Ive been working on this error for the past week without much success. Context : I have a bunch of server running Sql server 2005 under Windows 2003(enterprise,standard and x64) and 2 new servers running Sql server 2008 under Windows 2008 Standard. I use MS DTC with sql server and clr assemblies to transfer and modify some data to a datawarehouse. Our 2 new windows 2008 servers have the same hardware configuration and basic software configuration. One of them wich we will call gisServer is running ArcGis and Sql Server. The other one wich we will call prodServer is running Sql server only. Problem : On my prodServer MSDTC is not working properly but on the other one its fine. Heres what ive done with what im thinking in order of date starting When i discovered the problem. 1. Im getting a bunch of msdtc errors under sql server. SSMS returns the following error : MSDTC on server 'prodServer' is unavailable. 2. In the event viewer I always get the 2 same entries when i try a transaction : Attempting to initialize Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC). This is an informational message only. No user action is required. The Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC) service could not be contacted. If you would like distributed transaction functionality, please start this service. 3. I checked in the component service and MSDTC is started. I also checked his dependency : COM+ Event System (optional) , COM+ System Application , DCOM Server Process Launcher , Distributed Transaction Coordinator , Message Queuing , and Remote Procedure Call (RPC) are also started. 4. I checked with the network analyst and we only have a firewall for requests going to Internet. In our internal network there are no firewall . 5. I also checked if there are network policy and if windows firewall was started. No network policy and no windows firewall enabled. 6. Current MSDTC configuration Network DTC Access: on Allow Remote Clients: on Allow Remote Administration: on Allow Inbound: on Allow Outbout: on No Authentification Required Enable XA Transactions: on Logon Account: NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService 7. Tried flusing the logs and traces. 8. Tried reinstalling msdtc. No difference. 9. I tried enabling msdtc via Server Manager by installing Application Role(wich provide support for msdtc) 10. Tried dtctester here's the output MSTDC on server is unavailable Firewall has ports closed bad WINS/DNS Misconfigured network Misconfigured SQL Server machine that has multiple netcards. 12. I have enabled Netbios over tcp ip. 13. I Noticed MSDTC service stopped by itself during troubleshooting and i can't find any information on what caused it. 14. I got few interesting log entry : MSDTC encountered an error (HR=0x80000171) while attempting to establish a secure connection with system prodServer. Invalid command line arguments. (for MSDTC in the logs) (i havent tried to start MSDTC from command line and it only does it from time to time... 15. MS DTC Tracing infrastructure : the attempt to flush the existing trace data failed. Internal Information : none available. 16. I RE RE RE RE RE RECHECKED that the service and its dependency were started. 17. Made a clr trigger on sql server to see if i can cause more interesting errors that could lead me to understanding the problem. here's what im getting(wich is no more interesing) System.Transactions.TransactionAbortedException: The transaction has aborted. ---> System.Transactions.TransactionPromotionException: MSDTC on server 'prodServer' is unavailable. ---> System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: MSDTC on server 'prodServer' is unavailable. 18. I have checked about every help on internet and still can't find the answer. 