Microsoft distributes Microsoft SQL Server 2008 fixes as one downloadable file. Because the fixes are cumulative, each new release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2008 fix release.
Symptoms
In an application, you use the SQL Server 2008 Native Client driver. You call the SQLBindParameter function to bind a parameter of a wide character data type for a query. For example, you bind a parameter of the NCHAR data type or of the NVARCHAR data type. The application passes a value that is greater than 4,000 to the ColumnSize parameter of the SQLBindParameter function. When you run the query in the application, you receive the following error message:
The incoming tabular data stream (TDS) remote procedure call (RPC) protocol stream is incorrect. Parameter 1 (""): Data type 0xE7 has an invalid data length or metadata length.
Note This error message is a server-side error message. If the application uses the SQL Server 2005 Native Client driver instead, you receive the following client-side error message as expected:
[Microsoft][SQL Native Client]Invalid precision value
Cause
This issue occurs because the SQL Server 2008 Native Client driver does not perform a runtime check of the input column size for the SQLBindParameter function. Additionally, the driver doubles the column size if the input column size is greater than 4,000 and the parameter is a wide character data type. Therefore, SQL Server returns a server-side error that the parameter exceeds the upper limit (8,000).
Note The SQL Server 2005 Native Client driver does perform a runtime check for the input column size. Therefore, if the input column size is greater than 8,000, the SQL Server 2005 Native Client driver returns a client-side error.
Resolution
The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 3 for SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1. For more information about this cumulative update package, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
971491 Cumulative update package 3 for SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1Note 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 fix release. Microsoft recommends 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:
970365 The SQL Server 2008 builds that were released after SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 was released
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 hotfixes are created for specific SQL Server service packs. You must apply a SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 hotfix to an installation of SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1. By default, any hotfix that is provided in a SQL Server service pack is included in the next SQL Server service pack.
Status
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.
References
For more information about the Incremental Servicing Model for SQL Server, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
935897 An Incremental Servicing Model is available from the SQL Server team to deliver hotfixes for reported problems
For more information about the naming schema for SQL Server updates, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
822499New naming schema for Microsoft SQL Server software update packages
For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates
