PRB: An Error Occurs When You Set a Connection Timeout From DSO (251280)

SYMPTOMS

For the initial release of Microsoft SQL Server OLAP Services, it is not possible to configure a connection timeout from Decision Support Objects (DSO). The default connection timeout is set to 15 seconds. So, if it takes longer than 15 seconds for a connection to go through, the connection will timeout from DSO. The error message that occurs from DSO or OLAP Manager in such a case is:

Cannot open connection to olap server <servername>

WORKAROUND

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server OLAP Services version 7.0. This problem has been corrected in U.S. Service Pack 2 for Microsoft SQL Server OLAP Services version 7.0. For information about how to download and install the latest SQL Server OLAP Services Service Pack, see the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=F62F45E9-24ED-4FA6-BD74-8A26606F96D8

For more information, contact your primary support provider.

MORE INFORMATION

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

With the Microsoft SQL Server OLAP Services service pack 2, it is now possible to configure a connection timeout by using this registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OLAP Server\Server Connection Info\ServerConnectTimeout

To configure a connection timeout:

Open the Registry Editor.
From the Edit menu, click Add Value.
In the Add Value dialog box, enter ServerConnectTimeout in the Value Name text box.
In the Data_Type drop-down listbox, select REG_DWORD.
Specify the timeout value in seconds.

NOTE: The default connection timeout has been increased to 30 seconds in service pack 2.

It is possible to configure the connection timeout from OLE DB for OLAP (DBPROP_INIT_TIMEOUT) or Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects Multi-dimensional (ADOMD). Use the Connection string property, Connect Timeout.

Since the error message that occurs from DSO is a generic error message, to pinpoint the cause of the failure you should make a connection from ADOMD (you can use the mdx sample application for this) and note the error message. If the error that occurs is:

The operation requested failed due to timeout.

you know that the problem is due to the connection timeout. Also, note that the default timeout for OLE DB for OLAP or ADOMD is still 15 seconds.