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Q262312: Cannot Process More Than 11 Advertisements for the Same Program

Article: Q262312
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): winnt:2.0 SP2
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbtool kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbsms200fix kbsms200sp2fix
Last Modified: 24-JUN-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 2.0 SP2 
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SYMPTOMS
========

After a client computer receives more than 11 advertisements from the same
program, the Offer Data Provider stops responding (hangs). No new offers are
received until the next reboot, at which point the Offer Data Provider stops
responding again. This behavior is repeated until the number of advertisements
to the program is reduced.

CAUSE
=====

This problem can occur because the Offer Data Providers merge the program
details and associated offers and then send this information by using an
anonymous pipe IPC connection to Available Programs Manager for processing. If
the number of advertisements is greater than 11, the required buffer size
exceeds 4 kilobytes (KB). The anonymous pipe is created with a default buffer
size of 4 KB, but the IPC mechanism is configured to transmit blocks up to 6,000
bytes, so an attempt is made to transmit a buffer that is greater than 4 KB in a
single block. The problem is that the WriteFile is blocked after 4 KB has been
sent because the pipe is effectively full. The WriteFile is blocked indefinitely
until a read is performed on the other end of the pipe. However, a read does not
occur until it is signaled that the write is finished, which does not happen
until the WriteFile completes, and WriteFile does not complete until it has
transmitted the entire buffer. This results in the Offer Data Provider hanging.

RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Systems Management
Server version 2.0. For additional information, please see the following article
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q236325 How to Obtain the Latest Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
version 2.0 and 2.0 SP1. This problem was first corrected in Systems Management
Server version 2.0 Service Pack 2.

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

The client that is requesting the pipe connection passes its message size in the
connection request. The server then allocates a pipe with a buffer size that
permits the client to send the entire message at one time, but the server will
deny a pipe connection to the client if its message size is greater than 64 KB.
With this increase in the size of the buffer, it now permits a little over 100
advertisements per program.

Additional query words: prodsms

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Keywords          : kbtool kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbsms200fix kbsms200sp2fix 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS200SP2
Version           : winnt:2.0 SP2
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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