Excel Services Application issues (SP 2010/2013)

After Configuring Excel Service (too many information regarding configuring Excel Service in SharePoint available on net), I faced following issue:

We’re sorry. We ran into a problem completing your request. Please try that again in few minutes. (Message from SP 2013)

Unable to process the request. Wait a few minutes and try performing this operation again. (Message from SP 2010).

The workbook cannot be opened. (SP 2010/2013).

I tried lots of thing but not found exact solution in a single block (May be my luck needs more effort from me as it always does)

After spending almost 2-3 hours, I am able to resolve the issue and now it is working perfectly fine.

I just posting all my efforts to resolve the issue:

1-      Start your excel service if not yet started.

For this go to:

·         Central Admin -> Application management -> Configure Service Application Associations (Under Service Application Header)

·         Check if the Excel Calculation Services is started. If it is not started click on start.

2-      Check Excel Services Application to an Application Proxy Group Assigned.

For this go to:

·         Central Admin -> Application management -> Manage Service on Server (Under Service Application Header)

·         In the Application Proxy Group column, click on Application Proxy Group (I have only the default group).

·         Ensure Excel Services Application is checked.

3-      Grant Excel Services access rights to the SharePoint Content database

·         PowerShell cmdLet that grants db_owner access to the SharePoint Foundation content databases.

$wp = Get-SPWebApplication -identity <Web Application URL>

$wp.GrantAccessToProcessIdentity("Domain\Account that Run Excel Service")

·         To execute the script above, you need to find the managed service account that runs the Excel Services Application Pool.

·         Go to Central Administration > Security > Configure service accounts (Under General Security).

4-      Ensure that the account has correct permissions in SQL Server.

·         In SQL Server Management Studio, expand the Databases node, expand the configuration database node (in this case, WSS_Content_XXXX), expands the Security node, and then click Roles. Then expand the Database Roles node, right-click db_owner, and then select Properties.

·         Assign dB owner permission to step 3 user.

5-      After following all the above steps I again checked that whether excel service working or not.

But it still throwing same error.

I then started ULS viewer (you can download it from codeplex) and then try to trace the issue.

Now the following error is showing under Log File(Shown by ULS Viewer)

There was an error in communicating with Excel Calculation Services http://server:32843/aa017c446fe242ccae31293946b26589/ExcelService*.asmx exception: The remote server returned an error: (503) Server Unavailable. [Session:  User: Domain\Administrator].

Now I found that my SharePoint Web Service Root application pool is running but with LocalSystem Credential. I then changed it with domain account.

Now the above error stopped.

But still same dialog box showing having same message we’re sorry. We ran into a problem completing your request. Please try that again in few minutes. (Message from SP 2013).

Now it’s very annoying thing. I was about to quit it for the day but suddenly I thought to check Session State Service.

6-      I use the following PowerShell command

Get-SPSessionStateService

And found that it is not enabled. Now one more hope J

I Enabled Session State using PowerShell Cmdlet

Enable-SPSessionStateService –DatabaseName "SessionStateDatabase" –DatabaseServer "<DB Server>" –SessionTimeout 120

It enables a ASP.NET session state on a SharePoint Server 2013 farm that uses a custom database name, database server, session time-out of 120 minutes, and Windows credentials (due to the lack of a DatabaseCredentials parameter).

You can use the following also

Enable-SPSessionStateService –DefaultProvision

It enables a ASP.NET session state on a SharePoint Server 2013 farm that uses the defaults (database hosted on the configuration database SQL Server, using Windows authentication, 60-minute session time-out).

And then

 iisreset

And guess what, My excel service is working absolutely fine.