KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q101322: Peer Web Services 3.0 Inbound HTTP Connections Limit

Article: Q101322
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0 SP2
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbenv kbinterop
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 SP2 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

To maintain consistency with the Windows NT Workstation licensing policy,
Microsoft implemented a hard-coded inbound HTTP connection limit with the
introduction of Peer Web Services (PWS) 3.0 for Windows NT Workstation.

Windows NT Workstation 4.0 is designed, priced, supported, and licensed for
access from up to 10 inbound computers. Therefore, the default limit to the
number of inbound HTTP connections in PWS 3.0 is 10. When the eleventh
connection to a Windows NT Workstation peer web service is attempted, the
connection is refused.

Some Web browsers, for example Internet Explorer 3.0, create as many as four HTTP
connections when retrieving pages with multiple inline images. To accommodate
these browsers and pages, it is possible to set the connection limit as high as
40.

The Windows NT Workstation 4.0 End User License Agreement (EULA) contains the
following provision:

  You may install the software product on a single computer for use as
  interactive workstation software, but not as server software. However, you
  may permit a maximum of ten (10) computers to connect to the Workstation
  Computer to access and use services of the software product, such as file and
  print and peer Web services.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Questions and Answers
---------------------

Q. How does Microsoft implement this 10 connection limit?

A. The limitation is in Peer Web Services (PWS) 3.0. It is not implemented in
either the operating system or the TCP/IP protocol and does not affect other web
servers running on Windows NT Workstation.

Q. How did Microsoft choose the maximum value of 40 connections?

A. Each browser typically uses four connections when accessing a web page. To
accommodate up to 10 computers connecting to the Windows NT Workstation PWS,
Microsoft multiplied the four connections by 10 computers, hence the maximum
value of 40.

Q. How can I increase the default limit from 10 to a number less than 40?

A. You can use Internet Service Manager to change the value of connections. Go to
the Properties of the Service and then change the Maximum Connections. You
cannot set more than 40 connections as the maximum value.

Q. How do I know if my machine goes above the 10-connection limit? What happens
if I attempt to use more than 10 connections?

A. The connection that exceeds the set limit receives the following message:

  Too many users.
  There are too many connected users. Please try again later.

The best way to tell if a site is hitting the connection limit is to use
Performance Monitor to monitor the number of connections to the HTTP service
(object HTTP Service, counter Current Connections.)

Q. Does this only apply to the WWW Service, or does it apply to FTP and Gopher
services, too?

A. The inbound limitation applies to all three services of PWS.

Q. PWS 3.0 is included with Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 2. If I install Service
Pack 2 do I automatically upgrade PWS 2.0 (that ships with Windows NT 4.0) to
PWS 3.0?

A. Yes. The upgrade to Service Pack 2 includes PWS 3.0 and happens
automatically.

Q. Can I go back to PWS 2.0?

A. To return to PWS 2.0, uninstall PWS 3.0 and then reinstall PWS 2.0 from your
original Windows NT 4.0 CD-ROM.

Additional query words: prodnt sp2

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbenv kbinterop 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW400sp2
Version           : :4.0 SP2
Issue type        : kbinfo

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.