Distributed Transaction Coordinator

23 July 2000 by Snakefoot | Comment » | Trackback Off

Description:

Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC) coordinates transactions that are distributed across two or more databases, message queues, file systems, or other transaction protected resource managers.
The service listens on TCP port 3372 along with a ephemeral TCP port (Above 1023).

Note one can disable the mutual authentication between the DTC services on different computers (In case the two computers are not on the same domain):

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \Microsoft \MSDTC \Security]
TurnOffRpcSecurity=dword:00000001

More Info MS KB Q827805
More Info MS KB Q555017

Related How to repair a broken MSDTC-log or reinstall MSDTC

More Info MS KB Q243204
More Info MS KB Q250367
More Info MS KB Q252641
More Info MS KB Q290624
More Info MS KB 817064
More Info MS KB 899191

Recommended State:

Manual, if on a simple home network.

Default State:

Win8/Win7/Vista: Manual.
Win2k3: Automatic.
WinXP: Manual.
Win2k Srv.: Automatic.
Win2k Pro.: Manual.

Process Name:

msdtc.exe (MSDTC)

Supports:

None

Depends:

Category:

1ff4

Updated: 13 December 2012

Comments:

Comment by Billy - 18 August 2004 @ 12:32 Reply

IRT the DTC service, I have mine set to MANUAL too. I checked my Event Viewer Log and discovered that my ntbackup nightly scheduled job has not been running (better late than never!) because of this error:

“MS DTC log file not found. After ensuring that all Resource Managers coordinated by MS DTC have no indoubt transactions, please run msdtc -resetlog to create the log file.”

I’m sure I prolly deleted the log as I’ve been doing some system cleanup/self-teaching as of late (yes, I do use Recovery from time to time) when I came across your post that DAC would recreate the log for me… but I am unable to pull DAC up on my XP Home box. I do have the msdtc exe along with several of its dll’s etc. but cannot run it from Windows or a CMD window.

So…

I want to make sure my scheduled backup runs everynight but it looks like I do need the DTC service started but I can’t start that because DAC doesn’t work for me even though I do see the msdtc files in my system32 dir.

If I can get msdtc restarted so I can create the log, maybe that will suffice to turn off the DTC service again but one thing at a time.

Hope to hear back from you as this site looks like a fav keeper for me, we’ll see. TIA.

Comment by snakefoot - 18 August 2004 @ 14:44 Reply

Billy
If I can get msdtc restarted so I can create the log, maybe that will suffice to turn off the DTC service again but one thing at a time.

I guess the full error is (EventId’s are good to specify):

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSDTC
Event Category: LOG
Event ID: 4163
User: N/A
Description:
MS DTC log file not found. After ensuring that all Resource Managers coordinated by MS DTC have no indoubt transactions, please run msdtc -resetlog to create the log file.

Maybe this solution is able to wake your DTC to life:

0. Consider booting in safemode first
1. Use Windows Explorer to expand the %SystemRoot%System32Dtclog folder.
2. If a Msdtc.log file exists, rename it to Msdtc.old.
3. Open NOTEPAD and save an empty file as %SystemRoot%System32DtclogMsdtc.log.
4. Open a CMD prompt and type: msdtc -resetlog and press Enter.

http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBJ/tip4500/rh4593.htm

Comment by Billy - 20 August 2004 @ 6:09 Reply

Just wanted to stop by and say THANKS for the tip (albeit simple one) to rename the msdtc.log file. My problem was that I no longer had that file and was going off of a directive from Bill’s boys in the second paragraph here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/cossdk/htm/pgdtc_admin_99yr.asp

After 2 days of wrestling with it, your reply gave me the gumption to go ahead and just create a log file and see what happens (why didn’t I do that in the first place?!!).

Anyway, checked my Event log this morning and with MSDTC back up & running, my scheduled ntbackup went off without a hitch last night.

Thanks again for the reply…. still livin and learnin!

P.S. have found out that the Shadow services are needed for ntbackup also… you can’t believe everything you read about Services not being needed but I’m compiling a list thru trial & error (best way to learn anyway!). Peace.

Comment by Billy - 20 August 2004 @ 6:23 Reply

IRT your request to post Event ID’s, I came across http://www.eventid.net/ thanks for the advice.

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