SQL Server Q&A

Symptoms
When you run the SQLDiag utility or the PSSDiag utility to collect Performance Monitor (PerfMon) counters, you may receive the following error message:

Exception creating Perfmon logWhen this problem occurs, an error message that resembles the following message is logged in the ##Sqldiag.log file or in the ##Pssdiag.log file:

2006/07/14 01:36:02.71 PSSDIAG Exception 0xC0000005 caught.
2006/07/14 01:36:02.71 PSSDIAG Creating mini-dump file…
2006/07/14 01:36:02.87 PSSDIAG Mini-dump created
2006/07/14 01:36:02.89 ServerName\* Exception creating Perfmon log.Please see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 906532 for a possible remedyNoteThe previous error message is the version for the PSSDiag utility. In the version for the SQLDiag utility, SQLDIAG appears instead of PSSDIAG.The ##Sqldiag.log file is located in the Sqldiag folder. The Sqldiag folder is located in the same folder as the SQLDiag utility. The SQLDiag utility is located in the following folder:
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\BinnThe ##Pssdiag.log file is located in the Output folder. The Output folder is located in the same folder as the PSSDiag utility. To obtain the PSSDiag utility, visit the following Microsoft download site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5564386a-28c2-4483-8293-76fff67b9eb3(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5564386a-28c2-4483-8293-76fff67b9eb3)In another scenario, the SQLDiag utility or the PSSDiag utility may unexpectedly stop after an error message that resembles the following message is logged:

2006/06/10 05:05:02.20 ServerName\* Starting Perfmon
Resolution
These problems occur because of a problem in the Microsoft Windows Performance Data Helper (PDH) library and in the performance extension DLL. Both the SQLDiag utility and the PSSDiag utility use the PDH library to collect Performance Monitor counters. The Performance Monitor counters are provided by the performance extension DLL. This DLL is available through the PDH library.

Symptoms
This article describes one possible reason why a Data Transformation Services (DTS) package created in Microsoft Visual Basic code may fail with an error message and an access violation (AV).
When you create a DTSTransferObjectsTask task in a DTS package and specify the WITHEVENTS keyword, and you then run the DTS package from Microsoft Visual Basic code, the package may fail with the following error message:

ErrorCode: -2147221499
Source: Microsoft Data Transformation Services (DTS) Package
Description: Need to run the object to perform this operation After you set a breakpoint at the beginning of the OnProgress procedure, and you single step through your OnProgress code in Visual Basic, you will see the underlying access violation (AV):

Package failed error: x80040005, x80040000 + 5
Provider generated code execution exception: EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION Then, Dr. Watson shows an error message similar to the following:

The instruction at “0×0fa9183f” referenced memory at “0×00000001″. The memory could not be “read”. When you run the Visual Basic application under the debugger WinDbg you will see a first chance exception of type access violation in OLEAUT32!SysAllocStringByteLen.
NOTE: This article is specifically about the OnProgress event of a DTSTransferObjectsTask!
The most common causes for the error message and access violation when you use DTS in Visual Basic applications are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
271889?(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/271889/EN-US/) PRB: Error Message: “Exception Access Violation 2147221499.Need to run the object to perform this operation” Occurs When You Run a DTS Package in Microsoft Visual Basic Code
Resolution
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
290211?(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290211/EN-US/) INF: How To Obtain the Latest SQL Server 2000 Service PackNOTE: The following hotfix was created before the release of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3.
The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

DateTimeVersionSizeFile name————————————————————–06-Jan-200220:238.00.5661,901,120 bytesDtspkg.dll NOTE: Because of file dependencies, the most recent hotfix or feature that contains the files may also contain additional files.

Symptoms
Consider the following scenario:On a computer that is running Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP, you apply the update for Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) 6.0 that is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

954459?(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/954459/) MS08-069: Description of the security update for XML Core Services 6.0: November 11, 2008After you apply this MSXML update, you try to install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 with a language different from the operating system’s language.For example, you try to install the English version of SQL Server 2008 in the Chinese version of Windows Server 2003.In this scenario, SQL Server 2008 Setup fails. If you examine the SQL Server setup log file, you find that the following error has been logged:

Slp: Running Action: Install_Msxml6_Cpu64_Action
Slp: Target package: <drive>:\x86\setup\x86\msxml6.msi
Slp: InstallPackage: MsiInstallProduct returned the result code 1603.
If you examine the MSXML setup log file, you may find that the following error has been logged:

Action start Time: SkipInstallCA.
This package is not supported on this operating system.
Action ended Time: SkipInstallCA. Return value 3.
Action ended Time: INSTALL. Return value 3
MSI (s) (9C:00) [Time]: Note: 1: 1729
MSI (s) (9C:00) [Time]: Product: MSXML 6 Service Pack 2 (KB954459) — Configuration failed. ……
MSI (s) (A0:D0) [Time]: Note: 1: 1708
MSI (s) (A0:D0) [Time]: Product: MSXML 6 Service Pack 2 (KB954459) — Installation failed. Note You can find the setup log files in the following folder:
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\LogNote This problem affects all the editions and releases of SQL Server 2008 that are earlier than SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1.
Resolution
The SQL Server 2008 Setup package contains an MSXML 6.0 version that is earlierthan the version that is described in Knowledge Base article 954459.Because the operating system language is different, SQL Server 2008does not detect that a higher version already exists. Therefore, SQL Server 2008 Setup tries to install the MSXML 6.0 version in the package and fails.