XFOR: Err Msg: "All Pipe Instances Are Busy" When Starting LinkAge Controller (168577)

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to start the LinkAge Controller service from Control Panel Services, the following messages are logged in the LinkAge Administrator program's Log Browser:

   control(01ba) 1 00001:Operating system error {WIN32:231(All pipe
   instances are busy.)} from NPServer::create

   control(01ba) 1 01054:Error {An unknown error condition has occurred}:
   Could not create the named pipe server object

   control(01ba) 3 00505:control is ending, last return code was {An
   unknown error condition has occurred}

   control(019f) 1 00001:Operating system error {WIN32:231(All pipe
   instances are busy.)} from NPServer::create

   control(019f) 1 01054:Error {An unknown error condition has occurred}:
   Could not create the named pipe server object

   control(019f) 3 00505:control is ending, last return code was {An
   unknown error condition has occurred}

CAUSE

There are two cases when these errors can be generated.

The LinkAge Controller (Lsmain.exe) is already up and running and a user is trying to start the LinkAge Controller service.
The LinkAge Controller (Lsmain.exe) is stopped or ends abnormally, but the rest of the underlying controller tasks are still running.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, do one of the following:

Restart the computer. This is the easiest method.
Terminate the remaining LinkAge processes with the Windows NT Task Manager, and then restart the LinkAge Controller service. It should restart correctly after all the processes are stopped. Contact a Microsoft Exchange Server Support Professional to assist with this method.

MORE INFORMATION

The LinkAge controller task and all the underlying tasks talk to each other through named pipes (that is, inter-process communication). Named pipes are used for such things as the scoreboard display on the LinkAge Administrator user interface, which displays all the processes and their status, the Windows NT Services listing, located in the Control Panel under Services, and the LinkAge Connector logs.

If you are trying to start the LinkAge Controller service when it is already running, the Named Pipe resources clash, and result in the above errors. You do not need to do anything further.

If the Controller task (Lsmain.exe) is stopped for any reason and all the underlying tasks remain, and the connector is restarted, the above errors will be added to the log, and the connector will not appear to start. It is most likely currently up, and mail is most likely still flowing. But no logs or status of it being up, other than the NT Task Manager, are available.