BUG: "Too Many Open File Handles" Error Using Named Pipes (161169)

SYMPTOMS

When more than three named pipe connections are made per application to the computer running SQL Server, the Net-Library returns the following errors on the client computer:

Connection Failed:
SqlState : '01000'
SQL Server Error: 24
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL
Server][DBNMP3]ConnectionOpen(sopen())

Connection Failed:
SqlState : '08001'
SQL Server Error: 16
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server][DBNMP3]Too many open
file handles.

The SQL Server errorlog reports the following information:

Unable to read login packet(s)
Error:17832, Severity:18, State:0

This behavior occurs on computers running Windows 3.x or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 running Visual Basic 3.0 or Microsoft Access 2.0 applications that access a computer running SQL Server 6.5.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, do either of the following:

Use the Multiprotocol network protocol, or any interprocess communications (IPC) method other than Named Pipes.

-or-
Replace the 6.5 version of the Dbnmp3.dll file with the 6.0 version.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SQL Server 16-bit Named Pipes Net-Library version 6.5. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem does not occur if the Dbnmp3.dll file version 6.5 is replaced with the 6.0 version of Dbnmp3.dll. The problem also does not occur with the 32-bit Named Pipes Net-Library.