19. In MSDTC traces i only see that transaction get aborded but no more information. 20. In component service, msdtc statistics are always at 0 even though i try generating transactions. It dosen't event registers them as aborded(but the traces does ???) 21. I also checked with process explorer and i can see msdtc running and i see its footprint going up when i generate trasactions. 22. Using debugging logs i get these events : The WS-AT protocol service successfully completed startup and recovery. Protocol ID: c05b9cad-ab24-4bb3-9440-3548fa7b4b1b Protocol Name: WS-AtomicTransaction 1.1 Process Name: msdtc Process ID: 9204 HERES THE CONFIGURATION : Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001] Host Name: prodServer OS Name: Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V OS Version: 6.0.6001 Service Pack 1 Build 6001 OS Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation OS Configuration: Member Server OS Build Type: Multiprocessor Free Registered Owner: Windows User Registered Organization: Product ID: ******************** Original Install Date: 03/03/2009, 9:44:46 PM System Boot Time: 25/06/2009, 9:12:22 AM System Manufacturer: HP System Model: ProLiant DL380 G5 System Type: x64-based PC Processor(s): 2 Processor(s) Installed. [01]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10 GenuineIn tel ~2833 Mhz [02]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10 GenuineIn tel ~2833 Mhz BIOS Version: ***** Windows Directory: C:\Windows System Directory: C:\Windows\system32 Boot Device: \Device\HarddiskVolume1 System Locale: en-ca;English (Canada) Input Locale: en-us;English (United States) Time Zone: (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) Total Physical Memory: 12,285 MB Available Physical Memory: 427 MB Page File: Max Size: 24,781 MB Page File: Available: 13,463 MB Page File: In Use: 11,318 MB Page File Location(s): C:\pagefile.sys Domain: ******** Logon Server: \\****** Hotfix(s): 44 Hotfix(s) Installed. [01]: {47740627-D81D-4A45-A215-03B075A18EC7} [02]: {5F7F6FFF-395D-480E-8450-64F385D82C5F} [03]: {5E10E16E-CF65-479B-8E64-E240E621F5D2} [04]: {B0D673F4-01F4-44E6-8944-4F22A558D042} [05]: {F9852BE7-7A55-413C-BBD0-C9B72790E983} [06]: {012BE245-FE02-466B-9835-209FE4FB7698} [07]: {65AFCB03-3111-47E2-B1ED-198D6B0BC96E} [08]: KB940518 [09]: KB938464 [10]: KB942288 [11]: KB948609 [12]: KB948610 [13]: KB949189 [14]: KB950050 [15]: KB950760 [16]: KB950762 [17]: KB950974 [18]: KB951066 [19]: KB951698 [20]: KB951978 [21]: KB952287 [22]: KB953733 [23]: KB954211 [24]: KB954459 [25]: KB955020 [26]: KB955069 [27]: KB955302 [28]: KB955839 [29]: KB956802 [30]: KB956841 [31]: KB957097 [32]: KB957200 [33]: KB957321 [34]: KB957388 [35]: KB958481 [36]: KB958483 [37]: KB958623 [38]: KB958624 [39]: KB958644 [40]: KB958687 [41]: KB959130 [42]: KB960715 [43]: KB961260 [44]: KB967190 Network Card(s): 4 NIC(s) Installed. [01]: HP NC373T PCIe Multifunction Gig Server Adapter Connection Name: Local Area Connection DHCP Enabled: No IP address(es) [01]: ********** [02]: ***************** [02]: HP NC373T PCIe Multifunction Gig Server Adapter Connection Name: Local Area Connection 2 DHCP Enabled: No IP address(es) [01]: ********** [02]: ******************** [03]: HP NC373i Multifunction Gigabit Server Adapter Connection Name: Local Area Connection 3 Status: Media disconnected [04]: HP NC373i Multifunction Gigabit Server Adapter Connection Name: Local Area Connection 4 DHCP Enabled: No IP address(es) [01]: *********** I blanked out some information for security but you should have every important information NOTE : This is not a problem with SQL SERVER my problem is with MSDTC. I cannot use any msdtc ressource (either with sql server or without). Regards Gabriel Gb

