When accessing the SAS^® Financial Management Add-in for Microsoft Excel, you might encounter the error message:

A problem has been encountered reading the .ini file

Please note that (beginning with release 4.3) SAS Financial Management employs a separate .INI file, <SASSolutionsOfficeClient.ini> to define the SAS Financial Management mid-tier server for the Microsoft Excel client connection.

The following steps might help circumvent this error:

1. Access the <SASSolutionsOfficeClient.ini> file, which is typically located on the client workstation at:

   SAS Financial Management 4.x:
   <drive>:\Program Files\SAS\SAS Solutions Services\Add-In for Microsoft Office\
   (Be careful to search in the \SAS Solutions Services\ directory, not the \SASSolutionsServices\ directory.)

   
   SAS Financial Management 5.x:
   <drive>:\Program Files\SAS\SASSolutionsServicesAdd-InforMicrosoft Office\5.x

2. Open the <SASSolutionsOfficeClient.ini> file using a standard text editor, such as Microsoft WordPad, Microsoft Notepad, or TextPad.
3. The file should contain a path for the Environment Factory URL, an entry that resembles:

   SAS Financial Management 4.x:
   http://server name:7001/SASConfig/EnvironmentFactory.xml

   
   SAS Financial Management 5.x:
   http://server name:7201/SASConfig/EnvironmentFactory.xml

   Copy this entry and paste it into the address bar of an internet browser window. You should see a response that resembles:

   default weblogic.jndi.WLInitialContextFactory t3://server name:port/...sas/solutions/odcs weblogic.jndi.WLInitialContextFactory...

   If you do not see this output, confirm that your SAS Remote/Foundation Services, SASODCSServer, and SASManagedServer (for SAS Financial Management 4.x) or SAS Remote/Foundation Services, SASServer3, and SASServer4 (for SAS Financial Management 5.x) are all running without error. If errors are in the logs for the Remote/Foundation Services, SASODCSServer/SASServer4 or SASManagedServer/SASServer3, shut them down in the order:
   • SASManagedServer/SASServer3
   • SASODCSServer/SASServer4
   • SAS Remote/Foundation Services
   and then re-start these in the opposite order.
4. If you are still unable to access the mid-tier server using the Environment Factory URL in a browser window, or to access the SAS Financial Management Add-in for Microsoft Excel, confirm that the Environment Factory URL in your <SASSolutionsOfficeClient.ini> file is identical to the Environment Factory URL specified in your SAS Financial Management Studio INI file. The SAS Financial Management Studio INI file is typically located on the client workstation at:

   SAS Financial Management 4.x:
   <drive>:\Program Files\SAS\SASFinancialManagement\Studio\4.x\sasfmstudio.ini
   (Be careful to search in the \SASFinancialManagement\ directory, not the \SAS Financial Management\ directory.)
   
   SAS Financial Management release 5.x:
   <drive>:\Program Files\SAS\SASFinancialManagementStudio\5.x\fmstudio.ini

   Note that for release 5.x the <Denv.definition.location> URL in the <fmstudio.ini> file is not identical to the Environment Factory URL specified in the <SASSolutionsOfficeClient.ini> file. However, you can cut and paste the URL from either of the above INI files to a browser window. If the server is valid and running, you should see a few lines of descriptive text about the server; else, the user will get a "page could not be displayed" error.
5. Paste the following URL into a browser window:

   SAS Financial Management 4.x:
   http://server name:7001/SASSolutions/services/AuthenticationService
   
   SAS Financial Management 5.x:
   http://server name:7201/SASSolutionsServices/services/AuthenticationService

   If the SAS servers are properly installed, configured, and are started without error, you should see a response that resembles:

   Hi there, this is an AXIS service!

   If you do not see this output, confirm that your SAS Remote/Foundation Services, SASODCSServer, and SASManagedServer (for SAS Financial Management 4.x) or SAS Remote/Foundation Services, SASServer3, and SASServer4 (for SAS Financial Management 5.x) are all running without error. If errors are in the logs for the Remote/Foundation Services, SASODCSServer/SASServer4 or SASManagedServer/SASServer3, shut them down in the order:

   • SASManagedServer/SASServer3
   • SASODCSServer/SASServer4
   • SAS Remote/Foundation Services
   and then re-start these in the opposite order.
6. Confirm that active connections are available for the SASManagedServer/SASServer3 and for the SASODCSServer/SASServer4.
   For information on confirming connections for the SASManagedServer/SASServer3 and the SASODCSServer/SASServer4, please refer to SAS Note 30561.
7. Ensure that the SAS Financial Management Functions Add-in is enabled.

   
   For Microsoft Excel 2003:

   • Select Tools > Add-Ins from the Excel menu bar. 'SAS Financial Management Functions' should be selected in the list of 'Add-Ins available'.
   • If it is not selected, highlight that Add-In and select 'Browse'.
   • In the browse dialog, verify the reference to location. This file should be installed at:

     <drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Library

     on the client machine.
   For Microsoft Excel 2007:
   • Select the 'Office Button' and then select 'Excel Options'
   • In the Excel Options dialog, select 'Add-ins'
   • 'SAS Financial Management Functions' should appear under the 'Active Application Add-ins' heading.
   • If not, select 'SAS Financial Management Functions' from the 'Inactive Application Add-ins' list.
   • Ensure 'Excel Add-ins' is selected in the 'Manage' list and select 'Go'.
   • 'SAS Financial Management Functions' should be selected in the list of 'Add-Ins available'.
   • If not, highlight that Add-In and select 'Browse'.
   • In the browse dialog, verify the reference to location. This file should be installed at:

     <drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\Library

     on the client machine.
   For Microsoft Excel 2010:
   • Select 'File' and then select 'Options'.
   • In the Excel Options dialog, select 'Add-Ins'.
   • 'SAS Financial Management Functions' should appear under the 'Active Application Add-ins' heading (near the top of the page). If not, ensure that 'Excel Add-ins' is selected in the 'Manage' list and select 'Go' (near the bottom of the page).
   • 'SAS Financial Management Functions' should be selected in the list of 'Add-Ins available'. If not, highlight that Add-In and select Browse.
   • In the Browse dialog, verify the reference to the location where the <SAS Financial Management Functions.xla> is installed, which should be:

     <drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\Library

     on the client machine.
8. Finally, check the proxy server settings.
   • In Internet Explorer, select Tools > Internet Options from the menu bar.
   • Select the Connections tab and then select the LAN Settings button.
   • In the LAN Settings window, select the option "Use a proxy server for your LAN",
   • Select the Advanced button.
     At the bottom of the Proxy Settings window, ensure that the domain for your SAS Financial Management server is added to the Exceptions list so content requests to the server do not get blocked.

For information on where to locate logs for SAS Financial Management, please refer to SAS Note 20058.

Operating System and Release Information

Product Family	Product	System	Product Release		SAS Release
			Reported	Fixed*	Reported	Fixed*
SAS System	SAS Financial Management	AIX	4.4		9.1 TS1M3
		64-bit Enabled AIX	4.4		9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server	4.4		9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server	4.4		9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional	4.4		9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows 2000 Server	4.4		9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition	4.4		9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition	4.4		9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition	4.4		9.1 TS1M3
		Microsoft Windows XP Professional	4.4		9.1 TS1M3

* For software releases that are not yet generally available, the Fixed Release is the software release in which the problem is planned to be fixed.

---

solutions44_debug
fm44_debug
excel.config

Type:	Problem Note
Priority:	medium

Date Modified:	2011-05-23 12:21:51
Date Created:	2007-10-11 11:29:06