The ArcPy "PublishMSDToServer" function copies/creates an invalid map service definition (MSD) in the arcgisinput folder. The resulting map service does not display and fails to restart. The error message is: The base table definition string "" is invalid.
This issue is not reproducible in the current release of the software. If you are encountering this issue, please contact Esri Technical Support (for customers in the United States) or your Esri distributor (for customers outside the United States) to resolve this issue.