SHAREPOINT CONNECTION INPUT AND OUTPUT ERROR

[Dilip_kumar]

Hi Team,

When I schedule my workflow it changes back to _external---- folder for all input file and output file paths.

My input files are originally stored on SharePoint, I sync those file to my one drive. Alteryx input tool connects to Synced files at one drive.

Output also in the same location with different file name. Output tool also shows External folder error.

please answer this, it will helpful for me.

[DanielG]

@Dilip_kumar  If I am understanding the issue, you are scheduling items on Alteryx Server.  I dont think Alteryx Server works with your synced OneDrive locations, as they aren't synced on the server.  Only locally.  So when you load it to the server from your desktop it is grabbing a copy of those files and packaging them up to the server.

At least that is my understanding of Server. 

Disclaimer: My company still runs 2022.1 so I may be WAAAAAAAYYYYY  off at this point.  😀

[Dilip_kumar]

Thank you Daniel,

If i am packaging them to the server, my input files are refreshed after two days then i run the workflow. it automatically take it from the server? or else i need to publish once in a server? then run the workflow. 

[DanielG]

If you run it as an Analytic App so you are choosing your files from the synced folders on your computer, but if you are refreshing files on SharePoint and want a server-based workflow to access that folder with normal input tools it will fail.  There are OneDrive and SharePoint Input Tools which should work but will require different kind of configurations (that I am not great with).  A regular Input Tool will not work, as I mentioned, because the server will not know where those folders are.  That is why you get the _External "path".  When the workflow is transferred to the server, the server can't create the connection so it just grabs a current copy of the file to plug into that space.  So every time you run it in the future the input data will actually just be the same copy of the data from when you uploaded the workflow and it will never actually look for new data.  Hope this helps.  

[DanielG]

And I don't know the technical speak of these processes, so hopefully my vague terminology makes sense.  😂

[Dilip_kumar]

ok that's fine. I have already used the share point input tool also. when i upload into the server, the status shows "!" there is no connection between the server and alteryx

[Dilip_kumar]

does anybody tell me any otherway to resolve this please.

[DanielG]

OK.  If you configure the workflow to use SharePoint Input and SharePoint Output tools instead of regular input/output you wont get the "externals" issue.  Use a Client ID/Secret to be able to connect while it is on the server.  That should solve it, though I do know the SharePoint/OneDrive/PowerBI tools are not simple configs.  But that is your best way to maintain proper connection to those repositories and properly pass your files in and out.  Good luck.  I'd also suggest maybe a support ticket with Alteryx to configure it with you where they can actually see your setup, etc.  Probably easier to figure out then here.  😀