Host Account Cache Requires Configuration of Master/Backup Role

ID: Q164912

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft SNA Server, version 3.0
on the following platforms: NT

SYMPTOMS

When you install the SNA Server Host Account Cache service (SnaDatabase) on a Windows NT Primary Domain Controller (PDC) or Backup Domain Controller (BDC) server (using the SNA Server Host Security Setup program), the administrator must manually configure the role as master or backup.

CAUSE

The SNA Server Host Account Cache service relies on static configuration of its role.

RESOLUTION

An update to SNA Server 3.0 is available to correct this problem.

The SNA Host Account Cache service (for example, SnaDatabase) now regularly checks the following two conditions:

It determines whether its role within the registry has been changed by checking the following registry key:


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SnaDatabase\ 
      Parameters\Master: REG_DWORD:  (1 = master, 0 = backup/secondary)

If determines whether the computer on which it is running has become a Windows NT PDC or has been demoted to a BDC.

If either condition is true (with the registry setting taking precedence), the SnaDatabase service performs an internal shutdown and restarts in the new role.

Also, the Host Account Cache role dialog has been removed from the Host Security setup script.

NOTE: The Snadatabase registry entry is not valid for SNA Server version 4.0.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SNA Server version 3.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft SNA Server 3.0 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

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbnetwork prodsna kbbug3.00 kbfix3.00.sp1
Version : WINDOWS:3.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug