KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q149846: RPC Program Fails When Server Run Down Occurs

Article: Q149846
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork kbProgramming win95 kbAPI kbRPC kbSDKPlatform kbGrpDSNet
Last Modified: 25-MAR-2002

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

- Microsoft Windows 95 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

When you run a multithreaded program that uses the RPC (Remote Procedure Call)
API, or multiple RPC programs concurrently, one of the following error messages
may occur:

  - Invalid Handle

  - RPC Failure

When these error messages occur, the connection to the RPC server is lost.

CAUSE
=====

These errors may occur when all the following conditions exist:

- The RPC server is a DCE (Distributed Computing Environment) server running a
  non-Microsoft operating system such as OS/2 or UNIX.

- There are multiple RPC sockets (threads) being opened, either by a
  multithreaded RPC client program, or by multiple RPC client programs.

- At least one of the RPC threads has been idle long enough for the RPC server
  to time out and automatically terminate (run down) the thread.

Under these conditions, the Windows 95 RPC run-time libraries do not properly
shut down the RPC connection when the server times out and calls its rundown
procedures. Subsequent attempts to create a new RPC connection or access an
existing connection fail, generating one of the error messages listed above.

RESOLUTION
==========


STATUS
======

This problem no longer occurs in Windows 98. To resolve this problem, install
the current version of Windows. For information about the current version of
Windows, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows.

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

Note that this symptom does not occur if Microsoft Windows NT is used as the RPC
server, because Windows NT does not time out and call rundown procedures on the
RPC connection as described above.

A similar update for this issue also exists for Windows NT RPC clients. For
additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q151714 NT RPC Client May Fail Against DCE Server


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbnetwork kbProgramming win95 kbAPI kbRPC kbSDKPlatform kbGrpDSNet 
Technology        : kbWin95search kbZNotKeyword3
Version           : :

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

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.