Q160709: Length = 0 in BIND Causes SNA Server to Reject BIND

Article: Q160709
Product(s): Microsoft SNA Server
Version(s): WINDOWS:2.0,2.1,2.11,3.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork
Last Modified: 13-JUN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft SNA Server, versions 2.0, 2.1, 2.11, 3.0, on platform(s):
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows NT 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When a host initiated BIND is sent to the SNA Server where the following two
conditions obtain

- there is an incorrect field in the BIND

  and

- one of the User Data Structured Subfields' length field is 0,

SNA Server will appropriately reject the BIND's incorrect field with a 0835xxxx
sense code, but the last 4 hexadecimal digits will be incorrect. The 0835xxxx
will appear in the event log as:

  Event ID 17

  APPC session activation failure: BIND negative response sent

  Sense data = 0835xxxx
  connection = <value>
  Session ID = <value>
  LFSID = <value>
  TH = <value>
  RH = <value>
  RU = <value>

The last four hexadecimal digits (xxxx) of the sense data correspond to an offset
within the BIND command that points to the parameter that was not recognized or
supported by the BIND receiver, in this case SNA Server.

CAUSE
=====

The SNA Server service gets confused because of the 0 length field. It therefore
reports an incorrect offset in the 0835 sense code.

RESOLUTION
==========

There is no current workaround. When using the 0835 sense code in diagnosis, be
aware that if there are User Data Subfields whose length field is 0, the offset
value may point to a perfectly legitimate subfield.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SNA Server versions 2.0, 2.1,
2.11, 2.11 SP1, and 3.0. We are researching this problem and will post new
information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: prodsna

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Keywords          : kbnetwork 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbSNAServSearch
Version           : WINDOWS:2.0,2.1,2.11,3.0
Issue type        : kbbug

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