InDesign Server Startup Memory Issues

[cridley1234]

For some reason, on only one of two (mostly) identical servers (PROD vs TEST), InDesign Server has suddenly started acting very strange when I create an instance.

Here is the console output (same for TEST and PROD):

================================================================================
. InDesign CC Server Version 12.0 x64
. Copyright 1999-2016 Adobe Systems Incorporated and its licensors.
. All rights reserved. See the other legal notices in the ReadMe.
================================================================================
Mon Oct 12 10:25:38 2020 INFO [server] Initializing
Mon Oct 12 10:25:39 2020 INFO [server] Loading the application
Mon Oct 12 10:25:39 2020 INFO [server] Restoring Object Model
Mon Oct 12 10:25:39 2020 INFO [server] Scanning for plug-ins
Mon Oct 12 10:25:39 2020 INFO [server] Initializing plug-ins
Mon Oct 12 10:25:39 2020 INFO [server] Starting up Service Registry
Mon Oct 12 10:25:39 2020 INFO [server] Executing startup services
Mon Oct 12 10:25:39 2020 INFO [server] Using configuration configuration_12345
Mon Oct 12 10:25:39 2020 INFO [server] Initializing Application
Mon Oct 12 10:25:40 2020 INFO [server] Completing Initialization
Mon Oct 12 10:25:40 2020 INFO [server] Image previews are off
Mon Oct 12 10:25:40 2020 INFO [server] Server Running
Mon Oct 12 10:25:40 2020 INFO [javascript] Executing File: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CC Server 2017\Scripts\startup scripts\ConnectInstancesToESTK.js
Mon Oct 12 10:25:40 2020 INFO [javascript] Executing File: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CC Server 2017\Scripts\converturltohyperlink\startup scripts\ConvertURLToHyperlinkMenuItemLoader.jsx
Mon Oct 12 10:25:40 2020 INFO [javascript] Executing File: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CC Server 2017\Scripts\converturltohyperlink\ConvertURLToHyperlinkMenuItem.jsxbin
on Oct 12 10:27:54 2020 INFO [soap] Servicing SOAP requests on port 12345

For some reason, once it outputs the line "ConvertURLToHyperlinkMenuItem.jsxbin" it appears to do nothing for well over 5 minutes, until finally outputting the "Servicing SOAP requests on port 12345" line.

The other thing is that inDesign Server is taking a whole core per instance I attempt to spin up. Normally it takes about 1%.

I need to diagnose the problem. What logging can I get my hands on to see what is going on, please?

Is there logging somewhere I 

[cridley1234]

It is only happening when I run as a particular user on my system.

I need to find some logs. Recommendations appreciated.

Thanks

[Alo Lohrii]

I suspect InDesign Server is trying to load a large number of fonts, presets, color profile etc...thus taking time for the SOAP port to be ready for use.

Once you've got an instance running, run a script against it and query for the list of fonts or presets installed and see if they're the source of the startup delay, should be a good starting point to troubleshoot further

var logFilePath = "~Desktop/idslog.txt";
var logFile = File(logFilePath);

if(!logFile.exists)
{
    logFile = new File(logFilePath);
}

writeToLog("***PDF Presets***", logFile);
for(i=0; i <app.pdfExportPresets.count(); i++)
{
    writeToLog(app.pdfExportPresets[i].name, logFile);
    writeToLog(app.pdfExportPresets[i].fullName, logFile);
}
writeToLog("***Fonts***", logFile);
for(i = 0; i < app.fonts.count(); i++)
{
    writeToLog(app.fonts[i].fullName, logFile);
}

function writeToLog(logString, theLogFile)
{
    theLogFile.writeln(logString);
}

[cridley1234]

If I use windows user A, it is slow.

If I use windows user B, it is not.

It IS possible one user has access to something the other doesn't, but that SHOULDNT be the case.

I will run the script for both users and compare the results.

Thanks

[cridley1234]

So, I tried this.

Once the "servicing" line eventually appears, I tried this script, but the operation timed out. It's not actually servicing requests, yet it has a core constantly maxed out.

Any other ideas, please?

[Alo Lohrii]

Run the above script as a start up script then

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CC Server 2017\Scripts\startup scripts\IDSLog.jsx

[Dirk Becker · Accepted solution]

Have you already tried a system reboot?

If the problem is bound to a user account, purge the preferences for that configuration.

Also watch out for recursion within the scripts folder - in your case namely the user specific scripts. Scanning for startup scripts descends folders, so when you have an alias/link pointing back in the folder hierarchy (I don't even know whether that is possible in Windows) the search will continue to nest until maximum path length.

Beyond that, I'd use any monitoring tools such as Microsoft's Windows Sysinternals and watch for file traffic, other kernal requests, zombie processes that tie up your soap port etc.

[cridley1234]

Didn't realise inDesign created files for each user. Removed the files for the faulty user and it now works.

Thanks

[Alo Lohrii]

Were you able to narrow down, was it something to do with the fonts or presets? If yes, you might want to fix the problem in your script else the problem will eventually come back as more duplicate fonts or presets starts to build up

[Adam Keener]

I am having a very similar issue. Could you expound on what specific files you deleted? Thanks.

[CharlesRidley]

I am using Windows.

I (regularly) delete the user folder from the system (C:\Users\Your_User), but make sure you also remove the registry key for that user from "\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\". The user only exists on this machine to run InDesign Server so this works for me.

There are adobe-related files throughout this folder.

[Adam Keener]

Hi Dirk, I'm seeing a very similar error. What scripts folder are you referring to spefically? I don't think we've modified them recently but this is by far the closest similar case we're seeing.