BUG: BCP In Fails With Files Larger Than 1.8 GB

• Microsoft SQL Server, version 6.0

SYMPTOMS

When you use the SQL Server 6.0 BCP utility to copy in files larger than approximately 1.8 GB in size, it can fail with the error:

   BCP copy in failed.

CAUSE

The version 6.0 BCP utility uses the Win32 file mapping APIs for improved performance. At the boundary where BCP switches from file mapping to regular disk I/O, (approximately 1.8 GB) the switchover does not happen successfully, which in turn causes this problem.

WORKAROUND

You can split the input file into several files no larger than about 1.5 GB. Alternatively, the SQL Server version 4.2 BCP utility and corresponding DB-Library file NTWDBLIB.DLL can be used instead. This works correctly against a version 4.2 server or a version 6.0 server as long as only version 4.2 datatypes are used. It is possible to run the 4.2 BCP utility and 4.2 DB-Library on a version 6.0 server computer, because Windows NT resolves DLLs based on path. This makes it possible to have multiple versions of a given DLL in use concurrently, as long as they have different disk paths. In this case, you would place version the 4.2 files BCP.EXE and NTWDBLIB.DLL in a separate directory, and execute the utility from that directory. SQL Server itself and other DB-Library programs running on the server computer besides BCP could continue using the version 6.0 DB- Library.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SQL Server 6.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.