Hi, This issue can occur if theres not enough permission for Network Service account for MSDTC service. Please try steps below to troubleshoot t the issue: Step 1: Download a tool called SUBINACL from the link below: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E8BA3E56-D8FE-4A91-93CF-ED6985E3927B&displaylang=en Step 2: Open Command Prompt in elevated mode, change the directory to the folder containing subinacl.exe and then run the following command: subinacl /service msdtc /grant="Network Service"=QSETIL The meaning of the letters (can be found as well in the subinacl.htm file in the subinacls installation folder): Q : Query Service Configuration S : Query Service Status E : Enumerate Dependent Services T : Start Service I : Interrogate Service L : Read Control For more information, please refer to the following article: Managing Accounts and Privileges http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770953(WS.10).aspx Enable Network Access Securely for MS DTC http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753620(WS.10).aspx Hope it helps. Tim Quan - MSFT

Hi How are things going? I have not heard back from you in a few days and wanted to check on the status of the issue. Please let me know how things turned out. Tim Quan - MSFT

Just had this problem with our system test environment. The environment has been working for12+ months (with MSDTC configured for distributed transactions), then starting getting the MSDTC on server 'server' is unavailable error a couple of days ago. DTCPing showed that MSDTC was working OK. SQL Server appeared to be working OK also. Tried the fix above, but that didn't work. Was just about to rebuild the DB server when I noticed a log file for one of the databases was exceptionally large (5.7Gb, DB is only 100Mb). Truncated the log file and everything started working again. Best guess is the log file was corrupted and this was somehow preventing SQL Server from rolling back and/or checking for aborteddistributed transaction. There were no SQL Server Log or Event Log entries that I could find to indicate a problem with the database or the DB log file. Note that the database with the corrupt log file was not the oneused by our application. Also,that DB did not need to participate in any distributed transactions.Script to truncate a log file is below -> USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! If you don't know what the DB log file does - TALK TO YOUR DBA FIRST!-- Get name of DB Select * from master..sysdatabases BACKUP LOG<DBName> WITH TRUNCATE_ONLY -- Use DB Name DBCC SHRINKFILE(<LogFileName>,10) -- Use Logical log name

I did a restart and msdtc started working. Look at my steps and make sure everything is right then restart. Gabriel Gosselin B. DBA Altus Group

have you done any recent update ?

Yes - Applied the latest Windows Updates just before the error started to occur so initially thought that one of the updates was the cause. However after uninstalling all the updates (and rebooting) the problem persisted. Wasn't until the the log file was truncated that the error went away.

Hi Tim, I have the same problem with Windows Server 2008 SP2. I downloaded and installed SUBINACL tool but I'm getting OpenService Error : 5 Access is denied while using your command line or just subinacl /service msdtc The other serveice work fine (e.g. subinacl /service msmq) and I'm running my cmd as Administrator. Please help V

I have same issue MSDTC throws error "MSDTC encountered an error (HR=0x80000171) while attempting to establish a secure connection to 'localhost'" I tried SUBINCAL also but it is not authorized. I am on 2008R2 with a fresh install only 4 days ago.

Hi, I have the same problem: msdtc - OpenService Error : 5 Zugriff verweigert Best, Thomas

I have the same problem with Windows Server 2008 SP2. I downloaded and installed SUBINACL tool but I'm getting OpenService Error : 5 Access is denied while using your ditto - brand spanking new Windows 2008 R2 installation less than 36 hours old and am hitting this issue (amongst others) - OpenService Error : 5 Access is denied **have open support case and will repost later if any pertinent information is discovered** help!Dale Unroe

in my case the new server was joined into an existing Windows 2003 domain of which had a lengthy history and may well have been a Windows 2000 domain. The importance of this legacy is that there was a time previously in which through an MMC you could apply 'security templates' that could configure large scale changes including through Group Policy. What I discovered during troubleshooting was that the Default Domain Controller Policy as well as the Default Domain Policy were filled with such seemingly security related lock downs and these were now having adverse consequences never originally intended. These impacted registry keys and folder permissions. Once discovered I had to use a known good domain controller in a separate domain as a standard by which to compare this over secured FUBR'd domain. I set the two above mentioned GPO's back to match this standard. The next step was complex and involved using Sysinternal's Process Monitor. For each service that wouldn't start I had to have Proc Mon on and logging while the 'access denied' events occurred whether on registry keys, folders, or files. Each had its own unique permission changes required and so I had to go back to the standard 'known good quantity' system for specific permission setting guidance. The MSDTC was actually fixed directly by the Microsoft Support Engineer and involved its inability to write to the log (as I now recall days later). I will correspond with him to get specific clarification on the specific steps so to close this out and then write them here later. Dale Unroe

The reply from the engineer: "I had added the network service account with full rights to the MSDT log file in C:\windows\system32\msdtc\msdt"Dale Unroe

This solution is Working but if You are on a cluster than you have to change the MSDTC name in the Clusterd MSDTC Else you are using the local MSDTC and than it Won't Work. Saw the same issue Today and fixed it Did Some testing and it Worked. The Clusterd MSDTC look like something like this MSDTC$92d91bb1-e731-4c-1688158 Look the Services up in the Services and copy paste it subinacl /service MSDTC$92d91bb1-e731-4c-1688158 /grant="Network Service"=QSETIL And Yes in a Admin CMD do not make the mastake and say I logged on as an admin. Then you have the access denied.Greetings, Robert Smit [MVP] http://robertsmit.wordpress.com/