| Author |
Topic |
|
DBCowboy
Starting Member
26 Posts |
 Posted - 2002-03-14 : 15:37:02
|
| My soon-to-be retired production SQL server is running SQL 7 Standard. For the most part, it runs fine, but two times in the past week, we've had a strange error show up with regards to user errors that I'm wondering if anyone else has seen.The server is set up for unlimited user connections (=0). After a reboot this morning (the tape drive got stuck, one of the reasons the server is being retired) the server began to give an error when the user connections went above 30. Here's the error:Login failed. The maximum simultaneous user count of 30 licenses for this 'Standard' server has been exceeded. Additional licenses should be obtained and installed or you should upgrade to a full version.This appears to be error 18460. I have checked and doublechecked the user connections option in properties, using sp_configure and even looking at the raw system tables, and everything appears correct. I temporarily have solved this problem both times by restarting the SQL service, but I cannot determine what causes it in the first place, since the settings are the same (by sp_configure) before and after the service is restarted. (there are now over 40 user connections to the database with no sign of any error)I have a feeling it may have something to do with our web servers (the primary sources of connections to the SQL server) or with the newly installed .NET tools being used on them, but I don't know enough about those tools to locate the problem. I also do not administrate those machines.JaysenEdited by - dbcowboy on 03/14/2002 15:38:04 |
|
|
joldham
Wiseass Yak Posting Master
300 Posts |
Posted - 2002-03-14 : 15:41:22
|
I have seen my server lock up when I start testing asp code and forget to close my connections to the database and set my objects to Nothing.  Have there been any new pages developed lately? This may be the cause.Jeremy |
 |
|
|
DBCowboy
Starting Member
26 Posts |
Posted - 2002-03-14 : 15:48:53
|
| When I look at the list of users currently logged into the server, there don't appear to be any that are unclosed web users. I attempted to kill all processes that weren't identifiable as developer enterprise manager connections, and as soon as new connections were opened to bring it up to 30, the errors continued. I've asked the developers to check their connections, but no one found anything, and the problem disappeared upon restart of the SQL service. There was a 3 week lapse between the two occurrences of this problem, so if it was a problem of unclosed objects, it would have been occurring more regularly. |
|
|
|
joldham
Wiseass Yak Posting Master
300 Posts |
Posted - 2002-03-14 : 16:30:38
|
| Unless it is one specific page or program that accesses the DB once every three weeks. I doubt this would be the case and if the developers have tied up the loose ends, then you've done what you can do treading down that path. I'm sure you have looked for duplicate users logged into the system. Other than that I don't know. Are you running SP3?Jeremy |
|
|
|
DBCowboy
Starting Member
26 Posts |
Posted - 2002-03-14 : 16:35:59
|
| Yes, we're running SP3, although our network admin is known for doing strange things without notifying anyone. I simply don't know where to look for something this off-the-wall when it comes to NT settings.It makes me look forward to the new server, but until then I have to deal with this one, and I'd rather not have this problem pop up again. |
|
|
|
robvolk
Most Valuable Yak
15732 Posts |
Posted - 2002-03-14 : 16:40:36
|
| If I remember correctly, 1 license does not necessarily mean 1 connection; you can write an app that makes multiple connections to the same server from the same client, and it wouldn't violate the license. That might explain why you see 40 or more connections but may only have 30 licenses, some of the clients may be double-teaming the server. If more than 30 distinct clients hit the server, then the license restriction kicks in.This was from a looooooooong time ago, before 7.0 was released I think, but I remember talking to someone at Microsoft about it, and that's how he explained it to me. Don't know if that's still the case, but it might give you a lead on the problem. |
|
|
|
DBCowboy
Starting Member
26 Posts |
Posted - 2002-03-15 : 10:38:18
|
| I did consider this, so I did some testing and determined it was entirely possible to have over 30 distinct users (different PCs connected directly to the SQL Server) when this problem is not occurring. In addition to that, I was unable to have more than 30 _actual_ connections at a time when the problem was occuring, regardless of what machine they were coming from (3-4 from each user connection was what I could see among developers).I ran across similar information when searching for information on this topic, but all were related to SQL version 6.5 or prior.There just seems to be no rhyme or reason. |
|
|
|
joldham
Wiseass Yak Posting Master
300 Posts |
Posted - 2002-03-15 : 10:40:43
|
Not sure why.Microsoft solution: Add more memory and/or reload the operating system.  Sorry I couldn't help much.Jeremy |
|
|
|
izaltsman
A custom title
1139 Posts |
Posted - 2002-03-15 : 10:57:09
|
| Have you looked at the License manager applet in Windows NT control panel? I bet your NT server is set up to allow no more than 30 connections (so even though SQL Server doesn't mind servicing all the users, operating system wouldn't let them connect). |
|
|
|
DBCowboy
Starting Member
26 Posts |
Posted - 2002-03-18 : 14:23:43
|
| izaltsman, you found it for me... that's what I get for not learning NT administration heavily and relying on our network administrator to handle things ... he had no clue there was anything like this even after I found it and reset the number. |
|
|
|
|
User connection problem