Fix SSAS Excel Connection Error: Complete Guide

The “Data could not be retrieved from the database” error when connecting to SSAS from Excel typically stems from authentication issues, network connectivity problems, or configuration mismatches between Excel and the Analysis Services instance. This comprehensive guide covers the most common causes and systematic troubleshooting steps to resolve this persistent connection issue.

Contents

• Common Causes Overview
• Impersonation Settings Troubleshooting
• Connection and Network Issues
• Cube and Processing Issues
• Excel-Specific Solutions
• Advanced Troubleshooting Steps

Common Causes Overview

The “Data could not be retrieved from the database” error in SSAS-Excel connections can stem from multiple sources. Based on research findings, the most frequent causes include:

Authentication and Permission Issues

• Impersonation settings misconfiguration
• Insufficient user roles in the SSAS cube
• Data source connection string problems

Network and Connectivity Problems

• Firewall blocking SSAS ports (2382/2383)
• DNS resolution issues
• Network timeout configurations

Excel-Specific Limitations

• Language mismatches between Excel and cube elements
• Excel’s inability to access cubes beyond the first in a database
• 32-bit/64-bit provider compatibility issues

Configuration and Timeout Settings

• ExternalCommandTimeout and ExternalConnectionTimeout properties
• Cube processing state
• Service account permissions

Understanding these categories helps narrow down the troubleshooting process efficiently.

Impersonation Settings Troubleshooting

Impersonation settings are one of the most common culprits for this error. When connecting to SSAS from Excel, the impersonation configuration must be properly aligned with your security requirements.

Standard Impersonation Options

SSAS offers three main impersonation modes, each with specific implications:

1. Use a specific Windows user name and password

   • Most reliable for production environments
   • Requires creating dedicated service accounts
   • Recommended for Excel connections

2. Use the credentials of the current user

   • Not supported for cube processing
   • Can cause authentication failures in Excel
   • Generally avoided for stable connections

3. Inherit

   • Defaults to SSAS Service account
   • Falls back to service account if current user fails
   • Useful but less secure option

Step-by-Step Impersonation Configuration

To configure proper impersonation settings:

1. Connect to your SSAS instance using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
2. Navigate to the Data Sources folder in your database
3. Right-click the problematic data source and select Properties
4. Go to the Security tab under Impersonation Info
5. Select Use a specific Windows user name and password
6. Enter credentials with appropriate database access
7. Test the connection to verify successful authentication

Important Note: As SQL Server Central forums emphasize, “This error is caused by the Data Source connection not having access into the OLTP database.” Ensure your impersonation account has proper permissions to the underlying data sources.

Connection and Network Issues

Network connectivity problems frequently manifest as the “Data could not be retrieved from the database” error. Excel’s connection to SSAS relies on specific network configurations that must be properly established.

Firewall and Port Configuration

SSAS uses specific ports for communication:

• Port 2382: Default for SSAS Tabular models
• Port 2383: Default for SSAS Multidimensional models

Firewall Requirements:

• Ensure Windows Firewall allows inbound connections on these ports
• Configure enterprise firewalls to permit traffic between Excel clients and SSAS servers
• Test connectivity using basic network tools

Port Testing Steps:

1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell
2. Run ping [SSAS_Server_Name] to verify basic connectivity
3. Test port accessibility using telnet [SSAS_Server_Name] 2383 or 2382
4. If telnet fails, investigate firewall rules

Connection String and Server Address Issues

Server Name Resolution Problems:

• Excel may have difficulty resolving server names in certain network configurations
• Consider using IP addresses instead of server names for testing
• Ensure DNS is properly configured for your SSAS server

Connection String Format:

• For standard connections: [ServerName]:[Port]
• Example: SSAS-Server01:2383
• Verify the exact port used by your SSAS instance

As Stack Overflow experts suggest, “changing the SSAS Connection from server name to IP resolved the issue in some cases.”

Timeout Configuration

Excel connections may timeout if the SSAS server takes too long to respond:

1. Connect to SSAS using SSMS
2. Right-click the server and select Properties
3. Check Show Advanced (All) Properties
4. Adjust these timeout settings:
   • ExternalCommandTimeout: Default 30 minutes
   • ExternalConnectionTimeout: Default 30 minutes

Expert Insight: According to Microsoft MSDN forums, “adjust the ExternalCommandTimeout and ExternalConnectionTimeout properties for your SSAS server” if queries are taking a long time to return.

Cube and Processing Issues

Cube processing state and structure can significantly impact Excel connectivity. Even if you’ve processed the cube, other processing-related issues may persist.

Cube Processing Verification

Processing Status Check:

1. Connect to SSAS using SSMS
2. Expand the Databases folder
3. Right-click your database and select Process
4. Choose Process Default to refresh all objects
5. Monitor the processing log for errors

Common Processing Issues:

• Dimension processing failures
• Measure group processing errors
• Data source connection problems during processing

Cube Access Limitations

Excel Cube Access Restriction:

• Research reveals that “Excel cannot read from any but the first cube in a database”
• If you’re trying to connect to the second or subsequent cube, this will cause the error
• Solution: Rename your cube or use SSMS for accessing additional cubes

Role-Based Access Control

User Configuration:

1. Connect to SSAS using SSMS
2. Navigate to Roles in your database
3. Create or modify reader roles as needed
4. In the Membership tab, add the appropriate user accounts
5. Ensure roles have proper permissions to required cubes and dimensions

Best Practice: As recommended by Stack Overflow contributors, create specific reader roles and add user accounts to them rather than relying on default permissions.

