WIN API LoadLibraryA is failling when loading a DLL created by Intel Fortran compiler in Windows Nanoserver container

[mpospisil]

We have a dll 'k2femmkl64.dll' which was generated by Intel Fortran compiler. It depends on Intel's libiomp5md.dll

If we call HMODULE dllHandle = LoadLibraryA("k2femmkl64.dll");

it fails in Windows Nano Server container but it works in Windows Core container.

the error message is

Failed to load DLL: 127
CDB says “Specified procedure could not be found”

the problem can be reproduced by checking out the repository

https://github.com/mpospisil/intel_mkl_test

and running the application in a container see https://github.com/mpospisil/intel_mkl_test

If I use Windows Core container as my base image - it works

How can I find why Nano Server gives me the error 127 ?

[conioh]

Try running the process under WinDbg after enabling loader snaps.

[mpospisil]

I have successfully run
gflags.exe /i K2FemMklLoader.exe +sls

in the container

(but I had to run my container with an option " --user ContainerAdministrator " )

docker run -i -t --isolation=process --user ContainerAdministrator --volume c:\git\HiltiProfis\container-shared:c:\local k2femmkl-nanoserver

otherwise the value is not set

now I am getting a better log (see
loader-snaps-log.txt )

the problem is a missing function GetDllDirectoryA

`
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrpNameToOrdinal - WARNING: Procedure "GetDllDirectoryA" could not be located in DLL at base 0x00007FFFCB940000.
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrpReportError - ERROR: Locating export "GetDllDirectoryA" for DLL "c:\app\k2femmkl64.dll" failed with status: 0xc0000139.
(e0c.72ec): Unknown exception - code c0000139 (first chance)
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrpGenericExceptionFilter - ERROR: Function LdrpSnapModule raised exception 0xc0000139
Exception record: .exr 000000CF873FE0B0
Context record: .cxr 000000CF873FDBC0
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrpProcessWork - ERROR: Unable to load DLL: "k2femmkl64.dll", Parent Module: "(null)", Status: 0xc0000139
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrpLoadDllInternal - RETURN: Status: 0xc0000139
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrLoadDll - RETURN: Status: 0xc0000139

The specified procedure could not be found.

Failed to load DLL: 127
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrLoadDll - ENTER: DLL name: api-ms-win-appmodel-runtime-l1-1-2
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrpPreprocessDllName - ERROR: LdrpPreprocessDllName for DLL api-ms-win-appmodel-runtime-l1-1-2 failed with status 0xc0000481
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrLoadDll - RETURN: Status: 0xc0000481
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrGetDllHandleEx - ENTER: DLL name: mscoree.dll
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrpFindLoadedDllInternal - RETURN: Status: 0xc0000135
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrGetDllHandleEx - RETURN: Status: 0xc0000135
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrShutdownProcess - INFO: Process 0x0000000000000E0C (c:\app\K2FemMklLoader.exe -v) exiting
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrpGetProcedureAddress - INFO: Locating procedure "RtlDllShutdownInProgress" by name
0e0c:72ec @ 24968656 - LdrpGetProcedureAddress - INFO: Locating procedure "NtQueryWnfStateData" by name
`

I wonder why this function is not found in case on Windows Nano Server container but Windows Core works fine
Do you have any idea how to fix it ?

[conioh]

Sounds like you should modify the DLL to use GetDllDirectoryW, which is present, at least in the kernel32legacy.dll in my Nano Server image.

It's not very well (or at all) documented, but Nano Server is very different from "regular" Windows and you can't assume that anything works there. This time it's just an ANSI variant of a function that is missing. If that change solves your issue, consider yourself lucky. There are much bigger differences. Just try running any of the 32-bit WinDbg EXEs...

[mpospisil]

Thank you for your help

[mpospisil]

we can not modify the DLL (it is Intel dll) but I make it running by copying kernel32.dll to c:\windows\system32

in my nanoserver image
This is the Dockerfile .

It seems it overrides original

'C:\Windows\System32\forwarders\kernel32.dll

from Nanoserver. It has fixed our problem
Do you think it is a good workaround ?

[fady-azmy-msft]

Hey @mpospisil, we're looking into why this is the case with Nanoserver, however we don't recommend copying DLLs between images as this may violate windows server licensing.

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

This issue has been open for 30 days with no updates.
no assignees, please provide an update or close this issue.

[mpospisil]

I agree with you - it is not a nice solution. I don't like copying kernel too but it was only way how to make it working. I am not able to modify native dlls. These are Intels dlls.
My nanoserver container has 885MB the container based on windows server core has 3.95GB.
If there is no better option we can close this issue.