FIX: Shared Intent Locks Acquired by READTEXT Operation Are Not Released

Shared intent locks taken during a READTEXT operation are not released, even after the READTEXT completes. A process that tries to get an exclusive table lock may be blocked by this sh_intent lock.

To avoid blocking, minimize requests for exclusive table locks on this table. Testing has shown that any command issued after the READTEXT will cause the sh_intent lock to be released.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server 6.5. This problem has been corrected in Service Pack 5a for Microsoft SQL Server 6.5.For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:For more information, contact your primary support provider.

Trace flag 1200 shows that the sh_intent is acquired but is not being released. Only processes requesting an exclusive table lock will be blocked. This problem occurs only on SQL Server build 6.5.252 and Service Pack 3. In testing, a SELECT @@spid was issued following the READTEXT operation from the same connection. This seemed to clear the sh_intent lock, and was also verified with trace flag 1200.