The ISACTRL and WSPSRV services do not start when you install ISA Server 2004 on a multiprocessor computer (884569)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004, Standard Edition

SYMPTOMS

After you install Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004 on a multiprocessor computer, and then you restart the computer, you experience both of the following symptoms:
  • The following services do not start as expected:

    ISACTRL
    WSPSRV

  • The following event is logged in the System log:Event Type: Error
    Event Source: Microsoft ISA Server Control
    Event Category: None
    Event ID: 14109
    Date: date
    Time: time
    User: N/A
    Computer: computer name
    Description: The ISA Server Standard Edition cannot run. Either the server is using more than 4 processors, or it is configured to use the Active Directory service. Use the source location 100.281.4.0.2161.50 to report the failure. Contact Microsoft (R) Corporation for more information.
In this scenario, the computer that you installed ISA Server 2004 on does not have more than four processors.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if the following conditions are true:
  • The computer that you install ISA Server on has more than two processors.
  • Hyper-Threading Technology (HT) is enabled on this computer.
This problem occurs because ISA Server 2004 incorrectly determines the number of processors that are installed in a computer when Hyper-Threading Technology is enabled. ISA Server 2004, Standard Edition supports up to four processors. However, if you have Hyper-Threading Technology enabled, ISA Server 2004 makes the following calculation to determine the number of installed processors:

The number of physical processors multiplied by 2 equals the number of logical processors in the computer.

Note The 2 value reflects the effects of Hyper-Threading Technology on processor recognition.

Therefore, if the computer has four physical processors, ISA Server 2004 makes the following calculation:

4 x 2 = 8, where four physical processors are recognized under Hyper-Threading Technology as eight logical processors.

In this scenario, ISA Server 2004 incorrectly determines that the computer has eight processors.

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for ISA Server 2004. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

891024 How to obtain the latest ISA Server 2004 service pack

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, disable Hyper-Threading Technology on the ISA Server 2004 computer.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in ISA Server 2004 Service Pack 1.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about our support for Hyper-Threading Technology, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/CEC/HT-Windows.mspx

For additional information about how hotfix packages are named, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

816915 New file naming schema for Microsoft Windows software update packages

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:3/1/2005
Keywords:kbfix kbbug KB884569 kbAudITPRO
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