BUG: Backup sponsor servers added to client's sponsor server list (324724)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft SNA Server 4.0
  • Microsoft SNA Server 4.0 SP1
  • Microsoft SNA Server 4.0 SP2
  • Microsoft SNA Server 4.0 SP3
  • Microsoft SNA Server 4.0 SP4
  • Microsoft Host Integration Server 2000
  • Microsoft Host Integration Server 2000 SP1
  • Microsoft Host Integration Server 2004
This article was previously published under Q324724

SYMPTOMS

When you turn on the Backup Sponsor Server feature for an SNA subdomain, SNA Server 4.0 clients and Host Integration Server 2000 clients may try to connect to the configured backup sponsor servers, although there are available sponsor servers in the client's configured subdomain.

If the SNA client or the Host Integration Server client makes a sponsor connection to a backup sponsor server, any later host session obtained by the user will be through an SNA Server server or a Host Integration Server 2000 server that belongs to the SNA subdomain of the backup sponsor server.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Host Integration Server 2000 .

MORE INFORMATION

The following explains how the problem described in this article can occur. The example uses Host Integration Server 2000, but it also applies to SNA Server 4.0.
  • Host Integration Server 2000 End User Client Configuration:

    By using the Resource Location Wizard, the client is configured to Locate Servers by Server Name. The following sponsor servers are configured for the client:

    • SPONSOR1
    • SPONSOR2

    Additionally, the following configuration options are turned on:
    • Update SNA Server computer list dynamically
    • Select an SNA Service computer list in random order


  • Host Integration Server 2000 Server Configuration:

    The Backup Sponsor Server option is turned on and BACKUP1 is added as the backup sponsor server to be advertised to the Host Integration Server 2000 clients. BACKUP1 is in a different SNA subdomain than SPONSOR1 and SPONSOR2.
If SPONSOR1 and SPONSOR2 are unavailable, the Host Integration Server 2000 client correctly fails over to BACKUP1 to get a sponsor connection. The Host Integration Server 2000 client can then host sessions from Host Integration Server 2000 servers in the SNA subdomain in which BACKUP1 is located.

When the failover occurs, the Host Integration Server 2000 client's sponsor server list is updated to include BACKUP1, in addition to SPONSOR1 and SPONSOR2. The problem occurs when the client randomly tries to connect to BACKUP1 as a sponsor server each time SnaBase.exe initializes. This is not the correct behavior; a backup sponsor should be used only when the client's configured sponsor servers are not available.

If a Host Integration Server 2000 client has the DeleteNonActiveSponsors registry entry set to YES, and the configuration settings described previously, BACKUP1 is added to the client's sponsor server list and the other sponsor servers (SPONSOR1 and SPONSOR2, in this example) are removed from the sponsor server list when the client fails over to its backup sponsor server. The result is that the Host Integration Server 2000 client cannot reconnect to any Host Integration Server 2000 servers in its configured SNA subdomain. The Host Integration Server 2000 client must be reconfigured manually to have the correct sponsor servers added to its sponsor server list.

REFERENCES

For additional information about related topics, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

236578 Offline servers should be removed from clients' service table

271516 Offline servers are not removed from the service table

160849 How the SNA Server client chooses a "sponsor" SNA Server

323189 FIX: "Random Sponsors" option does not work on HIS 2000 End-User Client

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:4/13/2005
Keywords:kbBug kbnofix KB324724
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