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On 29. Aug, I updated my validation environment to the last version of PBI Report Server (Version 1.3.6813.37954 (August 2018)) and also applied the SQL Server 2017 CU10, due to some fixes on SSAS.
My Sales model is a SSAS tabular database and it is updated every 10 minutes.
Since this last update, I've been facing the following issue in some visuals when I access the reports that consumes my Sales model. The Refresh button on Power BI tend to solve this issue, but it happens again after my model is updated.
The error message is "Current session is no longer valid due to structural changes in the database"´, but the only action done is a "Process Full" on some tables, and it was working with no errors since the initial release on July 2017.
The error seems to choose random visuals: sometimes is a few labels on report, sometimes a table or a slicer...
Is someone facing the same issue?
Couldn't load the data for this visual Current session is no longer valid due to structural changes in the database. Please try again later or contact support. If you contact support, please provide these details. Request IDbf1a69e8-e350-6bb7-7dc6-a3b9ccb32d3a TimeFri Aug 31 2018 13:30:42 GMT+0200 (Central European Summer Time) Version15.0.2.554
Sample Files and Steps to Reproduce the Error
I have prepared 3 objects to help Microsoft reproduce this issue.
<<PM me for download link and instructions>>
File 1) Excel Sheet: "SampleData.xlsx"
- Contains 3 worksheets of small test data that is used for the tabular model source.
File 2) Tabular Model: "SampleTabularModel.abf"
- Contains 3 tables from Excel sample data and 2 perspectives (both of which contain 2 of the 3 tables).
File 3) Power BI: "SampleTabularPBIReport.pbix"
- Contains test visualizations based on the tabular model
I also confirmed that this only happens when connected to a specific perspective. When connected to "model" (i.e. the whole model), the error doesn't happen. For me, with 14 perspectives in my model, and model processing happening every 30 minutes, this is a big inconvenience for my analysts working in Excel and Power BI Desktop. A fix would be great. Please let me know if you have questions on the example, or need any more info from me.
Thanks!
Sample Files and Steps to Reproduce the Error (5-10 minutes)
I have prepared 3 objects to help Microsoft reproduce this issue.
<<PM me for download link>>
File 1) Excel Sheet: "SampleData.xlsx"
- Contains 3 worksheets of small test data that is used for the tabular model source.
File 2) Tabular Model: "SampleTabularModel.abf"
- Contains 3 tables from Excel sample data and 2 perspectives (both of which contain 2 of the 3 tables).
- Created on SSAS version 14.0.239.1
File 3) Power BI: "SampleTabularPBIReport.pbix"
- Contains test visualizations based on the tabular model
- Created in Power BI Desktop December 2018 update
STEPS:
This is all meant to be done on the same SSAS test machine.
1) Put the file, "SampleData.xlsx" in the folder "C:\TEMP". (Otherwise you'll have to edit the SSAS "Connections" info for it in SSMS later.)
2) Restore the "SampleTabularModel.abf" file in SSAS 2017 to server, LOCALHOST.
- In the Restore Database dialog box, choose the "SampleTabularModel.abf" backup file.
- Enter "SampleTabularModel" for the "Restore Database" name, and the appropriate "Storage Location" for your environment.
- Click OK to complete the restore of the "SampleTabularModel" SSAS database.
3) Open the file, "SampleTabularPBIReport.pbix" in Power BI Desktop (not Desktop for Report Server). This is a simple report based on a connection to SSAS server LOCALHOST, database "SampleTabularModel", and perspective "TestPerspective1".
4) Click "Refresh" on the Power BI "Home" ribbon. The report should show data in all visuals (if it doesn't already).
5) Try adding any visual to the "SampleTabularPBIReport" report in Power BI, using the fields in the sample sheets as your data source. This should work fine.
6) Close Power BI Desktop and do not save changes to the report.
7) Open the "SampleTabularPBIReport" report in Power BI again. Do not do anything else in Power BI this time except open the file. Then go to the next step.
😎 Switch over to SSMS, right-click on SSAS database name "SampleTabularModel", and select "Process Database".
9) In the "Process Database" dialog box, choose Mode = "PROCESS FULL", and make sure the "Model" box is checked, then click OK.
10) Wait for SSAS model processing to be successful (which should only take 2 seconds), then continue to the next step.
11) Go back to Power BI Desktop, where the "SampleTabularPBIReport" report is already open.
12) Do the same thing you did in step 5... Add any visual to the Power BI report using the available fields in the list. The visual you create will show up gray, with the caption, "Can't display the visual. See details." The details are, "Couldn't load data for this visual, Current session is no longer valid due to structural changes in the database."
13) To clear the error, click the "Refresh" button in Power BI 2 times.
I also confirmed that this only happens when connected to a specific perspective. When connected to "model" (i.e. the whole model), the error doesn't happen. For me, with 14 perspectives in my model, and model processing happening every 30 minutes, this is a big inconvenience for my analysts working in Excel and Power BI Desktop. A fix would be great. Please let me know if you have questions on the example, or need any more info from me.
Thanks!
Well, well,
after writing the post, I decided to downgrade the SQL Server 2017 from CU10 back to CU3 (the version I had before), and it solved the problem.
Know this, I presume that this issue was caused by a hotfix somewhere between SQL Server 2017 CU4 and CU10; but I did not have time so far to discover which KB was the problem.
How could I report this issue to SSAS team? Anyone?
Hi @muchinski,
Microsoft iniatially indicated this issue as being a 'Bug' within SSAS, however Microsoft dediced to see it as a 'Feature' now, so it won't be looked at in the next 6 months..,
I really don't understand this since 'perspectives' are really important in the roll-out of a "Self Service" Tabular Model to the end-user community. What do you think?
BR Frank
Hi @Anonymous ,
this is really weird, especially because it was solved to SQL 2016 SP2 CU4 last november.
FIX: Errors when changing filters in Excel or PBI reports after model is updated in SSAS
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4465476/fix-errors-changing-filters-in-excel-or-pbi-reports
We are facing the same issue over here; using SQL Server CU 12.
Error is raised in case a connection is set-up using a perspective instead of the (default) Model and a 'Full Process' of a tabular table is in progress.
See also:
Please act Microsoft!
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