Problems opening a tabular model file in different computer where it was created (localhost issues)

Dani 20 Reputation points

Hi!

I have been working with analysis services for years (both olap and tabular). In the past, I was able to share the original files of a tabular model with my team members. I found that when someone different from the creator tried to open the file, he/she get an "can not open .bim / can not connect to localhost" error.

We solved it by deleting the users connection hidden file from the folder and then there was no problem opening the same tabular model (a new configuration file with the name of the new user was automatically created then). Now we are not able to do this anymore. It does not work. Sometimes (1 time from 50) we can configure to false the integrated workspace and then to true and it works. But the rest of the time the visual studio starts prompting errors and we have to kill the proccess because it freezes the computer.

Does anyone now what can be happening? I am a local admin in my computer and all the programs are updated to the latest version...

We dont want to use a server to share models between team members (it works, so I dont understand why it does not work when sharing the original file) because I have noticed that the order of the tables diagram is lost and we can not work that way (we have models with 8-10 fact tables and more than 20 dimensions so is not opterative to be reordering the graphic model everytime). With OLAP cubes we do not have any problem so my guess is that the problem is something about that the computers are not table to resolve something about the different integrated workspaces..

I will be very grateful if anyone can help us...

Thank you very much :)

  1. ShaikMaheer-MSFT 38,631 Reputation points • Microsoft Employee • Moderator

    Hi Dani,

    Thank you for posting query in Microsoft Q&A Platform.

    It sounds like you are experiencing issues when sharing tabular model files with your team members in Analysis Services. Specifically, when someone different from the creator tries to open the file, they receive an error message stating that they cannot open the .bim file or connect to localhost.

    One possible reason for this issue is that the connection information for the tabular model is stored in a hidden file in the folder. When a new user tries to open the file, they may not have the necessary permissions to access this hidden file, which can cause the error message.

    To resolve this issue, you can try the following steps:

    Ensure that all team members have the necessary permissions to access the folder containing the tabular model files. This includes read and write permissions.

    When sharing the tabular model files, ensure that all hidden files are included in the transfer. This can be done by enabling the "Show hidden files" option in Windows Explorer.

    When a new user tries to open the tabular model file, they should first try to open the file using the "Open" option in Visual Studio. If this does not work, they can try deleting the hidden file in the folder and then opening the file again. This should create a new configuration file with the name of the new user.

    If the issue persists, you can try resetting the integrated workspace settings in Visual Studio. This can be done by going to the "Tools" menu and selecting "Import and Export Settings". From there, you can select the "Reset all settings" option and then restart Visual Studio.

    If none of these steps work, you may need to reach out to Microsoft support for further assistance.

    I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.

  2. ShaikMaheer-MSFT 38,631 Reputation points • Microsoft Employee • Moderator

    Hi Dani, Just checking if any updates on above. Thank you.

  3. Dani 20 Reputation points

    Hi ShaikMaheer!

    First of all, thank you for your answer. I had already tried everything you say but it did not work. Finally I found a workaround that is to delete all de .bin folder before opening the tabular model and then it all works fine. I assumed that because all files in that folder are temporary files...

    best!

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  1. ShaikMaheer-MSFT 38,631 Reputation points • Microsoft Employee • Moderator

    Hi Dani, Thank you for sharing your resolution details. Re-posted your answer here as you cannot accept your own answer. Kindly consider hitting Accept Answer button for your answer. so that it can be useful for community as well.

    Finally I found a workaround that is to delete all de .bin folder before opening the tabular model and then it all works fine. I assumed that because all files in that folder are temporary files...

    1. ShaikMaheer-MSFT 38,631 Reputation points • Microsoft Employee • Moderator

      Hi Dani, Just checking if above answer helps. If yes, please consider hitting Accept Answer button. Accepted answers help community as well. Please let me know if any further queries. Thank you.

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