Large Number of ACTIVATE_SESSION Verbs Causes SNA Server Service to Stop Responding (813646)

SYMPTOMS

The SNA Server service may terminate unexpectedly and cause all connected users to lose their existing host sessions. Additionally, the SNA Server computer will log messages similar to the following in the Microsoft Windows NT Application event log:Event Type: Error
Event Source: SNA Server
Event Category: None
Event ID: 102
Description:
(BC6) Internal Error

SUBCODE INFORMATION
X'0B02' A dynamic storage allocation request has failed.
X'0BC1' Buffer header pointer is corrupted.
X'0BC3' Corruption of internal free buffer pool.
X'0BC5' Free ready pool is empty.
X'0BC6' Free active pool is empty.

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: SNA Server
Event Category: None
Event ID: 624
Description:
Creating dump file C:\Program Files\Host Integration Server\traces\snadump.log for snaservr.exe

EXPLANATION
A process (value) ended abnormally due to a protection violation or internal unrecoverable error condition. Diagnostic information about this has been automatically created by Host Integration Server 2000. If a serious error is logged at the same time as the Event 624, then this likely was the cause of this Event 624.

CAUSE

This problem can occur when an APPC application issues a large number of ACTIVATE_SESSION verbs, or when ACTIVATE_SESSION is issued by an APPC application on a large number of client systems. The SNA Server keeps track of the DEACTIVATION_EVENT handle used by the ACTIVATE_SESSION verb and cannot efficiently handle a large number of these DEACTIVATION_EVENT messages. This problem can occur even if the APPC application does not specify a valid DEACTIVATION_EVENT handle.

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Host Integration Server 2000. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

328152 How to obtain the latest service pack for Host Integration Server 2000

Hotfix information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version     Size    File name
   ------------------------------------------------------
   24-Jan-2003  18:43  5.0.0.900   78,096  Winmgt32.dll

Note: Because of file dependencies, the most recent fix that contains the preceding files may also contain additional files.

MORE INFORMATION

After this fix is applied, the deactivation_event parameter of the ACTIVATE_SESSION verb is treated as an optional parameter instead of as a required parameter. If the APPC application does not specify a handle for the DEACTIVATION_EVENT field, the SNA Server service does not try to send any status messages, and the described problem no longer occurs.