Connection to Server, but no further

[SimonTheSponge]

Hi we've been having this problem with a server for a couple of months. After a few days of this server having re-booted, I find that when I try and view the SQL Server instances in Enterprise Manager (all instances are registered with sa on my copy of EM), I can view the running server, I can expand the tree down one level to list the categories Databases, Data Transformation Services, Management etc. However when I try to expand any of these to look at specific databases, jobs etc, after approximately 1 minute of waiting, the folder displays "(No items)".

If I connect through Query Analyzer, the connection appears to be successful, as the login dialog dissappears and QA tries to display the QA window and object browser, but just hangs.

If a user tries to connect via ODBC using crystal for example, they recieve the error "ODBC error (miscrosoft)(ODBC SQL server driver)[DBNETLIB] connects read(recv())server had not yet been opened"

I would normally ascribe this as being a SQL problem, However when I try to connect to the Windows 2000 server via PC Anywhere - not using my id and password, the desktop half displays but the connection hangs. If I explore to the windows 2000 server via windows explorer, I can view the root of the server but get a timeout if I try to drill down further. I have considered that this could be a security rights problem, however, when I connect to the server via PC anywhere I am using a generic PC anywhere userid and password - not my own - All SQL server connections are mad using a user ID and password and not Windows Authentication.

If we reboot the server. The problem disappears for a few days and then returns seemingly from nowhere

This could be a Windows 2000 problem, but I have no idea - any suggestions would be welcome

 

[mrdenny]

Check for memory leaks, cpu problems, etc. Could be a bad disk. It could be just about anything. Is there anything in the event log?

I'd setup perfmon to run against the server and see what happens. What happens if you try to log into the servers console?

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

(My very old site)

 

[Catadmin]

Have you verified whether or not any other user is having this issue? Try logging into another client that has Enterprise Manager on it, and seeing if you can drill down in Windows Explorer and EM. If you can't, it might be a bigger problem then you thought.

Otherwise, it looks like it's a connection issue between your machine and the server, or perhaps OS rot or a bad install of something on your machine.



Catadmin - MCDBA, MCSA
"If a person is Microsoft Certified, does that mean that Microsoft pays the bills for the funny white jackets that tie in the back???

 

[SimonTheSponge]

Thanks Chaps,

It really is a bit of a shot in the dark, as you say it could be anything.

Some machines can connect, some cannot. The database is fronted by an application that people access through a Citrix metaframe connection. The connection from the citrix server to the Database server also does not exhibit any problems, so it isn't quite a showstopper ...yet ;-). The server was rebooted today to apply some windows updates. I can now see and connect to the server properly, but this will last for approximately four or five days, and when I lose my access, others that have the same problem also do.

Memory Leak was my first assumption, although it's a little curious how some workstations connections are unaffected. I think I'll watch the stats on performance monitor over the next couple of days to see if I can spot anything

Cheers

 

[Catadmin]

You know, if you're using Citrix to try and connect to the SQL Server, that *is* something I've seen before.

One of my previous clients kept having problems with Citrix & SQL Server. Citrix would hang a connection or drop it randomly, especially if the user was connecting over one of the slower lines instead of T1. Since the company I worked for sold them the 3rd party software that used SQL Server, they held us responsible to resolving the issue. We could never figure out exactly what the problem was, aside from the fact that the two programs never did seem to get along. And then, when they threw two remote sites with Access DBs that would bridge up to Citrix and DTS into SQL and back again, things really got mucked up.

The only things I can suggest A) verify that your Citrix logins have proper permissions to access all the programs and files you need to access, B) see if you can install EM on your local desktop and access SQL through there instead of via Citrix, C) Same as B with the networked drive if possible, D) verify Citrix session timeouts & termination processes, E) pray ... A lot.. and then have a beer.

Finally, make sure that the main Citrix box is not the same as the SQL Server box. Put them on two different machines if you don't have it set up that way already.



Catadmin - MCDBA, MCSA
"If a person is Microsoft Certified, does that mean that Microsoft pays the bills for the funny white jackets that tie in the back???

 

[jadoogar]

If you change back to win2000 server this problem will be
solved
Win 2003 unnecessarly hell sort of security and
network configurations
and TCP ip blocking
we gone back to stone age of Win 2000 and solved this problem

 

[mrdenny]

He's already using Windows 2000, not Windows 2003.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

(Not quite so old any more.)