendor_id    : GenuineIntel

cpu family    : 6

model        : 15

model name    : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           E5310  @ 1.60GHz

stepping    : 11

cpu MHz        : 1595.930

cache size    : 4096 KB

physical id    : 0

siblings    : 4

core id        : 0

cpu cores    : 4

fpu        : yes

fpu_exception    : yes

cpuid level    : 10

wp        : yes

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

bogomips    : 3194.41

clflush size    : 64

cache_alignment    : 64

address sizes    : 38 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

power management:

processor    : 1

vendor_id    : GenuineIntel

cpu family    : 6

model        : 15

model name    : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           E5310  @ 1.60GHz

stepping    : 11

cpu MHz        : 1595.930

cache size    : 4096 KB

physical id    : 1

siblings    : 4

core id        : 0

cpu cores    : 4

fpu        : yes

fpu_exception    : yes

cpuid level    : 10

wp        : yes

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

bogomips    : 3191.89

clflush size    : 64

cache_alignment    : 64

address sizes    : 38 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

power management:

processor    : 2

vendor_id    : GenuineIntel

cpu family    : 6

model        : 15

model name    : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           E5310  @ 1.60GHz

stepping    : 11

cpu MHz        : 1595.930

cache size    : 4096 KB

physical id    : 0

siblings    : 4

core id        : 1

cpu cores    : 4

fpu        : yes

fpu_exception    : yes

cpuid level    : 10

wp        : yes

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

bogomips    : 3191.90

clflush size    : 64

cache_alignment    : 64

address sizes    : 38 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

power management:

processor    : 3

vendor_id    : GenuineIntel

cpu family    : 6

model        : 15

model name    : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           E5310  @ 1.60GHz

stepping    : 11

cpu MHz        : 1595.930

cache size    : 4096 KB

physical id    : 1

siblings    : 4

core id        : 1

cpu cores    : 4

fpu        : yes

fpu_exception    : yes

cpuid level    : 10

wp        : yes

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

bogomips    : 3191.87

clflush size    : 64

cache_alignment    : 64

address sizes    : 38 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

power management:

processor    : 4

vendor_id    : GenuineIntel

cpu family    : 6

model        : 15

model name    : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           E5310  @ 1.60GHz

stepping    : 11

cpu MHz        : 1595.930

cache size    : 4096 KB

physical id    : 0

siblings    : 4

core id        : 2

cpu cores    : 4

fpu        : yes

fpu_exception    : yes

cpuid level    : 10

wp        : yes

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

bogomips    : 3191.89

clflush size    : 64

cache_alignment    : 64

address sizes    : 38 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

power management:

processor    : 5

vendor_id    : GenuineIntel

cpu family    : 6

model        : 15

model name    : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           E5310  @ 1.60GHz

stepping    : 11

cpu MHz        : 1595.930

cache size    : 4096 KB

physical id    : 1

siblings    : 4

core id        : 2

cpu cores    : 4

fpu        : yes

fpu_exception    : yes

cpuid level    : 10

wp        : yes

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

bogomips    : 3191.89

clflush size    : 64

cache_alignment    : 64

address sizes    : 38 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

power management:

processor    : 6

vendor_id    : GenuineIntel

cpu family    : 6

model        : 15

model name    : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           E5310  @ 1.60GHz

stepping    : 11

cpu MHz        : 1595.930

cache size    : 4096 KB

physical id    : 0

siblings    : 4

core id        : 3

cpu cores    : 4

fpu        : yes

fpu_exception    : yes

cpuid level    : 10

wp        : yes

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

bogomips    : 3191.85

clflush size    : 64

cache_alignment    : 64

address sizes    : 38 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

power management:

processor    : 7

vendor_id    : GenuineIntel

cpu family    : 6

model        : 15

model name    : Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           E5310  @ 1.60GHz

stepping    : 11

cpu MHz        : 1595.930

cache size    : 4096 KB

physical id    : 1

siblings    : 4

core id        : 3

cpu cores    : 4

fpu        : yes

fpu_exception    : yes

cpuid level    : 10

wp        : yes

flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx tm2 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm

bogomips    : 3191.88

clflush size    : 64

cache_alignment    : 64

address sizes    : 38 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

power management:

GUEST INFORMATION

Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition

32 Bit