FIX: Heavy Stress on Tempdb w/ Multi-CPU Computer May Cause AVs

• Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5

SYMPTOMS

You may receive "max connection" errors, access violations (AVs) and/or 600- level errors if you are using a multi-processor computer and tempdb is under heavy stress (creating or dropping tables, using SELECT INTO statements, and so on).

In the case of "max connection" errors, the server goes into a spin loop and stops responding. The following is an example of an error message you may receive:

   97/07/12 03:30:43.53 ods      Unable to connect. The maximum number of
   ''''128'''' configured user connections are already connected. System
   Administrator can configure to a higher value with sp_configure.

97/07/12 03:06:10.07 spid11   ***BEGIN STACK TRACE***
97/07/12 03:06:10.18 spid11   0x005DD5BC in debugsr.EXE, getobject() +

97/07/12 03:06:10.34 spid11   0x005A6A34 in debugsr.EXE, droptempo() +

97/07/12 03:06:10.40 spid11   0x0051C4A3 in debugsr.EXE, tmp_alldrop() +

97/07/12 03:06:10.47 spid11   0x00511281 in debugsr.EXE, s_free() + 0x005A
97/07/12 03:06:10.47 spid11   0x0051118A in debugsr.EXE, s_pop() + 0x00B9
97/07/12 03:06:10.50 spid11   0x0055D492 in debugsr.EXE, execproc() +

97/07/12 03:06:10.55 spid11   0x00559751 in debugsr.EXE, s_execute() +

97/07/12 03:06:10.62 spid11   0x0050E5EC in debugsr.EXE, sequencer() +

97/07/12 03:06:10.67 spid11   0x004156C1 in debugsr.EXE, language_exec() +

97/07/12 03:06:10.74 spid11   0x00250FED in opends60.dll
97/07/12 03:06:10.74 spid11   0x0025055B in opends60.dll
97/07/12 03:06:10.74 spid11   0x002414D1 in opends60.dll
97/07/12 03:06:10.74 spid11   0x00241384 in opends60.dll
97/07/12 03:06:10.74 spid11   0x10219D84 in MSVCRT40.dll
97/07/12 03:06:10.74 spid11   0x77F04F2C in KERNEL32.dll
97/07/12 03:06:10.75 spid11   ***END STACK TRACE***
97/07/12 03:06:11.16 kernel   The current contents of process'''' input

Limited testing has shown this problem only occurs in an extremely narrow scope where both a high performance server and heavy volume activity are involved.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server version 6.5. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K