Memory Leak in Performance Monitor Virtual Bytes (198129)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q198129

SYMPTOMS

When Performance Monitor (Perfmon) is running locally on a server that has SQL Server 6.5 installed on it, and it is monitoring any objects, the virtual bytes of the perfmon process grows at a quick rate and never releases any memory. The monitoring of virtual bytes may be remotely viewed.

CAUSE

When a user, who is logged on locally to the server and has no access to Microsoft SQL Server, starts logging performance data with Performance Monitor the Perfmon API is called to obtain the performance information. Even when the object that is being gathered is not a SQL Server extensible counter, there is some authentication going on between the user context of the perfmon process and SQL Server. When this occurs, the following Event messages is written in the Application log: 
   Event ID 7
   DB-LIBRARY - SQL Server message: Login failed- User: Server\user.
   Reason: Not defined as a valid user of a trusted SQL Server connection.

When this message occurs, Perfmon fails to release all of the memory it has obtained and its virtual bytes grow at a very quick rate.

RESOLUTION

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

  • Ensure the user logging on locally has permissions to SQL Server.

    -or-
  • Use Performance Monitor remotely.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT Server version 4.0.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/10/2001
Keywords:kbbug KB198129
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.