FIX: A Full Process Fails When a Very Large Dimension Slices a Partition (308956)

SYMPTOMS

When Analysis Services attempts a full process, if a Very Large Dimension (VLD) slices a partition, the processing fails.

A VLD is a dimension that typically has more than 4 million members. A VLD is managed in a separate process called Very Large Dimension Manager (VLDM) and the VLDM runs under Msmdvldm.exe.

The processing of a partition, which uses a member of a VLD in the partition slicing options, fails with the following error message in Analysis Manager:

Analysis Server Error: Processing error [Object does not exist]'All Customers USA';

"All Customers USA" is the member on which the partition slice is defined.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

290211 INF: How to Obtain the Latest SQL Server 2000 Service Pack

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

NOTE: These steps may make Analysis Services load very slowly depending on how many VLDs you define in the server. Only use these steps if necessary.

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

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Run Regedit.
Navigate to this registry key and lower the threshold for VLDM (if you use 150000 decimal, the Product and Customer dimensions in FoodMart 2000 become VLD):HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OLAP Server\CurrentVersion\VLDMThreshold
Edit the Sales cube partition in the Cube Editor and slice the partition by the customer dimension and the USA member of the customer dimension.
Process the Sales partition.

Make sure to change the registry key VLDMThreshold back to the default of 4000000 hexadecimal.