BUG: OLAP Server Stops Responding When Data Files are Corrupted

The OLAP server stops responding (hangs) in some situations if one or more data files are corrupted. Sometimes this occurs when OLAP Services is in a "Starting" state rather than a "Started" or "Stopped" state. Even if the service starts, the OLAP server does not accept connections from OLAP Manager, the MDX sample application or any other applications. The following error message occurs in the OLAP Manager: This error message occurs with the MDX sample application: The OLAP Server uses two TCP ports:

• 2393
  
  -and-
  
  
• 2394

Typing in the following netstat command:

netstat -a

shows port 2393 to be in a SYN_SENT state under these conditions.

As a work around:

1. Stop the OLAP server.
2. Remove or rename the "..\Olap Services\Data\DatabaseName.odb" file, and then start the OLAP server again. You should now be able to connect from OLAP Manager and other OLAP applications. If this method does not work, then you might consider reprocessing the OLAP databases after you remove the .odb files from the Data folder.
   
   To test which database may have a corrupted data file, rename the data directory for the specific database that is in the \Program Files\Microsoft Analysis Services\Data folder. For example, in the Data folder there is a directory named FoodMart 2000. To test if the FoodMart 2000 database has a corrupted file, rename the directory to "testFoodMart 2000", stop and then restart the service. The OLAP Service creates a new but empty directory named FoodMart 2000. If the service starts successfully you know that the FoodMart 2000 database has a corrupted file and must be reprocessed.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in SQL Server OLAP Services version 7.0 and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services version 8.0.