Troubleshooting

9.1 Overview

This section covers common issues you may encounter when using Casabase Cube, along with diagnostic steps and solutions. For each issue, start with the suggested steps in order. Most problems are resolved within the first two or three checks.

9.2 Query Returns No Data

Symptoms: QUERY_CUBE returns an empty result set with no error.

Diagnostic Steps:

Step	Action
1	Check dimension names. POV keys must match hierarchy names exactly. Hierarchy names are case-sensitive and usually UPPERCASE. Use LIST_CUBE_HIERARCHIES to see the correct names.
2	Check member names. Member names are case-sensitive and must match exactly. Verify spelling, case, and whitespace.
3	Use {"member": ...} syntax for upper-level members. When selecting a parent or aggregated member in the POV, you must use the object syntax (e.g., {"member": "Q1"}) instead of a bare string (e.g., "Q1"). Bare strings only match leaf-level data in the fact table.
4	Check the data table. Confirm your fact table contains data for the members you selected. Query the fact table directly to verify.
5	Check column mapping. The values in your fact table’s dimension column must match the bottom-level member names in the hierarchy. If they do not align, the query will find no matching rows.
6	Check row-level security. If security is enabled for a hierarchy, your user must have a security rule granting access. Without a rule, you may see no data.
7	Run a Health Check. Use the Health Check feature on the Cube Config page (or via SQL) to validate the overall cube configuration.

Quick Verification:

-- List hierarchies and check names
CALL CASABASE_CUBE.CUBE.LIST_CUBE_HIERARCHIES('MY_CUBE');

-- Check if fact table has data
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM MY_DB.MY_SCHEMA.MY_FACT_TABLE;

Common POV Mistake — Upper-Level Members:

-- WRONG: Bare string for a parent member — returns no data
CALL CASABASE_CUBE.CUBE.QUERY_CUBE(
    'MY_CUBE',
    'DB.SCHEMA.FACT_TABLE',
    'AMT',
    '{
        "ACCOUNT": [{"member": "Revenue"}],
        "PERIOD": ["Q1"],
        "ENTITY": ["Corporate"]
    }',
    NULL,
    NULL
);

-- CORRECT: Use {"member": ...} for the upper-level Period member
CALL CASABASE_CUBE.CUBE.QUERY_CUBE(
    'MY_CUBE',
    'DB.SCHEMA.FACT_TABLE',
    'AMT',
    '{
        "ACCOUNT": [{"member": "Revenue"}],
        "PERIOD": [{"member": "Q1"}],
        "ENTITY": ["Corporate"]
    }',
    NULL,
    NULL
);

9.3 Hierarchy Build Errors

Symptoms: CREATE_HIERARCHY or REBUILD_AUTO_HIERARCHIES returns an error.

Common Errors and Solutions

Error	Cause	Solution
Orphan member	A child references a parent that does not exist in the dimension table.	Add the missing parent member, or correct the parent reference.
Circular reference	A member is both an ancestor and descendant of itself (e.g., A → B → C → A).	Break the cycle by correcting the parent-child relationship.
Duplicate member	The same member name appears more than once (and is not marked as a shared member).	Remove the duplicate or mark one instance as a shared member.
Invalid operator	A member has an operator other than +, -, or ~.	Correct the operator column to use one of the three valid values.
Empty/NULL child	A row has a NULL or blank child member name.	Remove the row or provide a valid member name.
Self-referencing member	A member’s parent is set to itself.	Correct the parent to reference a different member, or set to NULL for the root.
Multiple hierarchy tops	More than one member has a NULL or empty parent.	Ensure only one root member exists. If you need multiple top-level members, create a single root that is their parent.
Leading/trailing spaces	Member names contain invisible whitespace.	Trim whitespace from member names in your dimension table.

