DHCP Server Service May Stop Responding (164821)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q164821 SYMPTOMS
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server service may stop
responding during administrative operations using the DHCP Manager
application.
The specific operations that were found to make the service stop responding
were adding reservations to active scopes and deleting scopes that had
reservations defined. In each case, the server had to be extremely busy
servicing DHCP client requests at the same time for it to stop responding.
CAUSE
This problem occurs when the DHCP server service deadlocks trying to
acquire critical sections that guard access to the registry and the DHCP
Jet database.
The deadlock occurs because, when a client issues a release request or a
renew request, the DHCP server acquires the Jet database critical section
and holds it while attempting to acquire the registry critical section.
This causes a problem if it occurs at the same time as a DHCP
administrative operation adds reservations in scopes or deletes entire
scopes that contain reservations because these administrative operations
acquire the registry critical section and hold it while attempting to
acquire the Jet database critical section. Because client release or renew
operations hold the Jet database critical section, the administrative
operation cannot acquire it.
Likewise, because the administrative operation holds the registry critical
section, the client release or renew operation cannot acquire it. This
causes deadlock, and the DHCP server service stops responding.
RESOLUTION
The DHCP server service was modified so that contentions would not occur
over the registry or Jet database critical sections during administrative
operations.
To correct this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0
or obtain the hotfix mentioned below.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0.
This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 U.S.
Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the
following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 8/9/2001 |
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| Keywords: | kbbug KB164821 |
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