Client and Server Both Hang When Connecting

Problem: Attempts to connect to a Windows server cause both the client and the server to hang.

To use Windows NT security with AcuServer rather than AcuServer system security, your network must be set up with the appropriate permissions. If it is not, the client and server may both hang when the offending client attempts to connect.

When you are using Windows NT security, the server actually runs with the permissions of the client temporarily whenever the client requests access to a file. The method used to execute in this mode is called "impersonation" and requires a named pipe connection between the client and the server. A problem occurs when the client does not have the appropriate permissions to connect to the named pipe. Since the named pipe is not the primary means of communication, the client, failing to connect to the named pipe, tells the server it is shutting down. The server, however, is stuck waiting for the client to connect to the named pipe (which it will now never do). With the server stuck at the named pipe and the client stuck at the socket, both systems are hung. Each must be killed in whatever way your system allows (Task Manager, and so on).