A couple more cube build error messages you might come across.

A couple more cube build error messages I have seen recently.  The first is related to a time out with Analysis Services 2005 and the clue is that failure will be just over an hour into the build (assuming the timeout is still the default 3600 seconds).  The error is:-

• Failed to build the OLAP cubes. Error: Analysis Services session failed with the following error: Failed to process the Analysis Services database <cube name> on the <Analysis Server name>  server. Error: Internal error: The operation terminated unsuccessfully
• Internal error: The operation terminated unsuccessfully. Internal error: The operation terminated unsuccessfully. OLE DB error: OLE DB or ODBC error: Unspecified error. Errors in the OLAP storage engine: An error occurred while processing the 'Assignment Timephased' partition of the 'Assignment Timephased' measure group for the 'Assignment Timephased' cube from the <cube name>  database.

The first part of the error message will be localized if you are using a MUI - the second will not.

To resolve the issue set the advanced property ExternalCommandTimeout to a value that will allow the building of the cube.  The default is 3600 (seconds) which is one hour.  Increasing to 36000 will be ten hours.  The value could be increased further or reduced depending if the cube builds within this modified time.

To change the value of the timeout property go to Management Studio for SQL Server 2005 and connect to Analysis Services.  Right click the server name in the left pane and select Properties.  Check the option to Show Advanced (All) Properties then scroll down to ExternalCommandTimeout.  Change the value in the Value column then click OK.  A restart is not required.

Another workaround would be to reduce the complexity of the cube build by either limiting dates or removing some or all added dimensions.  This workaround is unlikely to be a workable answer for most customers.

The fact that a restart of the service is not required leads me to the second error message, which can appear if you do restart and then immediately try another cube build:-

• Failed to build the OLAP cubes. Error: Analysis Services session failed with the following error: Failed to connect to the Analysis Services server <Analysis Server name>. Error: File system error: Error opening file; \\?\C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2\OLAP\Data\DBCUbe260.0.db\0.CryptKey.bin is not a disk file or file is not accessible. Errors in the metadata manager. Processing for the database will be disabled because an error occurred while loading the '<random cube name>' database cryptography key. One possible reason for this error is that the service account has changed. File system error: Error opening file; \\?\C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2\OLAP\Data\FarmPWA.0.db\0.CryptKey.bin is not a disk file or file is not accessible. Errors in the metadata manager. Processing for the database will be disabled because an error occurred while loading the 'FarmPWA' database cryptography key. One possible reason for this error is that the service account has changed.

There may well be other scenarios that give the same error, but for the scenario where you have just restarted the server then just try the build again and all will work. 

Technorati Tags: Project Server 2007