Workbooks fail to load + Event 5231 + Event 5239 + Event 5240 + Error communicating with Excel Services Application + Unable to process the request = SharePoint 2010

Checking event logs as well as health analyzer reports on a daily basis or you can call it as SP check outs on a routine basis is a good practice to make your farm free from errors and take timely action on the reported errors.

I am maintaining this habit from a long time and with respect to this, I found some string of problems with respect to excel services. Let me explain here step by step so that all points will be covered and your issue will be resolved as soon as possible.

Farm topology:

5 front ends + 2 application servers + 2 SQL in cluster mode (SQL SERVER 2008 R2)  

SP VERSION: SharePoint Server 2010 with SP2

What I noticed in event logs?

Event ID: 2159: Event 5240 (Excel Services Application) of severity 'Error' occurred 11 more time(s) and was suppressed in the event log

Event Id: 2159: Event 5586 (SharePoint Foundation) of severity 'Error'

Occurred 22 more time(s) and was suppressed in the event log

ULS LOGS:

09/24/2013 22:40:15.02     w3wp.exe (0x2A2C) 0x28CC    Excel Services Application Web Front End 5240    Critical   

There was an error in communicating with Excel Calculation Services http://:SP2010/0a8875975aed471cb086cd8411bfde97/ExcelService*.asmx exception: An error has occurred. [Session: User:]

If I tried opening any excel file which has been set as browser enabled then getting the following error message:

Excel Services: Unable to process the request. Wait a few minutes and try performing this operation again.

Followed MS best practices article but of no use:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee513104(v=office.14).aspx

What i tried:

1)   Server reboot resulted in no change in the results

2)   Restarting excel services results in no change in the results

3)   IISRESET – no change.

Imp note:

1)   Make sure the account that we are using to host excel service application does not locked.

2)   Make sure the corresponding service account and an application pool account has sufficient permissions in SQL as well as for excel service application.

Resolution:

In my case, recycling the specific application pool which has been used for excel service application resolves the issue.

I you are not sure as how to identify the specific application pool as it will be a long guid of numbers. Don’t worry, it very simple- Three cheers to Eric Harlan for this article: http://www.ericharlan.com/Moss_SharePoint_2007_Blog/which-sharepoint-2010-web-application-pool-controls-which-service-account-a177.html

Multiple resolutions for this issue:-

1)   Stopped the application pool, wait for error to appear in ULS and start the app pool again.

2)   Disable the ASP.NET Impersonation again.

1.   How to check this-

2.   Open IIS manager (Run-inetmgr)

3.   Websites section

4.   SharePoint web services root

5.   Authentication section- double click on it

6.   Make sure the asp.net impersonation should not be enabled.

3)   Verify that Identity property of this application pool is setting to the SharePoint farm account like this (It should be domain\account.)

How to check this- Open IIS then go to “SharePoint Web Services Root” application pool

If you have any queries/questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know. I would be more than happy to help you as well as resolves your issues, Thank you.

Happy SharePoint to all of you!

Product applies to:

1)   SharePoint Server 2010

2)   SharePoint Foundation 2010

3)   SharePoint Server 2013

References:-

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee513104(v=office.14).aspx

Excel Services Application not available - Event 5234

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee513094(v=office.14).aspx

Excel Services Application save failed - Event 3348

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee513095(v=office.14).aspx

Excel Services Application configuration database access failed - Event 5244

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee513113(v=office.14).aspx

Excel Services Application memory allocation failed - Event 5256

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee513109(v=office.14).aspx

Max memory configured for Excel Services Application exceeded - Event 5255

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee513075(v=office.14).aspx

whenever he clicks on excel spreadsheets, its says unable to process request

Problem Description:

Receive the following error when an Excel Document is attempted to be opened in Internet Explorer and would like to have the users be prompted to open Excel Documents in Excel instead of in IE, by default.

Error Message:

Unable to process the request

Wait a few minutes and try performing this operation again.

Probable cause:

Library settings are configured to open documents in IE by default and the Desktop Experience is not installed on the server.

Resolutions:

Solution#1:

Modified the library advanced settings to open the Excel Document in Excel by default:

1)   Opened the library selected Library Settings from the Library Ribbon

2)   Selected Advanced Settings

3)   Selected ‘Open in the client application’ in the Opening Documents in the Browser section

4)   Clicked OK

5)   Verified that the Excel Documents were opening in Excel

Solution#2:

Make sure the excel services are running

Solution#3:

Make sure that web application has Excel service connection. How 2 check this:

·         Central Administration

·         Manage web applications

·         Service connections

·         Make sure the option of ‘Excel service application’ is marked

Solution#4:

Make sure that your server has this hotfix installed: KB976462

Solution#5:

On document library level – you can go to Library Settings -> Advanced settings and change “Default open behavior for browser-enabled documents” to “Open in the client application”

Solution#6:

Activate this feature ‘Open Documents in Client Applications by Default’

How to activate this:

§  Open the SharePoint site

§  Site actions

§  Site settings

§  Site collection administration

§  Site collection features

§  Run IISRESET command

If you have any queries/questions regarding the above mentioned information then please let me know.

I would be more than happy to help you as well as resolves your issues J Thank you