Windows Server 2012R2 can't be pinged while copying big file (HP DL 380 G8)

I have an HP DL380 G8 Server with installed Windows Server 2012 R2 and newest Network drivers etc.

Another Person copied big files from an network share to the local hard disk. While copying the server wasn't reachable any more (no ping, RDP Session could not be established).

There were speculations about network problems on this server before, so we already installed another network card an connected to another port on the switch and installed newest drivers... (but only because we had problems with a program and the service provider of the program didn't know what to do. The problems did remain - so I don't think it is an hardware issue).

Does anybody have an idea why I lost connection (ping / rdp) while copying - and what I can do against it? I think copying shouldn't take the whole bandwith so that I can not even ping or start a RDP session. BTW: copying was successful...

Could it be something with WinSrv 2012R2? I tried it on an other WinSrv 2012R2 Server an lost the ping, too, while copying (but only one or two, not the whole time).... but I had an active RDP Session. It is a bit creepy...

Solution 1:

I've had that happen on Windows servers when copying monstrously large files, too. I suspect your issue is disk I/O and/or Windows Dynamic Cache. Basically, if your disk isn't fast enough to keep up, Windows caches the writes in memory and may use up to 100% of the memory for this.

You can, as of February 2014, manage the size of the cache yourself with this utility from Microsoft.

But first, check your RAID for bad disks. It's probably not that, but since that causes other problems you should probably check that first.