KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q188893: SnaBase Hangs When 256th Process Added to Internal Process Table

Article: Q188893
Product(s): Microsoft SNA Server
Version(s): 3.0,3.0 SP1,3.0 SP2,3.0 SP3,4.0,4.0 SP1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 25-OCT-2001

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

- Microsoft SNA Server, versions 3.0, 3.0 SP1, 3.0 SP2, 3.0 SP3, 4.0, 4.0 SP1 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

The Control Panel Services tool may indicate that the SnaBase service is not
running even though Snabase.exe appears in the Windows NT Task List. If you
attempt to stop the SnaBase service from an MS-DOS command prompt when it is in
this state, it results in an error message indicating that the service cannot be
controlled in this state.

CAUSE
=====

The Snadmod.dll file (running underneath the SnaBase service) keeps track of
each SNA application that is running on a system in a table that can contain up
to 255 entries. This problem can occur if the table is full and a two hundred
fifty sixth entry is added to the table. The addition of the two hundred fifty
sixth entry to a table defined for 255 entries causes memory owned by other SNA
Server processes to be overwritten, which can cause unpredictable results. In
this case, the result was that the SnaBase service stopped responding and could
no longer respond to requests.


RESOLUTION
==========

SNA Server 3.0
--------------

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for SNA Server version
3.0. For additional information, please see the following article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q184307 How to Obtain the Latest SNA Server Version 3.0 Service Pack



SNA Server 4.0
--------------

This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft SNA Server version 4.0 U.S.
Service Pack. For information on obtaining this Service Pack, query on the
following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

  S E R V P A C K


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SNA Server, versions 3.0, 3.0
SP1, 3.0 SP2, 3.0 SP3, 4.0, and 4.0 SP1. This problem was first corrected in SNA
Server 3.0 Service Pack 4.

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

Although this problem can potentially occur on an SNA Server system, the only
reported occurrence of this problem was on Windows NT clients for SNA Server. In
this case, the clients were no longer able to accept new connections to process
incoming APPC requests.

The table that is used to track the active SNA applications should rarely reach
255 entries because it is rare to have 255 distinct, active SNA applications on
a single SNA Server or client.


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbSNAServSearch kbSNAServ300 kbSNAServ400 kbSNAServ300SP3 kbSNAServ300SP1 kbSNAServ400SP1 kbSNAServ300SP2
Version           : :3.0,3.0 SP1,3.0 SP2,3.0 SP3,4.0,4.0 SP1
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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

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.