"System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object" error message when you try to create a portal site in SharePoint Portal Server 2003 (832808)

SYMPTOMS

You may find that you cannot create a portal site in Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003. When you try to create a portal site, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

You receive an error message that is similar to the following:
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
Entries that are similar to the following are logged to the log file:
Time Start- Add custom roles to fine-grained lists
Time End- Add custom roles to fine-grained lists
Time Exit InitCategories()
Time Failed to create portal successfully

Time cmd.CommandText set as: Update dbo.orgle_errormsg set LocalizedMsg = N'User' where ErrorID='-1' Update dbo.orgle_errormsg set LocalizedMsg = N'Target Audiences' where ErrorID='-2' Update dbo.orgle_errormsg set LocalizedMsg = N'Select Audience' where ErrorID='-3' Update dbo.orgle_errormsg set LocalizedMsg = N'Select' where ErrorID='-4' Update dbo.orgle_errormsg set LocalizedMsg = N'Compilation failed to start due to an error connecting to the database. Please check the AudienceJob log file for details.' where ErrorID='1' Update dbo.orgle_errormsg s

CAUSE

This issue may occur in situations when there are network connectivity problems that prevent you from connecting to the server that is running Microsoft SQL Server 2000, and the server that is running SQL Server 2000 uses the following configuration:

The server is configured to use named pipes.
The server is not configured to use TCP/IP.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, configure SQL Server 2000 to use TCP/IP. If SQL Server 2000 is installed on the server that is running SharePoint Portal Server 2003, configure the Hosts file to map the name of the server to an IP address of 127.0.0.1. After you configure SQL Server 2000 to use TCP/IP, and after you configure the Hosts file, network naming works. Network naming works even when the server is not connected to the domain.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about how to install, how to configure, and how to administer SharePoint Portal Server, see the Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Administration Guide. The Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Administration Guide (Administrator's Help.chm) is located in the Docs folder in the root folder of the SharePoint Portal Server 2003 CD.

For more information about SharePoint Portal Server, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/sharepoint/prodinfo/default.mspx