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Alteryx Server Discussions

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Workflow failed with error "file not found" however file is present in the folder

poojamate92
8 - Asteroid

Hi Team,

 

We have a workflow which schedule to runs daily 2 times a day (1st run is at 6am and 2nd run is at 11 am). The workflow using 1 zip file and 2 .csv files which are places at same folder. From last two weeks the workflow is getting failed once a week with error that it cannot find one file i.e. xyz.csv (Rest two files are able to fetch by WF).  However, the file is already present in the given folder and

 

e.g. In recent case I checked that the xyz,csv file is written at the file location at 1 AM and workflow runs at 6 AM still it got failed with error that WF cannot find the xyz.csv file.

 

This case happened two time till now. Can anyone suggest what are the causes for the error ?

 

Please Note - 

1. The WF failed at first run only. In second run it runs successfully.

2. We observed that whenever workflow failed at first run with the given error, In second run it takes more time than usual. (usually it'll finish running in 1 hour but when failed at 1st run it takes 2+hours to run)

4 REPLIES 4
jrgo
14 - Magnetar

Hi @poojamate92 

 

Being that the error is not persistent, I don't think the issue roots in Alteryx, however, some other questions to help with troubleshooting:

  • Are you noticing any pattern on when the workflow errors (i.e., always on X day on the 11am run), or is it completely random?
    • This could help to determine if there's something else happening at this time within the share folder if there is a pattern.
  • Are the files being accessed from a network share folder hosted by a Windows Server or from a shared folder from a machine that's NOT a server?
    • If it's shared folder from someone else's desktop machine, it could be hitting a concurrent user limit if that share folder is also actively used by other users.
  • Is the error always against the same CSV file?
    • Again, this is just to determine if there's a pattern.
  • Are the 3 files static or are they updated/replaced frequently? if the latter, when and which files, if not all?
    • this could help with determining the problem if the error happens after some event happens with the files it's reading.

 

You may also want to look through the Windows Event Viewer logs on both the machine hosting your Alteryx Server and the network share. This may have logged a more descriptive reason for why the file was not read/found.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Jimmy

apathetichell
18 - Pollux

Is there a specific syntax in the name of the file which is being created during the failed runs which would create problems for the action tool or whatever you are using to update the file path? Perhaps there is a something in the specific name which is causing a regex_replace or other part of the action tool to generate the wrong path identifier for Alteryx? A trouble shoot would be to download the workflow and attach a browse tool next to the file path/location and enter the specific name of the .csv file not found (with syntax) to see if it could find it.

 

This would assume the error is with the file path/input data - and the file is actually there as you noted.

Peachyco
11 - Bolide

@apathetichell : Might not be an issue with the file path. The OP notes that the workflow runs successfully on a second run after the first run fails. There might be some kind of timing or permission issue somewhere in the systems surrounding their Alteryx system.

apathetichell
18 - Pollux

Question - are you sure your server time zone is in the time zone you'd expect it to be - ie are the 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. in the same timezone?