RAS Server Stops Responding to New PPP Connection Requests

ID: Q246467

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

A Windows NT 4.0-based server that is running Remote Access Services (RAS) may stop responding to new Point-to-Point protocol (PPP) requests from clients. When this occurs, the server appears to continue servicing existing PPP connections, but no new connections are accepted.

This problem occurs only on multiple-processor computers, on which PPP logging is enabled on the server.

CAUSE

When two threads attempt to write to the PPP log file at the same time, a problem in the kernel may cause the thread that is currently writing to the file to enter a wait state from which it never returns. Because the PPP process cannot proceed until log file write operations have finished, the Rasman.exe process stops responding (hangs), putting the computer into a state in which it cannot accept more PPP connections.

RESOLUTION

A supported fix that corrects this problem is now available from Microsoft, but it has not been fully regression tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. If you are not severely affected by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Windows NT 4.0 service pack that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp

The English-language version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:


   Date      Time                 Size     File name     Platform
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   11/18/1999  04:16p             952,896  Ntkrnlmp.exe   i386
   11/18/1999  04:14p             932,736  Ntoskrnl.exe   i386
   11/18/1999  04:13p           1,403,968  Ntkrnlmp.exe   Alpha
   11/18/1999  04:13p           1,375,744  Ntoskrnl.exe   Alpha

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, disable PPS logging on multiple-processor RAS servers.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug