Analysis Services Unknown Role that already exists

I was trying to re-deploy a SSAS project using Visual Studio 2010. Every time it deployed, I got the error "the 'role' with 'id' = 'role' doesn't exist in the collection"... Except, we don't have a role called "role".

Googling just led me to things like manually trying to update the .role file and correct it... except WE DON'T HAVE A ROLE CALLED "ROLE"

Desperate times calls for... thinking outside the box!! So I opened the solution in Visual Studio 2013 and deployed... and it worked first time around!!

Not sure why this works, so anyone who sees this post is more than welcome to leave an explanation, but I'll take it as a cheap win, and just say that the problem is fixed :-)

Changing the ID of a cube

So, we decided to do a checkpoint at work, and redeploy the production cubes from 8 months ago. That way, we can run both cubes, and show users what has been improved. however, when trying to deploy the SSAS project, it kept trying to deploy to the production cube. To solve it:

Pre-amble: Assume our cube Database is called JoeSoapSales. 

I changed the name to JoeSoapSales_Feb2014 by renaming it, as well as changing it everywhere I could find in VS. Yet, when I deploy I get a message that the cube "JoeSoapSales" already exists.

Finally, thanks to a lot of googling, I found that, in the solution folder, there is a .database XML file ("JoeSoapSales.Database")... Just change the ID in there using your favourite text editor, and save... Sorted!!

Metadata errors when trying to access a cube via SSMS

I recently found a cube that you could not query. No MDX, No SSMS feedback, nothing... (Yes, I had permissions to access it)

Short solution

Moved the XML files in the cubes data folder to a backup folder somewhere else (you can delete, but you may need these files later). Then, I restarted SSAS service, reprocessed the cuby, and voila!!!

"Errors in the metadata manager" when restoring a SSAS cube

I am sure, if you ever tried to move a cube from one machine to another using the tried and tested backup-and-restore method, you came up with the XML error:
“The dd2:MemberKeysUnique element at line 1, column 74295 (namespace http://schemas.microsoft.com/analysisservices/2003/engine/2) cannot appear under Load/ObjectDefinition/Dimension/Hierarchies/Hierarchy.

Errors in the metadata manager. An error occurred when instantiating a metadata object from the file, '...\Dimension Name.14.dim.xml'.
Errors in the metadata manager. An error occurred when loading the CubeName cube, from the file, '...\CubeName.147.cub.xml'.
(Microsoft.AnalysisServices)”

Wouldn’t you know it; Microsoft “spin-doctored” it as a feature not a bug. It turns out that you cannot restore a cube backed up in SSAS2K5 SP2 onto a machine running SSAS2K5 SP1. Their exact words :” This is by design”

As a workaround, If there is no SP2 available for the client, you can always delete the offending XML files and restore the cube again, but finding all the offending XML files can take some time.

At least now, you can quote Microsoft to yourself when you find the error… “Its by design”

You can check out their official splab on http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=243737