Can't deploy a cube project to the Analysis Server using BIDS

I am working through the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services Step by Step book and I can't deploy the first cube project to my Analysis Server from my workstation.

I have a server running Windows 2000 Server SP4 and a laptop running Windows 2000 Pro SP4. On the server I am running SQL Server 2005 SP2 complete installation, including workstation components. On my laptop I am running SQL Server 2005 SP2 workstation components.

I have used the Cube Wizard to create a cube without a Data Source (as described in Chapter 3) and then used the Schema Generation Wizard to create the schema which I then populated with data.

When I go to Deploy the cube using BIDS I see the status bar message Build started... and then Deploy started... and then I get an error that says The connection either timed out or was lost.

If I perform the same actions on the server so that BIDS is running on the server and all connections are to localhost the deploy works and I can then browse the cube.

From my laptop I can see all the AS objects on the server through SSMS, including the AS database I created from the server.

Thinking that there maybe some incompatability between the software on my laptop and the server, I did a clean install of the workstation components to a new machine, created a new project and I still get the same error.

I have followed all the advice from Resolving Common Connectivity Issues in SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services Connectivity Scenarios (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/bestpractice/cisql2005ascs.mspx) but I have not found any solution yet. I also tried increasing the connection and query timeout properties in BIDS (Tools/Options/BI Designers/AS Designers) - that didn't work either.

Really stuck now and any help would be greatly appreciated.

TIA
Caryl Wills
Hi,

U need to test the connectivity. Once u pass this test, u will be able to deploy the cube. On the deployment configuration window, make sure u properly give the name of the Server where u want to deploy. Else create the script file and execute it from the Management Studio..

Hope this will help

--Imran|||Hi Imran,
Thanks for your suggestions. I am trying to test connectivity and now seem to have a problem creating an Analysis Services database from my client computer. In SSMS Object Explorer I have the Analysis Services server. If I right click the 'Databases' node and select 'New Database' and then fill in the dialog with a unique database name and Impersonation set to 'Use the service account' and click OK the progress wheel just goes forever. Restarting the Analysis Services service is required to stop the process.

How do I trace the process and do you have any idea what might be preventing it from working?

Thanks for your help.
Caryl
|||Thanks for your help folks - all problems now solved by shutting down ZoneAlarm on server. For some reason ZoneAlarm will not allow connections to Analysis Services over my LAN even though the firewall is turned OFF for the trusted zone.