NetWare allocates a base number of Server Process threads to handle requests. If the number of active requests exceeds the number of Server Process threads, NetWare will allocate another Server Process thread up to the maximum defined in the SET parameters.

The last Server Process thread used (freed) is reused when another request is received. The threads are used in a circular buffer fashion until all are active at which time another is allocated (if the maximum has not been reached) or the request is refused with a Server Busy reply.

The most active Server Process thread may not be the first (or 01) process. It depends upon the most recent load, last completed client request, and Server Process thread count activity/status. Therefore, it is impossible to associate a Server Process and a specific client.

It is not unusual for clients to experience intermittent delays in the processing of requests due to Server Process loads. NetWare v4 delays can often be traced compression or NDS (Directory Service) synchronization. Improper or too aggressive compression can create more problems than the extra disk space buys. NDS Servers create client connections with other NDS Servers in order to keep the NDS database and replicas synchronized. During resynchronization or updates to the database and replicas, it is not unusual for Server performance to degrade due to heavy Server processing of NDS client requests.

In addition, Anti-Virus, Auditing, and Software Licensing NLMs will often hook into the Server Process through CLIB File Hook APIs (in such events, you should see a Console message announcing the registration of a CLIB File Hook when loading the NLM). Failure by these NLMs to provide timely processing will often be masked since they are using Server Process time slice allocated by NetWare.

Further adding to the Server Process load is the fact that NLMs can log into both the local and remote Servers, submitting requests which are received and processed as client activity. Such NLM connections are not unusual in Print Server, Backup, and similar applications which process across Servers.

For these same reasons, it is also not unusual for NetWare to report a Server xx Process as the active process in an ABEND. The challenge is identifying the true source of the problem (refer to Abnormal End (ABEND) and Debugger Information or Diagnosing an ABEND for more information).