26 March, 2013

InfoPath Error: This session has exceeded the amount of allowable resources in SharePoint 2010.


Microsoft Office InfoPath is a software application for designing, distributing, filling and submitting electronic forms containing structured data. InfoPath Forms Services uses session state to store the large amount of transient data generated while filling out a form. As a result, front-end Web servers can remain stateless between round trips, and each post back is not burdened with carrying large amounts of session state information over narrow bandwidth pipes.

One of the users opened a ticket with our team by mentioning that he is getting some error message while opening InfoPath forms:



Error Message: InfoPath Error: This session has exceeded the amount of allowable resources.



It was actually a new issue for me so i had started my troubleshooting by debugging the InfoPath forms.

Checked InfoPath form settings, tried to designed a new form, analyzed SharePoint logs as well as Event viewer. While analyzing the event viewer error messages, i found something which was very useful towards the case resolution. (Please refer the below mentioned trace)

Event Viewer details:

Event Type:      Error
Event Source:    Office SharePoint Server
Event Category:  Forms Services Runtime
Event ID:        5737
Description:    
Number of form actions 208, has exceeded 200, the maximum allowable value
Per request. This value is configurable and can be changed by the administrator.

Another Error in server events

Event Type:       Error
Event Source:    Office SharePoint Server
Event Category: Forms Services Runtime
Event ID:          5736
Date:                3/22/2013
Time:                2:16:20 AM
User:                N/A
Computer:         SPMWPRODWEB1
Description:
Number of postbacks, 76, has exceeded 75, the maximum allowable value per session. This value is configurable and can be changed by the administrator. (User: ABC\Amar, Form Name: Activity Brief Form Template v3.6, IP: , Request: https://abc.xyz.com, Form ID: urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:infopath:Activity-Brief-Form-Template-v3-6:-myXSD-2009-03-20T03-17-16)

What is postbacks: Some InfoPath form controls, actions, and features require the browser to communicate with the server during a form session. This exchange of data during the session is called a postback, and usually occurs when a form feature has to send data to the server for processing.
This error occurs due to the user (who is filling the form) has exceeded the threshold that was set for the number of postbacks allowed per form session. When this condition occurs, the user session is stopped to protect the server.

Microsoft Note: In order for the session state database to be properly maintained, the SQL Agent must be turned on for the instance of Microsoft SQL Server where session data is stored. If the SQL Agent is not turned on, expired sessions are not automatically expunged from the session table and may eventually pose a storage problem.

As per the data from the event viewer, it states that we need to check something within central administration as "This value is configurable and can be changed by the administrator". When i checked the Central Administration settings then i found what i was looking for.

Resolution:

Increase the form actions in configuring InfoPath services section as mentioned below:-

  • Go to Central Administration of the SharePoint server.
  • Click on Application Management
  • In the section "InfoPath Forms Services"-->select Configure InfoPath Forms Services.
  • In the Number of Actions per Post back, enter some max value around 250 or 300 depends on your project form requirement.
  • There are chances that the error may retain same even after we increase the number of actions per post back. The second thing we have to increase is the value of "Maximum size of form session state" to 8192. By default it is 4092, by increasing it to 8192 the error should go away. 
There is related reference form MS which tasks about Event ID: 5736: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee513119(v=office.14).aspx

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

SharePoint 2010 upgrade checklist: Part 3

Below are some more upgrade checklist as shared in the Part 1 and Part 2

Component
Recommendations
People and Asset Picker

Verify that People picker works as it did in SP2007 farm

Verify that Asset picker works as it did in SP2007 farm

Web Parts

Do all the Web Parts from your original site appear in your upgraded site?
If a Web Part zone exists in a customized page, but not in the site definition, the Web Parts from that Web Part zone may have been moved into the bottom zone on the page during the upgrade.
Either in Edit Mode for the page in the browser or in Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010, look for missing Web Parts in the bottom zone or other zones, or check to see whether the Web Parts have been closed. For more information about how to work with Web Parts and Web Part zones in SharePoint Designer 2010, see the SharePoint Designer Help system.
Are the Web Parts displayed correctly (in the correct zone, location and size) ?
Either in Edit Mode for the page in the browser or in SharePoint Designer 2010, drag the Web Part into the correct zone or modify the Web Part properties to correct any sizing or positioning problems.
Are there any extra or missing Web Parts?
Open the page either in Edit Mode for the page in the browser or in SharePoint Designer 2010. If you see extra Web Parts on your page, look for closed or inactive Web Parts on the original version of the page. Were the closed or inactive Web Parts opened by the upgrade process? If so, you can modify the Web Part properties to close these Web Parts.
If Web Parts are missing, look for errors in SharePoint Designer 2010 such as "Error Rendering Control" or "Missing Assembly." These errors indicate that the Web Part was not installed or was configured incorrectly for the new environment and must be reinstalled or reconfigured.
Do the Web Parts work correctly?
Open the page either in Edit Mode for the page in the browser or in SharePoint Designer 2010, and look for errors that indicate that a component or service is missing. Make sure that any components or services that the Web Parts rely on exist in the upgraded site. Particularly for the database attach upgrade approach, you must make sure that you have installed all the components or services that you must have for your Web Parts, and that you have configured them correctly (for example, you have configured the Web.config Safe Controls list).
Update and redeploy any Web Parts that exist but no longer function correctly.
Are any Web Parts pages still checked out?
If you check out a page to make changes, make sure that you check in the page again.
Are your Excel Web Access Web Parts working correctly? Did you re-create your connections correctly? Are external data sources still working?
Verify all connections and external data sources.
Large Lists

