FIX: Cannot Set SQL Server Instance Specific Network Affinity

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BUG #: 469417 (SQL Server 8.0)

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SYMPTOMS

You may not be able to set the network affinity for a particular instance of SQL Server.

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STATUS

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

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A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, submit a request to Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

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

Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language. 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   Version         Size             File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   24-Jan-2003  18:53  2000.80.732.0      29,244 bytes  Dbmslpcn.dll     
   18-Jan-2003  02:23                    786,432 bytes  Distmdl.ldf
   18-Jan-2003  02:23                  2,359,296 bytes  Distmdl.mdf
   11-Dec-2002  17:50                        180 bytes  Drop_repl_hotfix.sql
   02-Jul-2002  15:35  2000.80.650.0     107,088 bytes  Impprov.dll      
   17-Jan-2003  20:33                    774,409 bytes  Instdist.sql
   11-Dec-2002  17:50                      1,402 bytes  Inst_repl_hotfix.sql
   20-Aug-2002  16:24  2000.80.679.0     111,172 bytes  Logread.exe      
   15-Dec-2002  23:21  2000.80.717.0      90,692 bytes  Msgprox.dll      
   05-Mar-2003  18:17  2000.80.736.0      62,024 bytes  Odsole70.dll     
   03-Jan-2002  01:59                     18,185 bytes  Qfe356326.sql
   20-Aug-2002  16:47  2000.80.679.0     135,748 bytes  Qrdrsvc.exe      
   26-Aug-2002  22:49  2000.80.679.0     406,088 bytes  Rdistcom.dll     
   04-Oct-2001  01:36                    437,302 bytes  Replcom.sql
   20-Aug-2002  16:33  2000.80.679.0     152,136 bytes  Replmerg.exe     
   25-Nov-2002  21:43                  1,004,990 bytes  Replmerg.sql
   15-Dec-2002  23:21  2000.80.717.0     221,768 bytes  Replprov.dll     
   15-Dec-2002  23:21  2000.80.717.0     303,688 bytes  Replrec.dll      
   22-Jan-2003  19:27                  1,002,101 bytes  Replsys.sql
   04-Oct-2001  01:36                    881,228 bytes  Repltran.sql
   26-Aug-2002  22:49  2000.80.679.0     283,208 bytes  Rinitcom.dll     
   16-Sep-2002  22:31                    390,045 bytes  Securityhotfix.sql
   26-Aug-2002  22:49  2000.80.679.0      28,672 bytes  Sqlagent.dll     
   26-Aug-2002  18:39  2000.80.679.0     311,872 bytes  Sqlagent.exe     
   28-Aug-2002  16:32  2000.80.679.0      49,152 bytes  Sqlagent.rll
   26-Aug-2002  22:49  2000.80.679.0      53,824 bytes  Sqlcmdss.dll     
   28-Aug-2002  16:40  2000.80.679.0      12,288 bytes  Sqlcmdss.rll
   14-Jan-2003  21:39  2000.80.725.0     172,600 bytes  Sqlmap70.dll     
   02-May-2003  18:44  2000.80.743.0   7,483,473 bytes  Sqlservr.exe     
   01-Nov-2002  18:56  2000.80.698.0      45,644 bytes  Sqlvdi.dll       
   24-Jan-2003  18:53  2000.80.732.0      29,244 bytes  Ssmslpcn.dll     
   24-Jan-2003  18:53  2000.80.732.0      82,492 bytes  Ssnetlib.dll     
   02-Jan-2003  20:12  2000.80.722.0      25,148 bytes  Ssnmpn70.dll     
   02-May-2003  18:44  2000.80.743.0      49,228 bytes  Ums.dll          
   07-Apr-2002  02:08  2000.80.606.0      70,208 bytes  Xplog70.dll      
   07-Apr-2002  02:08  2000.80.606.0      53,828 bytes  Xpqueue.dll      
   07-Apr-2002  02:08  2000.80.606.0     156,228 bytes  Xprepl.dll       
   12-Jul-2002  01:00  2000.80.658.0     279,104 bytes  Xpstar.dll       
   16-Sep-2002  23:12  2000.80.686.0      98,872 bytes  Xpweb70.dll

Note Because of file dependencies, the most recent hotfix or feature that contains the files may also contain additional files.

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MORE INFORMATION

With this fix, you can set the incoming Tabular Data Stream (TDS) network affinity for an instance of SQL Server by using the startup parameter -N## (the parameter is case sensitive).

SQL Server uses a high priority thread to handle incoming TDS I/O completion activities. The high priority network thread can be affinitized to a processor by providing the –N## startup parameter. The mask passed to the –N## parameter is used in a SetThreadAffinityMask call to establish the network threads affinity.

By default, the network affinity is not set. However, if you must establish network affinity for the server that is running SQL Server, Microsoft recommends that you set the mask to the last physical processor. When you set the affinity mask to the last physical processor of your computer, all incoming connection activity is automatically affinitized with the last physical processor, and the UMS scheduler associated with the last processor is correctly weighted to allow more network based activities.

For high end systems, you can combine the -N## startup parameter with the –I## command line parameter, the sp_configure stored procedure "affinity mask", and the Virtual Interface Architecture(VIA) card affinity settings to manage the SQL Server resources.

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