Preventive Step: Run validation before creating or rebuilding:

CALL CASABASE_CUBE.CUBE.VALIDATE_HIERARCHY(
    'MY_DB.MY_SCHEMA.DIM_ACCOUNT',   -- Source table
    'PARENT',                         -- Parent column
    'CHILD',                          -- Child column
    'OPERATOR'                        -- Operator column
);

This returns a list of all issues found, allowing you to fix them before building the hierarchy.

9.4 Formula Errors

Symptoms: A formula returns NULL, incorrect values, or an error message.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
Member not found	The [DIMENSION].[Member] reference does not match an actual member.	Check exact spelling and case. Member names are case-sensitive.
Wrong dimension name	The dimension name in the reference does not match the hierarchy name.	Hierarchy names are usually UPPERCASE. Use LIST_CUBE_HIERARCHIES to verify.
Division by zero	The denominator evaluates to zero.	Wrap divisors in NULLIF(x, 0) or NULLIFZERO(x).
Solve order conflict	Formula A references Formula B, but A has an equal or lower solve order.	Ensure dependent formulas have a higher solve order than the formulas they reference.
Circular dependency	Formula A references B and B references A.	Restructure formulas to break the cycle.
Wrong bracket syntax	Using [DIM.Member] instead of [DIM].[Member].	Each component must be in its own brackets: [DIM].[Member].
Formula returns NULL	A cross-dimensional reference targets a member with no data.	Verify the referenced member exists and has data. Wrap in COALESCE() if a default value is needed.

Debugging Approach:

1. Test with inline formulas first: Pass inline formula objects in the FORMULA_LIST parameter to iterate quickly without saving.
2. Start with minimal POV: Query just the dimension your formula references with a small member set.
3. Use Server Validate: Click the validation button in the formula editor to check references.
4. Run Health Check: Validates all formula syntax and member references.
5. Check auto-detection: Use the formula dependency detection feature to auto-compute solve order and find circular dependencies.

9.5 Slow Query Performance

Symptoms: Queries take longer than expected to return results.

Optimization Steps

Step	Action
1	Use a larger warehouse. Query performance scales with warehouse size. Try XS → S → M for larger datasets.
2	Reduce member selection. Use specific members or children instead of idescendants on large hierarchies.
3	Query bottom-level members only. Use the bottom operator to skip intermediate aggregation levels when you only need detail data.
4	Materialize results. For frequently run queries, write results to an output table using the OUTPUT_TABLE parameter and query the table instead.
5	Check if hierarchies need rebuilding. Stale hierarchies may cause suboptimal query plans. Rebuild if the source data has changed significantly.
6	Reduce formula complexity. Deeply nested formulas with many cross-dimensional references increase query complexity. Simplify where possible.

9.6 Write-Back Issues

Symptoms: WRITE_CUBE returns an error or values do not appear in queries.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
“Target intersection is locked”	One or more dimension members in the POV are locked.	Unlock the member, or use {"force": true} in the OPTIONS parameter.
“No input table”	The cube does not have an input table created yet.	Run CREATE_INPUT_TABLE for the cube before writing.
“Write rejected: Non-leaf members detected”	You are writing to a parent member without specifying a spread method.	Use a SPREAD_* method (SPREAD_EVEN, SPREAD_PROPORTIONAL, SPREAD_FILL) or set {"allow_non_leaf": true}.
Written values do not appear in query	The query may not be including the correct intersection, or the input table data does not match the dimension column names.	Verify the POV members match exactly between the write and read operations.
Spread produces unexpected values	Proportional spread with no existing data falls back to even distribution.	Seed the input table from source data first to establish proportions.

