Connection failing when I try to process a cube in BIDS

Question

There is probably a simple answer to this question but I do not have much experience with SQL Server/SSAS. I can connect to my local server PCNAME\SQLEXPRESS in SQL Server 2008. On that server I have made a database, some dimension tables, and a fact table that I intend to build a cube from.

I have been following tutorials on the internet on how to build a cube. I can successfully make a data source that connects to PCNAME\SQLEXPRESS, as well as make a data source view from it.

The problem is that after I build the cube, I get A connection cannot be made. Ensure that the server is running. and cannot process the cube. BIDS is displaying the star schema of my tables just fine, recognizes the relationships via foreign keys, etc... so I figured the server was running since it could access all of that data.

Does anyone know why this is happening, and if my server really isn't running can someone tell me how to start it? I am using SQL Server 2008 R2.

Thanks, Logan

edit: I just tried to change the server name to PCNAME\SQLEXPRESS instead of localhost in the Properties->Deployment option menu. I get A connection cannot be made to redirector. Ensure that 'SQL Browser' is running.

Answer 1

I solved this problem - for people that find this page on Google in the future: when I first installed SQL Server, the SSAS part failed to install. I uninstalled SQL Server and when I reinstalled, I looked deeper into the issue. Apparently one of the services needed to run SSAS has a weird bug where it cannot be started if your Event Log is full. I finished the installation of SQL Server, cleared my Event Log (Administrative Tools -> Event Viewer -> Click Each Log and go to Action -> Clear All Events), and then started the SSAS service in the SQL Configuration Manager.

Answer 2

You can start by going to "Programs->Microsoft SQL Server 2008->Configuration Tools->SQL Server Configuration Manager". Once there, you need to start the services "SQL Server", "SQL Server Analysis Services", and maybe try starting "SQL Server Browser", though I believe that is not necessary.