SSAS Error HRESULT E_FAIL has been returned from a call to a COM component while trying to load data source view

Question

Just recently checked out our teams multidimensional solution from from source control and I am continually getting the error below when VS tries to load the data source view.

I'm running Windows 8, Visual Studio 2013.4 (was on .3 when the error started).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. There's nothing in the event logs and the error message seems to be wildly unhelpful.

Thanks for all of your assistance in advance.

EDIT: Additional note, another team member is having the same issue and we're the only two who have upgraded to Windows 8 so that might be a clue.

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An error prevented the view from loading. (Microsoft Visual Studio)

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Error HRESULT E_FAIL has been returned from a call to a COM component. (msddsp)

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Program Location:

at MSDDS.IDdsDiagram.CreateConnector(String ProgID, Boolean Visible, IDdsDiagramObject Src, IDdsDiagramObject Dest)
at Microsoft.DataWarehouse.Controls.Interop.AxMSDDS.CreateConnector(String progID, Boolean visible, IDdsDiagramObject src, IDdsDiagramObject dest)
at Microsoft.DataWarehouse.Design.ComponentDiagram.OnCreateConnector(IDdsDiagramShape startShape, IDdsDiagramShape endShape, Object logicalConnector, UInt32 color, String connectorProgID)
at Microsoft.DataWarehouse.Design.ComponentDiagram.CreateConnector(IDdsDiagramShape startShape, IDdsDiagramShape endShape, Object logicalConnector)
at Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Design.DataSourceDiagram.CreateRelationshipConnector(DataRelation dr)
at Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Design.DataSourceDiagram.ShowOtherConnectorsOnRelatedTables(DataTable dataTable)
at Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Design.DataSourceDiagram.ShowTable(DataTable dataTable, Int32 prefX, Int32 prefY, Boolean delayArrangeTables)
at Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Design.DataSourceDiagram.AfterDeserialize()
at Microsoft.DataWarehouse.Design.ComponentDiagram.SetLayoutInfo(String xml)
at Microsoft.DataWarehouse.Design.ComponentDiagram.OnDiagramControlCreated(DdsDiagram dds)
at Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Design.DataSourceDiagram.OnDiagramControlCreated(DdsDiagram dds)
at Microsoft.DataWarehouse.Design.ComponentDiagram.CreateDdsView(Control parentControl)
at Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Design.DataSourceDesignerView..ctor(DataSourceDesigner designer, DataSourceDiagram diagram, IComponent diagramOwnerComponent)
at Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Design.DataSourceDesignerView..ctor(DataSourceDesigner designer)
at Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Design.DataSourceDesigner.CreateDataSourceDesignerView(VsStyleToolBar pageViewToolBar)
at Microsoft.DataWarehouse.Design.EditorWindow.EnsureViewIsLoaded(EditorView view)

Answer 1

I believe this issue is related to a file version in the BI data tools add-in. While the versions are different in my case, I had exactly the same error.

In my case, I had developed an SSAS solution on Windows 7 with Visual Studio 2010. I checked it into TFS, and a colleague made some changes to it before checking it back in. When I tried opening it again, I received the exact error you've described (the program location was shown as MSDDS.IDdsDiagram.CreateConnector, as well).

My colleague has Visual Studio 2013 and the Visual Studio 2013 BI data tools add-in installed, but made his changes in Visual Studio 2010.

I thought that a file version issue might be the problem, so tried installing Visual Studio 2013 and restarted, then opening the solution in Visual Studio 2010 again - the problem persisted. I then installed the BI data tools add-in that goes with Visual Studio 2013 and restarted. When I opened the solution again in Visual Studio 2010 the problem was resolved, I now receive no error and can see the data source view.

So in short, I believe the problem to be a file used in both the 2010 and 2013 BI data tools add-ins which has changed version.

I realise this isn't an exact solution as your versions are different, but hopefully this is enough information to help you figure out the exact installations (or un-installations) you need to carry out. If this does lead to you resolving the issue (or at least determining what it is), could you post with the details for your scenario in case it helps anyone else?

Answer 2

This can happen if someone edits the project on a machine with a earlier version of Sql Server Data Tools (SSDT). It also seemed to happen once after some system updates. It would appear that the updates registered an earlier version of a key SSDT file.

First, view code on one of the dimensions and look for the following:

Now create a new dimension and look at the same value. Commit all your unrelated changes and backup your project.

If the value for ddsxmlobjectstreaminitwrapper is a higher value, attempt to copy that value from the new dimension to the bad dimension and then reopen the bad dimension in your IDE. It should now work. This would be an indication that the dimension was edited on a machine with an earlier version of SSDT.

If the new dimension has a lower value, as it did for me, it indicated that the machine I was on had an earlier version of SSDT; however, I have the latest version so what I did is re-registered DdsShapes.dll

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\130\Tools\Bin>regsvr32 -u DdsShapes.dll
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\130\Tools\Bin>regsvr32 DdsShapes.dll

References:

• https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlblog/2015/06/10/ssas-dsv-com-error-from-ssdt-ssas-design-data-source-view/
• http://www.delorabradish.com/ssas/ssas-dsv-in-dimension-pane-is-empty-or-you-receive-error-error-hresult-e_fail-has-been-returned-from-a-call-to-a-com-component