"Request channel timed out" error message

[Georges]

Hello

We are running SQL Server 2005 Express Edition.

We frequently get the following message when trying to run an application
acessing a SQL database:

"The request channel timed out while waiting for a reply after
00:00:29.9843752. Increase the timeout value passed to the call to Request or
increase the SendTimeout value on the Binding. The time allotted to this
operation may have been a portion of a longer timeout."

If we keep trying to run the application, we eventually will be able to
avoid getting this message. How can we increase the timeout value?

Regards,
Georges

[Erland Sommarskog]

I've never seen that particular message, but the timeout of 30 seconds is
just too familiar. Many client API by default stops waiting for answer from
SQL Server after 30 seconds. And please don't ask me to defend this
stupidity.

As I said, I don't recognize the error message, and whence I don't know
which client API you are using. But a Google search indicates that it may be
WCF. In any case, the Connection and Command objects (or corresponding) have
a property CommandTimeout you can set. 0 usually means "wait forever".

If this is a 3rd-party application where you don't have access to the source
code, you need to talk to the vendor.

--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, esq...@sommarskog.se

Links for SQL Server Books Online:
SQL 2008: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/cc514207.aspx
SQL 2005: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb895970.aspx
SQL 2000: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/previousversions/books.mspx