Drop Down Tools Won't Update for Large Files

[lheureuxg]

I've got an analytic app in my company's Gallery. I have it set up to allow users to select a CSV or Excel file and then feed the column names into drop down lists to allow users to map column names to expected inputs.

This works fine in most cases. However, I today uploaded an Excel file with ~1MM rows. After completing upload, it asked whether I wanted the list of sheets, or Sheet1. I selected Sheet1, but none of the dropdowns populated with the field list.

If I select <list of sheets>, they all populate (of course, just with "Sheet Name").

This isn't an issue for smaller Excel or CSV files. Is there a limit on how many rows the Gallery can work with? And why would it have to look beyond the first row of the Excel spreadsheet anyway?

[Loic]

I would try to troubleshoot this by first getting Server/gallery out of the equation.

If you run the same app or workflow and select the same large excel file using Alteryx Desktop does it work? you will be able to see all the messages for all the tools in the workflow and figure out what caused the fields to not be retrieved. It might not have anything to do with the size but more with the actual structure/formatting of that specific excel file.

Also another tip: when using Designer to see how it runs there, go to the Designer that is installed on the Alteryx Server vs the Designer installed on your computer (if possible) You will need to be able to remote desktop connect to the server to do that.

why is it a good tip: you will; be able to manually run the app/workflow in the same conditions as the server/gallery does and you will be able to see the exact tool or warning or error message that didn't behave as expected.

I have seen issues where the version of some Microsoft drivers installed on the server would influence the way a workflow works on server vs your own computer.

Using your own Alteryx Designer is good too but not as good as using the one on the server for troubleshooting.

[lheureuxg]

Thanks Loic,

It does work with that same Excel file when the same app is run in my own designer. I haven't attempted this on the Server-based designer... thanks for the suggestion, and I'll work through that with our team.

[barnese]

Hi @Loic I am helping out @lheureuxg to troubleshoot this and wanted to inquire about the Microsoft Drivers you mentioned in your post.  Currently our Company server does not have any Microsoft Office apps installed.  Is there a dependency on having Excel installed for the Alteryx tools to work properly?

[Loic]

yes you need at least to install this at a minimum:

Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable

This download will install a set of components that can be used to facilitate transfer of data between 2010 Microsoft Office System files and non-Microsoft Office applications.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=13255

if you go there: https://help.alteryx.com/current/designer/data-sources and scroll to the Microsoft section, you will see a link to this "Microsoft driver" above a few times. This way you can show that it is officially recommended by Alteryx.