Journal Entry Cube Doesn't Load in Excel

Error message: We couldn't get data from an external data source. Please try again later. If the problem persists, please contact the administrator for the external data source. Here is the error message that was returned from the Analysis Server named https://ebmcatalyst.com/olap/msmdpump.dll: Either a connection cannot be made to the ebmcatalyst.com server, or Analysis Services is not running on the computer specified.

Cube times out when multiple items added to Rows in the Pivot Table

Description:

This can happen in any cube file (e.g. Profitability, Financial, AR/AP, etc.), not just in the Journal Entry (JE) cube, but it is more common to occur in the JE cube due to its inherently larger data set.  The issue occurs when attempting to add multiple levels of the same hierarchy in rows (or filters). This produces an inefficient query for our cube server and will often manifest in a timeout or looping load while refreshing the file or trying to manipulate it any way, resulting in the above error message. 

Solution: 

Best practice is to limit your inclusion of multiple levels from the same hierarchy. An example of this is trying to include Posting Year, Posting Month, and Posting Date all in the Rows section of the Pivot Table. Instead, clear out the higher level (e.g. Posting Year) from Filters first, then add the lower level (Posting Date) to Rows. You can also display the information differently, by placing the higher level of the hierarchy (e.g. Posting Year) in the Rows section, right-click on it, and select "Expand to Posting Date". This will generate a more efficient query.