SqlAgent stops occasionally for no reason

[BootMeUp]

We have nightly scheduled jobs which cook along fine for several weeks, then without any known cause, SqlAgent(NT service) shuts down. Normally, MS SqlServer(NT service) continues to run (except over this last weekend, when it also stopped.)
This has happened on two servers, although only once on one of them.
I've searched MS KB and can't find any answers. Has anyone experienced this problem?

 

[fluteplr]

Did you check the NT server logs?

 

[BootMeUp]

In the past when SqlAgent stopped, there's been no indication in the event viewer for either system or application.
The most recent event saw both sqlserver and sqlagent stop. The event viewer (application) first relevant message was:
"17006
SQL Server Assertion: File: <proc.c>, line=1927
Failed Assertion = 'm_activeSdeList.Head () == NULL' &quot;
TIME [6:17:05 AM]
-------------------------------------------------------
(Enclosing quotes are added for readability.) No messg in event viewer for 'system' on the same time/day.
-------------------------------------------------------
Previous step was 'xpsql70.dll executing extended stored procedure 'xp_cmdshell' TIME [6:00:02 AM]
This is a DOS batch load to a spatial (GIS) table and uses another vendor's application to do actual loading.

This was followed by a SQL Server error message at TIME [6:17:11 AM]:
&quot;Error 1203, Severity 20, State 1
Process ID 23 attempting to unlock unowned resource KEY:
16:1922105888:7 (c30800000000)&quot;
At TIME [6:17:12 AM] SQL Server began the process of stopping and restarting, successfully.

 

[rdemotsis]

I am having a similiar situation happening on my server as well. Have you found any resolution?

 

[BootMeUp]

rdemotsis,
One of our other servers in another section had an almost identical case this morning. We are now following the trail back on both cases.
Are you getting the 17006 message?
Are you running ArcSDE (ESRI product) on SQLServer by any chance?
ArcSDE seems to be common to both cases, but then we're both running it.

 

[rdemotsis]

I don't seem to be getting a 1706 error. I did find that it could have something to do with a distinct clause in a subquery somewhere. I am running a SQL Profiler trace on the distinct clause overnight, to see if I can capture the problem.