SNMP service keeps creating handles, finally freezes server

Question

We encountered problems with one server. It always froze after 9 days, then reboot and again after 9 days: server hangs.

What I found in the events log was an Application Popup 333 Error like 10 times a minute or so.

The description of the 333 event was:

An I/O operation initiated by the Registry failed unrecoverably. The Registry could not read in, or write out, or flush, one of the files that contain the system's image of the Registry.

I tried at least half a dozen different workarounds, found on different websites, including MSKB and serverfault with no success. Somebody recommended adding the "handles count" column to the task managers process view, which I did. Result: SNMP keeps creating handles. The Performance Monitor Wizard sayed the service had over 2 Million handles the last time the server crashed.

I now have deactivated the service, but what was the cause?

edit: We're fortunately not dependent on the SNMP service, so the problem is solved for us, but what, if we actually needed the service? How would I determine what causes the issue? (just in case someone else has the same problem)

Answer 1

Yeah, high (enough) handle count will definitely crash the server. If I recall correctly, the SNMP service can load extension DLLs created by other people (ie not Microsoft). I'd bet one of those extensions simply had a handle leak which is similar to a memory leak. It happens -- it's software :(