FIX: Access violation when a missing task for a background clear operation tries to delete a missing index entry

Microsoft distributes Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2) fixes as one downloadable file. Because the fixes are cumulative, each new release contains all the hotfixes and all the security updates that were included with the previous SQL Server 2008 SP2 update release.

Consider the following scenario:

• You enable the AUTO_CLOSE option of a database in an instance of SQL Server 2008.
• One or more missing index entries for an object of the database are in the missing index dynamic management view.
• All the connections that are made to this database are closed.
  
  Note When all connections are closed, the database is expected to close automatically.
• At the same time, a task for a background clear operation tries to delete the missing index entry. The thread that runs the task is not the same thread that closes the database.

In this scenario, access violation occurs. Additionally, you have to restart the instance of SQL Server to resolve this issue.

This issue occurs because multiple calls are made to a free method when the missing task for the background clear operation tries to delete the missing index entry.

Cumulative update information

The fix for this issue was first released in cumulative update package 7 for SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2. For more information about how to obtain this cumulative update package for SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new update release contains all the hotfixes and all the security updates that were included with the previous SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2 update release. We recommend that you consider applying the most recent update release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

To work around this issue, disable the AUTO_CLOSE option of the database.