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ERROR_PIPE_BUSY
No named-pipe instance is available
ERROR_PIPE_BUSY is returned when a client tries to connect but every server-created instance is already connected or unavailable. This is usually a capacity or timing condition rather than a malformed pipe name.
What to check
- Verify that the server process is running and creating the expected number of instances.
- Measure connection duration and concurrent client demand.
- Use
WaitNamedPipeor equivalent bounded waiting where appropriate. - Check whether leaked connections prevent instances from returning to the pool.
How to handle it
Retry with a sensible timeout when temporary saturation is expected. Increase server capacity only after confirming that existing instances are released correctly.
References
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