topic The Data Factory runtime is busy now. Please retry the operation later. in Pipelines

The Data Factory runtime is busy now. Please retry the operation later.

deoryadav — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 11:08:00 GMT

This issue has already been reported, but no solution has been provided in the related thread. I am encountering the same problem while creating a pipeline with the Lookup activity and setting up the connection. When I test the connection, I get the error: 'The Data Factory runtime is busy now. Please retry the operation later.'

This issue has persisted for several days, and I have not been able to resolve it. Could this be a backend issue, or is there any recommended solution to address this problem?

Re: The Data Factory runtime is busy now. Please retry the operation later.

v-hashadapu — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 05:12:32 GMT

Hi deoryadav , Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.

The persistence of Error Code 9518 over the past few days suggests that the Data Factory runtime might be overloaded. First, check the Azure Service Health dashboard to see if there are any issues in your region. If everything looks normal there, double-check your pipelines for high concurrency, too many Lookups or activities running at once can cause this and adjust if needed(refer: max concurrent connections in adf and synapse). Also, make sure your Integration Runtime is healthy, if you're using a self-hosted IR, confirm the machine has enough resources and that Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is installed as this is known to fix persistent Lookup issues, then restart the IR service. As a quick check, try running a simple pipeline with just one Lookup to see if it succeeds.

If the above didn’t work for you, then the best next step is to report this issue to Microsoft Support, as it may be a bug or a backend issue. You can provide them with all the troubleshooting steps you've already taken, which will help them understand the issue better and provide a resolution. They might be able to provide a solution that isn't immediately obvious.

Below is the link to create Microsoft Support ticket:
How to create a Fabric and Power BI Support ticket - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

If this helped solve the issue, please consider marking it 'Accept as Solution' so others with similar queries may find it more easily. If not, please share the details, always happy to help.
Thank you.

Re: The Data Factory runtime is busy now. Please retry the operation later.

v-hashadapu — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 04:08:46 GMT

Hi deoryadav , Please let us know if your issue is solved. If it is, consider marking the answer that helped 'Accept as Solution', so others with similar queries can find it easily. If not, please share the details.
Thank you.

Re: The Data Factory runtime is busy now. Please retry the operation later.

Mustaq — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 04:09:52 GMT

I would say one of the reason could be the server requirement where the gateway connector is running. Please review the minimum requirement and update accordingly. I have recently fixed the issue after upgrading the memory and CPU.