Workflow failing with error Error: Output Data (8): Unable to make final write to output

Question

Hi All,

We have a workflow which would read around 55 excel files and write o/p in 55 excel outputs but in multiple sheets. Raw data is being summarized in different sheets. We are using the directory macro to read the 55 files and the by using block until done object writing into multiple sheets of the excel.

On the target file we are using the property to "Change Entire File Path" and the filename is derived in a expression transformation.

However it is sometimes observed that the workflow fails with error Output Data (8): Unable to make final write to output

Error  in use by another process. However we do not have any excel or the excel application open on the system.

Also once we encounter this issue , even after system re-start or Alteryx re-start we keep getting it.

We tried running this workflow on a different machine and it worked perfectly for 1 week but then again started failing with same error.

We have other workflows as well using the same concept but we did not face issue for those.

Really appreciate your help on this issue.

shrutikad11 · Answer

Apologies, I cannot share the workflow .

Everything is being written into same excel but into different sheets.

Workflow Algo is as follows:

1. Read data from a path using Directory input tool and using file_format as *.xlsx

2. This is then passed to the batch macro, get the sheetname and data and push this data into target file excel (sheet name raw data)

3. On completion of step 2 perform aggregation on raw data and populate data into sheet2 of same excel.

Step 3 is performed for more 5 times to aggregate data on different level and written into different sheets

Hope this helps

apathetichell · Answer

honestly - yes. but I'd need to see more of the workflow to get a feel how. Is it fair to assume that everything isn't being written in the same output? Otherwise you can just feed in the sheet as the control.

shrutikad11 · Answer

Yes i am using the batch macro for input , how can we add batch macro as output?, but on the workflow execution I can see that when the o/p is completely written in first pipeline ie full 100% then only the second pipeline starts.
Also I have tried adding dummy text files etc to first first pipeline to ensure that this issue does not occur.

Also I tried writting the o/p into different temp excels. Then created 3 different wf's to copy data from these temp excels into main excel but still anyone of the wf fails with this error

Is there any way I can resolve this issue