Check any large lists, and have the site owner or list owner address the issue
For example, create indexed columns with filtered views, organize items into folders, set an item limit on the page for a large view, or use an external list….
Style and appearance

Are all images on your pages displayed correctly?
Fix the links
Are the appropriate cascading style sheet colors and styles used in the appropriate location?
Fix links to the cascading style sheet file.
Verify link to master page.
Scripted controls not working?
Fix links to the controls.
Pages displayed correctly in web browsers?
Check scripts/links and move HTML to XHTML mode.
Permissions

Appropriate people and groups still have the correct level of permissions?
Check:
a. Sites
a. Pages
a. Lists
a. Items

Use "check permissions" button on the ribbon
Does SharePoint Groups exists in
Does SharePoint Groups works , AD Security group works.
Customizations

Customizations still in correct locations?

Can you still access the editing controls on the pages?

Are your customizations still appropriate in the new environment, or do you want to update to the new functionality and look?
If you want the new functionality and features, you must reset any customized pages to use the template. Use the Reset to Template command in SharePoint Designer to reset the page to the default version . After you have restored it, you can then reapply your customizations in the browser by applying a different master page, or by reapplying the customizations in SharePoint Designer.
Are any pages still checked out?
Make sure you check in the page again, after changes were made.
Code

Timer jobs
Test any timer job deployed at the farm, web app, site collection, or site level in the new environment.
Workflows
Create instances of all workflows and validate the status
Server Controls
Test any server controls
Event Receivers
Test any even t receivers deployed at the site collection, web, list, field, item, and workflow in the new environment.
Permissions

Check for limited access, read, contribute, design, and full control permissions

Check for Full Control, Full Read, Deny Write, and Deny All permissions. And if any custom permission level was created as well.



Web services

Check existing javaScript call to web service (asmx)

New code to test client.svc and listdata.svc



Email enabled lists

Document uploaded to doc library?

Settings from '07 environment preserved?



Alerts

Existing alerts properly working?

Can new alerts be created/deleted?



BB browser access

Can site be accessed from BB browser?



Recycle Bin

Basic functionality works? Delete a document, is it in the recycle bin?

Can administrator delete from first and second stage recycle bin?



Auditing

Audit reports available?

Settings from '07 environment preserved?



Manage content structure

All existing reports available?

Functionality available?



Outlook sync

Are docs being sync'ed?



SharePoint Designer

Can SPD be enabled and disabled?



CRUD operations on sites

Create a site

Delete a site

Modify a site



CRUD operations on document library

Create a document

Delete a document

Edit/Modify a document



CRUD operations on lists

Create a list

Delete a list

Create a list item

Delete a list item

Edit a list

Edit a list item



Backup/restore

Backup working?

Restore working?



Sites and lists export/import

Site export working properly?

Site import working properly?

List export working properly?

List import working properly?

SharePoint 2010 Upgrade checklist: Part 2

Below are some more upgrade checklist as shared in the Part 1:

Search
Run a crawl, and review the log files.
Run search queries, and verify that the queries work as expected and provide appropriate results. Twenty-four hours later, view the query reports and look for issues.
Search for people and profiles.
Check any Search customizations to make sure that they work as expected.
My Site Web sites
Are all the Web Parts working?
Are all features associated with the My Site Web sites working?
Can users access the sites, or are they seeing "Access Denied" errors?
If the My Site host that they are visiting is not the default My Site host, they may see this error. Check that the service application and proxy associations are correct, and then check that the My Site host is referenced correctly in the User Profile service application. Reset Internet Information Services (IIS) to apply any changes.
User Profile, InfoPath and Excel Services
Are they configured correctly?
Are the service application proxies configured the way that you want?
Do you have to create new connections between farms?
Make sure that all existing content such as documents are accessible in the upgraded Personal site.
Check all services have administrator permissions or reapply as needed.
For Excel Services, if using SSS (Secure Store Service) create a new unattended service account to interact with Excel Services.
For InfoPath Forms Services, update any links that are used in the upgraded form templates by using the Update-SPInfoPathAdminFileURL.