Microsoft KB Archive/328381

= FIX: A Cluster Node in Server Appliance Kit Can Quit Unexpectedly If the Number of Persistent True Images Is Greater Than 250 =

Article ID: 328381

Article Last Modified on 10/12/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Persistent Storage Manager for Server Appliances
 * Microsoft Server Appliance Kit 2.0

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This article was previously published under Q328381



SYMPTOMS
If a cluster node that is running Persistant Storage Manager (PSM) contains greater than 250 Persistent True Images (PTIs), the cluster node may stop unexpectedly and display an error message on a blue screen. You may also receive an error message on a blue screen when you restart the computer.



CAUSE
With PSM, you can have a maximum of 250 PTIs per computer. However, in a cluster environment, you can have more than 250 PTIs on a single node during a cluster fail-over. At this point, a simple PSM operation, such as viewing the PTIs list, can cause the operating system to stop responding to the server and cause an error message to appear on a blue screen.

For example, in a 2-node cluster environment, each node can contain up to 250 PTIs. However, during a cluster volume fail-over, the active node can contain a total of 500 PTIs. A simple PSM operation can cause the active node to stop responding and to display an error message on a blue screen.

NOTE: The existing PTI data and the original volumes are not corrupted.



RESOLUTION
A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next TServer Appliance Kit service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date          Time    Size     File name     Platform --   16-AUG-2002  15:48   182,464   psman5.sys         x86 13-AUG-2002 03:53    60,216       ss.exe         x86



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.



MORE INFORMATION
IMPORTANT: Install this update only after you install the fix from the following article:

328158 Persistent Storage Manager Service Pack 1

Workaround
To prevent this issue, enforce 250 PTIs as the maximum number per Cluster system (not as the maximum number per Node). For a 2-node cluster system, set the Maximum Persistent True Images to 125 or less on each node.

If you experience the symptoms described in this article, and if the total number of PTIs in the cluster is greater than 250, manually fall-back the disk resource from the active node to the original node.

To do this, follow these steps:
 * 1) If the node has stopped responding, and if you receive an error message on a blue screen, restart the computer.
 * 2) Manually fall-back the disk resource to the original node.
 * 3) To prevent additional problems, manually delete PTIs on both nodes until the total remaining number of PTIs is less than 250.