Excel-Specific Solutions

Excel has several unique characteristics that can cause connection issues with SSAS. Addressing these Excel-specific factors often resolves the “Data could not be retrieved from the database” error.

Language Configuration

Language Matching:

• Excel may fail to connect if its language doesn’t match the cube’s basic language settings
• Solution: Change Excel’s language to match the cube elements (typically English)
• Steps:
  1. Close Excel completely
  2. Change system display language to English
  3. Restart Excel and attempt the connection again

Regional Settings:

• Ensure Excel’s regional settings align with the SSAS server’s configuration
• Date formats, number separators, and decimal settings must be compatible

32-bit vs 64-bit Compatibility

Provider Issues:

• “SSDT (SQL Server Data Tools) is a 32-bit application and can only use 32bit providers”
• Excel may be using 64-bit ACE OLE DB provider while SSAS expects 32-bit
• Solution: Ensure consistent architecture between Excel and SSAS connections

Architecture Matching:

• Verify whether your Excel installation is 32-bit or 64-bit
• Ensure SSAS connections use matching provider architecture
• Consider installing 32-bit Office if SSAS requires 32-bit providers

Excel Connection Methods

Multiple Connection Approaches:

1. Data Tab → From Other Sources → From Analysis Services

   • Traditional method with full cube access
   • May work better than Power Query connections

2. Power Query Connections

   • Modern approach with enhanced features
   • May require different authentication setup

3. VBA Connections

   • Programmatic connection method
   • Offers fine-grained control over connection parameters

Note: The research indicates that Excel connection methods can have different success rates depending on your specific SSAS configuration and Excel version.

Advanced Troubleshooting Steps

When basic troubleshooting fails, these advanced techniques can help identify and resolve persistent connection issues.

Kerberos Authentication Configuration

Kerberos Setup:

• For enterprise environments with Kerberos delegation
• Ensure proper service principal names (SPNs) are configured
• Test using Windows identity impersonation code:

var winId = HttpContext.Current.User.Identity as WindowsIdentity;
var ctx = winId.Impersonate();
// Access Database/SSAS
ctx.Undo();

Delegation Configuration:

• Verify Kerberos constraints delegation settings
• Ensure SSAS service account has appropriate delegation rights
• Test with simplified authentication scenarios

Connection Testing and Diagnostics

Network Diagnostics:

1. Test basic connectivity: ping [SSAS_Server]
2. Test port accessibility: telnet [SSAS_Server] 2383
3. Test HTTP proxy: http://[SSAS_Server]:2383 (will fail but shows port reachability)

SSAS Logging:

• Enable detailed SSAS logging to capture connection errors
• Monitor Windows Event Viewer for SSAS-related events
• Use SQL Server Profiler to trace connection attempts

Service Account Configuration

Service Account Setup:

• Create dedicated service accounts for SSAS operations
• Ensure these accounts have:
  • Local administrator rights on SSAS server
  • Database access to underlying data sources
  • Appropriate domain permissions

Impersonation Account Best Practices:

• Use domain accounts rather than local accounts
• Implement least privilege principle
• Regularly review and update account permissions

Expert Recommendation: As SQL Server forums suggest, “unblock the firewall settings in the Server, which prevents the connection to SSAS cubes” and ensure “changing the SSAS Connection from server name to IP” if DNS issues persist.

Sources

1. Microsoft Q&A - Getting an error when connecting to SSAS multidimensional cube from Excel
2. Stack Overflow - Data could not be retrieved from the database
3. Stack Overflow - Excel cannot retrieve data from Analysis Cube
4. Microsoft Q&A - Excel to SSAS connectivity for Pivot table fails
5. MSDN Forums - Data Could not be retrieved from the External Data Source Error
6. SQL Server Central - SSAS CUBE PROCESSING ERROR
7. SQL Server Central - Problems connecting to SSAS Cube from Excel
8. Stack Overflow - SSAS OLE DB error in establishing a connection
9. Stack Overflow - Trying to process the cube but getting the error at impersonation information
10. Stack Overflow - SSIS Cube process fail

Conclusion

Resolving the “Data could not be retrieved from the database” error in SSAS-Excel connections requires a systematic approach focusing on the most common causes first. Start by verifying impersonation settings and network connectivity, then progress to more advanced troubleshooting steps like cube processing verification and role configuration. Remember that Excel has specific limitations, such as only being able to access the first cube in a database and language compatibility requirements. Implement proper logging and diagnostic tools to identify the root cause, and consider creating dedicated service accounts for more reliable connections. If all else fails, testing with different connection methods or architectures (32-bit vs 64-bit) may reveal the issue. By following this comprehensive troubleshooting approach, you should be able to establish successful connections between Excel and your SSAS cubes.