FIX: A lazy aggregation operation on one or more partitions may fail and you may notice an "Error during lazy aggregation of partition <Partition name> in cube <Cube name>" error message in the application event log (872935)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services 64 bit
Bug #: 14397 (Plato7x)

Plato7x:14397

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

SYMPTOMS

When you specify a large value in the BuildIndexThreshold registry entry to avoid creating the indexes for the aggregations that contain fewer records, the lazy aggregation operation on one or more partitions in your Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services cube may not be completed successfully.

Additionally, the following error message is logged in the application event log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSSQLServerOLAPService
Event Category: Server
Event ID: 128
Date: 8/17/2004
Time: 13:48
User: N/A
Computer: <Computer Name>

Description:
Error during lazy aggregation of partition <Partition name> in cube <Cube name>:


Notes
  • Partition name is a placeholder for the name of the partition in your Analysis Services cube.
  • Cube name is a placeholder for the name of your Analysis Services cube.

CAUSE

Analysis Services tries to create indexes for the aggregation when the index files that correspond to the aggregation are already opened in the Write mode.

RESOLUTION

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services 32-bit

This hotfix build is designed for a server that is running SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services 32-bit: 
   Date         Time   Version         Size       File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   06-Apr-2004  07:56                     18,800  Msmd.h
   15-Jul-2004  13:22  8.0.960.0         221,760  Msmdcb80.dll     
   15-Jul-2004  13:48  8.0.0.960       4,063,808  Msmddo80.dll     
   15-Jul-2004  13:15  8.0.960.0       1,036,864  Msmdgd80.dll     
   15-Jul-2004  13:09  8.0.960.0         172,608  Msmdpump.dll     
   15-Jul-2004  12:47  8.0.960.0         446,524  Msmdsgn.rll
   15-Jul-2004  13:57  8.0.0.960       9,642,564  Msmdsgn80.dll    
   15-Jul-2004  13:10  8.0.960.0       1,839,684  Msmdsrv.exe      
   15-Jul-2004  13:33  8.0.960.0       2,085,456  Msolap80.dll     
   15-Jul-2004  12:28  8.0.960.0         213,068  Msolap80.rll


Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services 64-bit

This hotfix build is designed for a server that is running SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services 64-bit:
  
   Date         Time   Version         Size       File name
   -------------------------------------------------------------------
   06-Apr-2004  07:56                     18,800  Msmd.h
   15-Jul-2004  15:24  8.0.960.0       5,507,584  Msmdcb80.dll    
   15-Jul-2004  15:24  8.0.960.0       5,816,320  Msmdgd80.dll   
   15-Jul-2004  15:24  8.0.960.0       5,146,624  Msmdpump.dll   
   15-Jul-2004  15:24  8.0.960.0       6,010,368  Msmdsrv.exe     
   15-Jul-2004  15:24  8.0.960.0       6,686,208  Msolap80.dll   
   15-Jul-2004  14:11  8.0.960.0         201,216  Msolap80.rll
Note Because of file dependencies, the most recent hotfix or feature that contains the files may also contain additional files.

WORKAROUND

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.

To work around this problem, reduce the value of the BuildIndexThreshold registry value on the computer that is running SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services.

You can locate the BuildIndexThreshold registry value in the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OLAP Server\CurrentVersion

Warning Reducing the value of the BuildIndexThreshold registry value may adversely affect SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services in the following ways:
  • The aggregations and the indexes on the partitions of the Analysis Services cubes may take more processing time.
  • Additional indexes are created that causes additional disk usage.
  • Query performance may also decrease for queries at high levels of the cube. This is because Analysis Services reads both the index files and the data files instead of reading only the data files to process such queries.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

Analysis Services processes the lazy aggregation and the indexing operation on a partition of your cube in the following two steps:
  1. Analysis Services creates the aggregations that are designed to improve query response time that are not yet created on the partitions of your cube. The indexes for these aggregations are also created at the same time.

    Note When SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services tries to create the indexes, the index files that correspond to aggregation are opened in the Write mode.
  2. Analysis Services builds indexes for all the aggregations in the partition that do not already have the indexes.

In the first step, Analysis Services checks the value of the BuildIndexThreshold registry entry and does not create the indexes for the aggregations that contain fewer records when compared to the BuildIndexThreshold value. However, the index files that correspond to the aggregations remain open in the Write mode.

In the second step, Analysis Services does not consider the BuildIndexThreshold value and it tries to create indexes for all the aggregations that do not have indexes. These aggregations include the aggregations for which creating the indexes was denied based on the BuildIndexThreshold value.

When Analysis Services tries to build the indexes for the aggregation and the index files that correspond to the aggregations are open in the Write mode, the indexes are not created successfully, and you receive the error message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.

After you install this hotfix, Analysis Services also checks the BuildIndexThreshold registry value in the second step of the aggregation and the indexing operation. Therefore, Analysis Services does not try to open index files that were already opened in the first step.

For more information about the BuildIndexThreshold value, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnsql2k/html/sql2k_anservregsettings.asp

REFERENCES

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

820358 FIX: A lazy aggregation might fail after an incremental update of a changing dimension

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:6/1/2006
Keywords:kbEventLog kbEvent kbServer kbRegistry kbfix kbBug kbHotfixServer kbQFE KB872935 kbAudDeveloper
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