FIX: LOAD DATABASE Fails with Error 603

• Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5 Service Pack 5

SYMPTOMS

A LOAD DATABASE on servers running SQL Server 6.5 Service Pack 5 (SP5) may fail with error 603. This can occur if, prior to the DUMP DATABASE, the Database Backup/Restore command was selected from the Tools menu of SQL Enterprise Manager. When this problem occurs, the message text for error 603 is not displayed. Error 603 means "There are not enough session descriptors available to run this query. The maximum number available to a process is %d. Split query and rerun." The message text is not meaningful in this case.

When this problem occurs, the SQL Server error log shows the following:

   1999/01/22 17:16:53.72 spid10   Getpage: bstat=0x1008/0,
   sstat=0x80000001, disk
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.72 spid10     pageno is/should be: objid is/should
   be:
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.72 spid10     0(0) 0(0)
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.72 spid10     0x1(1) 0x1(1)
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.72 spid10   ... page header is all zeroes
   ... getpage error repeated
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.73 spid10   Getpage: bstat=0x100c/0, sstat=0x1,
   cache
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.73 spid10     pageno is/should be: objid is/should
   be:
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.73 spid10     0(0) 0(0)
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.73 spid10     0x1(1) 0x1(1)
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.73 spid10   ... page header is all zeroes
   1999/01/22 17:16:53.73 spid10   Error: 603, Severity: 19, State: 1 

CAUSE

The dump file has some invalid values in the page header information. This can be caused by the use of sp_sysbackuphistory either through Transact-SQL or by SQL Server Enterprise Manager before the backup was taken.

WORKAROUND

You can reduce the likelihood of this problem occurring by making backups by means of the ISQL command-line utility, and not from SQL Enterprise Manager. However, note that if any user running SQL Enterprise Manger selects Database Backup/Restore on the Tools menu (even if the user does not actually perform the backup), any subsequent backup from the command line may be compromised. A hotfix is available from Microsoft Product Support Services that avoids generation of a bad dump file. If the dump file has already been generated, the hotfix version of SQL Server can load the dump file by using trace flag 3282. For instructions on how to apply this trace flag, see the "Using Trace Flags" section of the Administrator's Companion documentation. Three methods of using trace flags are mentioned in the documentation. Use only the -T option with the Sqlservr.exe command line executable or in the Setup program. Do not use the -T option interactively using DBCC TRACEON.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server version 6.5 Service Pack 5. This problem has been resolved in SQL Server 6.5 Service Pack 5a.

Additional query words: err msg backup fail crash errorlog sp sp5a ent man entman SEM

Keywords          : SSrvEntMan kbbug6.50 kbfix6.50.SP5 
Version           : winnt:6.5 Service Pack 5
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbbug 

Last Reviewed: May 4, 1999