The transaction has aborted.

Question

I have a multithreaded C# application where each thread has it's own set of db connections. Each thread uses TransactionScope / DTC. Sometimes, I get a "The transaction has aborted" exception. It's not from a timeout since it occurs in less than 2 seconds from starting the transaction.

Here's the stacktrace:

at System.Transactions.TransactionStateAborted.BeginCommit(InternalTransaction tx, Boolean asyncCommit, AsyncCallback asyncCallback, Object asyncState) at System.Transactions.CommittableTransaction.Commit() at System.Transactions.TransactionScope.InternalDispose() at System.Transactions.TransactionScope.Dispose() at MyNamespace.CallingMethod()

It happenes very infrequently, say once in 100,000 transactions.

Environment: Windows Server 2003 .Net 2.0 Connects to SqlServer 2005

Any ideas on why this is occuring? Thanks!

Answer 1

If you had connection pooling on I could see how you might get a Heisen Bug.

Answer 2

Is this call stack from your inner-most InnerException? I you get this exceptions, there is usually (not always, though) an InnerException with more info.

My bet would be on a database deadlock.

Answer 3

You can create a memory dump, the instruction can be found here http://blogs.msdn.com/b/joncole/archive/2007/03/29/creating-a-process-memory-dump.aspx

Then you can check with windbg to reveal what's root exception caused this issue. There are lots of useful information about how to use windbg check the managed exception.

in the mean time , you can use sql profiler to monitor if any sql error happened around the time when the exception was thrown.

Answer 4

As Andreas said, look at the InnerExceptions. Also hook up SQL Profiler and look for any deadlocks/terminates.