FIX: You receive error 1456 when you try to add a witness to a DBM session in SQL Server 2005

This article describes the following about this hotfix release:

• The issues that are fixed by this hotfix package
• The prerequisites for installing the hotfix package
• Whether you must restart the computer after you install the hotfix package
• Whether the hotfix package is replaced by any other hotfix package
• Whether you must make any registry changes
• The files that the hotfix package contains

When you add a witness to a database mirroring (DBM) session in Microsoft SQL Server 2005, you receive error 1456. Additionally, the witness is not added to the DBM session.

This problem occurs if the following conditions are true:

• All endpoints in the DBM session are configured to only listen on a private network.
• The private network does not have a DNS server.

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2005. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft. However, it is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Microsoft SQL Server 2005 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Customer Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

Prerequisites

You must have Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (SP1) installed to install this hotfix.

For more information about how to obtain SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Restart information

You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix. However, you must restart the SQL Server service after you apply this hotfix. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft SQL Server 2005, click Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Configuration Manager.
2. Click SQL Server 2005 Services, right-click SQL Server (<ServerName>), and then click Restart.

Registry information

You do not have to change the registry.

Hotfix file information

This hotfix contains only the files that are required to correct the issues that this article lists. This hotfix may not contain of all the files that you must have to fully update a product to the latest build.

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) 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 item in Control Panel.

SQL Server 20005 32-bit versions

SQL Server 2005 64-bit version

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

To work around this problem, make sure that you have a DNS server listening when you use a private network.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2.

In this situation, all server names that are referenced in the ALTER DATABASE commands must use IP addresses instead of the server name.

Changing the hosts file on the servers that are part of the DBM session does not resolve this problem.

This problem does not occur when you originally create the DBM session between the partners as the two ALTER DATABASE commands. One command exists on each partner server to notify the partner server of the other partner.

For more information about the terminology that Microsoft uses when correcting software after it is released, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about database mirroring in SQL Server 2005, visit the following Microsoft Web site: