Scott,

We have exactly the same problem on Win2003 server + FB153SS.

First of all, it has nothing to do with BDE or pdoxusrs.net
People tend to blame BDE for every evil, but it is rarely as bad! :)
We dont use BDE and still, experience this problem.

This is what didn't help us:
- reinstalling Win2003 and FB server from scratch;
- replacing the server network card.

This is still not solved in toto, but here is a list of things
that helped to reduce the problem to the point where we dont hear
from the customer anymore about it:

- making client application exit on half-an-hour inactivity;
- removing possible long-lasting queries from client application;
- removing possibilities for long-lasting transactions from client
application;
- more efficient and failure resistant transaction management in
client application;
- nightly sweep;

I suspect this also:

Remote Interface Bugs (excerpt from FB2 release notes)
SF #1385092 A TCP/IP connection would appear to freeze the
Superserver if it was disconnected
abnormally while a large packet, e.g. a BLOB or a large SQL request,
was being passed across the
interface.

I wonder, when that bug was inserted. Was it version 1.5?

See, whatever makes the system hanging (long query, freezing TCP/IP
connection)
can make user to turn-off computer which results in lost connection
and uncommited transaction, which in turn might lead to server freeze
a concurrent client transaction until users are fed up and reboot
the server.

If fbserver is restarted (even manually!) you will also get exactly
the same kind of message in client aplication. "Forcibly closed..."

I would also like to try Dmitry's suggestion about:

> Go to network card properties -> "Power Management" page and
> uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power"
> check box. On both server and client computers.

Please, if you find the concrete cause for this, let me also know.

Thanks,
Glebas


--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "Scott Moon"
<scottmoon@...> wrote:

>
> We're stumped.
>
> We have two older client/server applications written in Delphi

that

> use the BDE components to access Firebird databases. The Firebird
> database server runs on its own machine. The apps also use a

common

> file (pdoxusrs.net - I said the apps were old) that is retrieved

from

> a shared folder on that server. These apps have worked fine for

years

> on Firebird 1.03 / Win2000 Server (and before that on Interbase
> 5.5). We've upgraded the server and software to Firebird 1.5 /
> Win2003 Virtual Server. The applications run fine while in use,

but

> after one hour of idle time, subsequent use is halted and the
> following message is displayed:
>
> "General SQL error. Unable to complete network request to
> host "myHostName". Error writing to the connection. An existing
> connection was forcibly closed by the remote host."
>
> The user must close the program and reopen it to continue, it does
> not crash their system. We have worked with our network admin but
> cannot find any differences in settings between the old and new
> servers as far as the OS is concerned. There is no firewall in

the

> way. There is a shared folder for the pdoxusrs.net file, and

we've

> tried the INTRBASE driver and the newest Firebird ODBC driver

(where

> you specify a path to fbclient.dll), both still use the BDE, and

the

> error still occurs with each. Any ideas would be greatly

appreciated.

>
> Thanks,
> Scott
>