SQL Server: SQL Server services not starting. TDSSNIClient initialization failed with error 0x139f, status code 0x80. Reason: Unable to initialize SSL support.

Hi All, and welcome back. As the computing power and networking is increasing day by day so is the need of more safer and stronger encryption channel methods and algorithms. And we want our databases and database server to use the same as well. But sometimes implementing them may cause undesired results like SQL Server not coming online. In case you’re also facing the same issue or planning to adopt new TLS standards like TLS 1.2 and don’t want to such problems then you should go through this post.

Problem:

We may require to make changes like enabling higher level cipher suite TLS 1.2 and disable TLS 1.0 for better security of our servers. But in case you make this changes it can be possible that after restart the SQL Services refuse to come online and fails. If you check the SQL Server error logs you’ll get the below errors:

Error: 17182, Severity: 16, State: 1.

TDSSNIClient initialization failed with error 0x139f, status code 0x80. Reason: Unable to initialize SSL support. The group or resource is not in the correct state to perform the requested operation.

Error: 17182, Severity: 16, State: 1.

TDSSNIClient initialization failed with error 0x139f, status code 0x1. Reason: Initialization failed with an infrastructure error. Check for previous errors. The group or resource is not in the correct state to perform the requested operation.

Error: 17826, Severity: 18, State: 3.

Could not start the network library because of an internal error in the network library. To determine the cause, review the errors immediately preceding this one in the error log.

Error: 17120, Severity: 16, State: 1.

SQL Server could not spawn FRunCommunicationsManager thread. Check the SQL Server error log and the Windows event logs for information about possible related problems.

Solution:

In case you getting the above errors and you’re running with anything below SQL Server 2012 then you should first Open SQL Server configuration manager and check in network configurations whether “VIA” protocol is enabled or not. The supported libraries for this protocol are not available by default and will cause your SQL Services not come online hence you should disable them.

In case “VIA” protocol is disabled or you’re running with SQL Server 2012 & 2014 then some settings has been changed for SSL communication. If it is a new server installation then you should check my previous post which has covered the steps in detail.

However, in case it is an existing setup then you would be required to contact your Windows Admin (in case you’ve not done the changes by yourself) and either revert the changes or ensure the values of all the changes done have been setup correctly. Making the changes using tools sometimes put incorrect value of keys causing SSL settings to break.

If you’re wondering “then how to use TLS 1.2 standards” then there is way to it too. TLS 1.2 standards is not compatible by default even with SQL Server 2014. There are specific Cumulative Packs available for them. Check the below link for the same.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3052404

Additionally, there is a very good article which has been put up Microsoft as well, which also list some additional steps and errors to overcome for TLS 1.2 implementation on SQL based servers.

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlreleaseservices/tls-1-2-support-for-sql-server-2008-2008-r2-2012-and-2014/

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