Article ID: 2624272 - Last Review: December 19, 2011 - Revision: 1.0

FIX: Error 9013 when you try to start the SQL Server services after you apply SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 for SQL Server 2008 R2

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Microsoft distributes Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) fixes in 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 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) update release.

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SYMPTOMS

Consider the following scenario:

You apply Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2.
You try to start the SQL Server services.

In this scenario, an error 9013 which resembles the following might be logged in the SQL Server error log:

The tail of the log for database %ls is being rewritten to match the new sector size of %d bytes. %d bytes at offset %I64d in file %ls will be written.

Note This error causes no risk to the database.

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CAUSE

This issue occurs because the logical sector size for the master, msdb, and model databases is not accommodated appropriately.

When a database is created, a logical sector size is stored in the metadata. When a database is brought online, a check is performed to see whether the data that is written in the log file is aligned with the sector size that is formatted. If they are not aligned, then the tail of the log will be rewritten and the issue that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section occurs.

Based on the design from Microsoft SQL Server 2000, the master, model, and msdb databases are formatted with a sector size of 4096 bytes. The maximal value of physical sector size and logical sector size are used in versions of SQL Server earlier than SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1. However, SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 adds support for 512-byte Emulation (512e) disk drives. Because of a defect, the physical sector size is used when it should not be. For example, if the physical sector size of the disk drive is 512 bytes and the logical sector size of the master, model, and msdb databases is 4096 bytes, then they are not aligned. Therefore, the error message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section is logged in the SQL Server error log.

Note Usually, it is the physical sector size of the disk drive on which the database is created.

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RESOLUTION

Cumulative update information

Cumulative update package 4 for SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1

The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 4. For more information about how to obtain this cumulative update package for SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2633146 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2633146/ ) Cumulative update package 4 for SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1

Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new fix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 fix release. We recommend that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2567616 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2567616/ ) The SQL Server 2008 R2 builds that were released after SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 was released

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MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this issue, visit the following MSDN website:

After Applying SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 Error 9013 is logged (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/psssql/archive/2011/09/27/after-applying-sql-server-2008-r2-sp1-error-9013-is-logged-the-tail-of-the-log-for-database-ls-is-being-rewritten-to-match-the-new-sector-size-of-d-bytes.aspx)

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