SQL Server - Named Pipe Access denied after Microsoft patch installation

[Mork]

Help needed:

We have installed the latest Microsoft and CITRIX Patches covering those released from July to August, Including 2000-SP4-SRP1 on our Windows 2000 Server boxes.

That is: Win2K SP4 Rollup 1 (KB 891861) and MS-05-035 thru to MS-05-043, Citrix XPs FR3-SP4.

The Servers are in a Workgroup, use mixed mode SQL Server authentication, the servers are both running IIS, and one has CITRIX MetaFrame XPs-FR3-SP4.


We have SQL Server 2000 SP3 + KB KB815495 on two of these that used to happily communicate with named pipes before the patch application. After the patch application the servers can not communicate and we get "Access Denied" messages when the server tries to create a connection to the other server.

This problem is not isolated to just this pair of machines, we have seen it on another pair of machines as well.

We changed nothing apart from installing the patches!!!

Things I have tried are:

1.. Usernames & passwords are the same on both servers.
2.. sa Password is the same on both servers.
3.. IUSR_computername passwords same on both servers.
4.. Servers are on same subnet. (No firewalls or filtering)

Help !!!!!

[rmiao]

Check sql server log to see if sql is listening on named pipes. If not, you can enable it in sql server network utility.

[Mork]

Server Log indicates that it is listening on Named Pipes, Everything in the SQL Server and Client Untility looks OK.

[rmiao]

Can you connect to those servers with query analyzer? Tried create alias with named pipes?

[Mork]

The Query Analyser and Enterprise Manager can connect to the hosts with no problems using SQL Server or Windows Authentication.

Creating Aliases for Named Pipes has no effect either. (I assume you don't need to restart the SQL server after creating an Alias)

I guess the important thing here was that all was OK prior to the MS-Patch installation, and with no other changes, things are now broken.

[rmiao]

Did you check with app vendor to see if they tested their app under sql2k sp4? Seems app issue since you can connect to sql with sql tools.

[Mork]

rmiao - Thanks for your help, In fact the company I work for wrote the app, and we are stumped as to why it is happening. We have a port of the the application on 2003 Server and it is fine. The problem seems to be restricted to the 2000 patches. (I knew W2K-SP4-SRP1 was going to be a problem)

[rmiao]

Then you have to check your app code to see if you use any functions in Microsoft .dll, Microsoft may change those functions without notice.

[Mork]

PROBLEM RESOLVED ---

We found that for some reason, (still unknown), one of the Microsoft patches removed some registry entries relating to the Named Pipes in "HKEY_Local_Machine\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Se rvices\\LanmanServer\\Parameters\\NullSessionPipes ".

Once we added them back in, all worked fine.