Dry Run: Always preview large writes before executing:

CALL CASABASE_CUBE.CUBE.WRITE_CUBE(
    'MY_CUBE', '{"ACCOUNT": "Revenue", "PERIOD": "Q1"}', 1000000,
    'SPREAD_EVEN', 'PERIOD',
    '{"dry_run": true}'
);

9.7 Access & Permission Issues

Symptoms: Users cannot see the application, specific pages, or data.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
Cannot see the application	User does not have an application role.	Grant an application role: GRANT APPLICATION ROLE CASABASE_CUBE.CUBE_PUBLIC TO ROLE user_role;
Admin pages not visible	User has CUBE_PUBLIC or CUBE_WRITER but not CUBE_ADMIN.	Grant CUBE_ADMIN if admin access is needed.
Cannot write data	User has CUBE_PUBLIC (read-only).	Grant CUBE_WRITER or CUBE_ADMIN for data entry access.
“Insufficient privileges” on data	The application does not have SELECT access to the referenced table.	Grant access: GRANT SELECT ON TABLE db.schema.table TO APPLICATION CASABASE_CUBE; Also ensure GRANT USAGE ON DATABASE and GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA.
Row-level security filters too much	Security rules do not include the members the user needs.	Add security rules granting access to the required members.
AI Help Center not working	The Cortex user role has not been granted to the application.	Run: GRANT DATABASE ROLE SNOWFLAKE.CORTEX_USER TO APPLICATION CASABASE_CUBE;

9.8 Hierarchy Validation Reference

The following checks are performed when creating or rebuilding a hierarchy:

Check	Description	Severity
Multiple hierarchy tops	More than one root member (NULL/empty parent)	Error
Duplicate base members	Same child name appears more than once (non-shared)	Error
Invalid aggregation operator	Operator is not +, -, or ~	Error
Empty or NULL child member	Row has no member name	Error
Self-referencing member	Parent equals child	Error
Orphan member	Parent does not exist in the table	Error
Member name exceeds 2000 characters	Member name is too long	Error
Leading or trailing spaces	Whitespace at start or end of member name	Warning
Circular reference	Parent-child loop detected	Error
Duplicate alias	Same alias used by multiple members	Warning

Errors prevent the hierarchy from being created. Warnings are reported but do not block creation.

9.9 Using Health Check

Health Check is the primary diagnostic tool for validating your cube configuration. It examines:

• Hierarchy table existence and validity
• Source table accessibility (can the application still read them?)
• Formula syntax and member references
• Security configuration
• Data table connectivity

Running a Health Check

Via the UI:

1. Navigate to Cube Config
2. Select a cube
3. Click Health Check

Via SQL:

CALL CASABASE_CUBE.CUBE.HEALTH_CHECK('MY_CUBE');

Results are returned as a table with columns:

• STATUS: OK, WARNING, or ERROR
• CHECK_NAME: What was checked
• MESSAGE: Details about the finding

Address all ERROR results first, then review WARNING results. OK results indicate no issues found.

9.10 Verifying Aggregation Integrity

To confirm that a hierarchy is aggregating correctly, verify that the sum of a parent’s children equals the parent’s value:

-- Query a parent and its children
CALL CASABASE_CUBE.CUBE.QUERY_CUBE(
    'MY_CUBE',
    'DB.SCHEMA.FACT_TABLE',
    'AMT',
    '{
        "ACCOUNT": [{"ichildren": "Total P&L"}],
        "PERIOD": ["Jan"],
        "ENTITY": ["Corporate"]
    }',
    NULL,
    NULL
);

In the results, the parent member’s AMT should equal the sum of its children’s AMT values (accounting for + and - operators). If it does not:

1. Check that the operator column is correct in the dimension table
2. Rebuild the hierarchy
3. Verify no duplicate data exists in the fact table for the same intersection

9.11 Getting Additional Help

If the steps above do not resolve your issue:

Resource	Details
In-App Help Center	Use natural language to describe your issue. The AI-powered Help Center can diagnose problems and suggest solutions.
Audit Log	Check the audit log for error details. Filter by STATUS = ‘ERROR’ and your time range.
Website	cube.casabasesoftware.com
Email Support	support@casabasesoftware.com. Include the cube name, error message, and steps to reproduce.