Event ID 5186 from Windows Activation Services

introduction

As IT administrators, we often find ourselves wading through a sea of ​​system logs trying to figure out which events are routine and which ones require immediate attention. One such event that catches our eye is Event ID 5186 from Windows Activation Services (WAS). At first glance, it may seem like just another informational message, but understanding its significance can provide valuable insight into how you manage your web applications in IIS.

This blog will look into the details of Event ID 5186, explaining why the event occurs, what it means for your application pool, and how to fine-tune your server settings to optimize performance. Whether you are troubleshooting unexpected worker process behavior or simply want to improve your knowledge of working with IIS, this guide will help you.

Let’s take a look at the details of this event and see what it can tell us about the inner workings of the server.

Event ID 5186 in Windows Activation Services (WAS)

Event Details:

• Log Name: system
• source: Microsoft-Windows-WAS
• date: 27 Aug 2024 1:53:26 PM
• Event ID: 5186
• Job Category: doesn’t exist
• water level: information
• Keywords: authoritative
• user: doesn’t exist
• computer: Server name
• explanation: The worker process with process ID ‘26648’ serving application pool ‘StackOverFlowWebApp’ has terminated due to inactivity. The application pool timeout configuration is set to 20 minutes. New worker processes will be started when needed.

What is Event ID 5186?

Event ID 5186 is an informational event generated by Windows Activation Services (WAS), a core component of Internet Information Services (IIS) that manages the life cycle of application pools. This event specifically indicates that a worker process serving an application pool has terminated due to inactivity after a specified timeout period. In this case, the application pool named ‘StackOverFlow Web App’ We have set the timeout configuration to 20 minutes. If the worker process does not receive any requests within this time frame, WAS will automatically terminate it to free up system resources.

Why does this happen?

that Idle timeout The setting in the application pool configuration is responsible for triggering this event. This setting is designed to optimize resource utilization on the server by terminating idle worker processes that are not actively processing requests. The timeout period is configurable, and after a period of inactivity, WAS determines that the worker process is no longer needed and terminates it.

This mechanism is particularly useful in environments where resource management is critical, such as servers that host multiple application pools or handle variable workloads. By terminating idle processes, the system can allocate resources more efficiently, reducing overhead and improving overall performance.

What happens after a government shutdown?

When a worker process is terminated due to inactivity, the associated application pool is not permanently inactive. WAS is designed to automatically start a new worker process when the next request is made to the application pool. This allows users to continue using the application without any noticeable downtime. The termination process is graceful, so that all pending requests are completed before the process is terminated.

However, frequent shutdowns and restarts can cause latency, especially for applications that have long startup times or that require a warm-up period. Administrators should consider the characteristics of their applications and server workloads when configuring the Idle Timeout setting.

How to modify idle timeout settings

If your worker processes are terminating too often or your application needs more time to stay alive, you can adjust the following: Idle timeout Set it in IIS Manager. Here’s how:

1. open IIS Manager.
2. Choose Application Pool In the Connections window.
3. Locate and select the application pool you want to configure (e.g. ‘StackOverFlowWebApp’).
4. at act Click on the panel Advanced Settings.
5. Below Process Model Find it in the section Idle timeout (minutes) environment.
6. Adjust the timeout value as needed. The default is 20 minutes, but you can increase or decrease it as per your requirements.

Reference links:

Additional Considerations

The default Idle Timeout setting works well in many scenarios, but there are cases where it may need to be adjusted.

• High traffic applications: For applications that experience frequent traffic spikes, it may be a good idea to reduce the idle timeout to quickly reclaim resources during off-demand periods.
• Long running processes: Applications with long-running tasks may require a longer idle timeout to prevent premature termination.
• Resource-constrained environments: On servers with limited resources, setting a shorter idle timeout helps prevent resource contention by terminating idle processes sooner.

conclusion

Event ID 5186 is normalThis is an informational event that plays a critical role in maintaining efficient server performance. By understanding how and why this event is triggered, IT administrators can fine-tune IIS application pool settings to better suit their specific server environment and application requirements. Adjusting the Idle Timeout setting can help achieve the right balance between resource utilization and application availability.