Excel interop from ASP.NET - Process can't be killed

[Lars-Erik Aabech]

Hi!

This issue have been discussed a lot, but I haven't found a solution that
applies to ASP.NET. I have a library which does some operations on Excel
documents, and it will be used in an ASP.NET application. If I use the
library in a Forms application, the Excel process is removed when the
cleanup operations are done, but with ASP.NET all possible ways to clean up
fails.

The following code has been tried:

Application app = new ApplicationClas s();
Workbook wb = null;

// some code... no sheet reference done, only doing wb.load, x =
wb.Worksheets.C ount, wb.close

// release workbook
ReleaseComObjec t(wb);
wb = null;

app.Quit();
ReleaseComObjec t(app);
app = null;

When the method is called from a windows app, Excel is now gone, but when
called from ASP.NET the Excel process remains.

So we gathered that the process had to be killed manually. Off to the Win32
api to find some functions. Et voila, we find GetWindowThread ProcessId. But
what do you know? When the method is called from a windows app, the process
ID is filled and we can kill the process, but when called from ASP.NET, the
process ID is 0, the thread ID is 0, and Excel is still lingering about..

I for one am ready to be committed to the local asylum...

Any help greatly appreciated.... ..

Lars-Erik

[David Jessee]

Then do 2 things.

First, research finding processes and how to kill them (you'll be looking
for Excel.exe...its case sensitive)

Secondly, tell the client that the solution will be unstable, as per
Microsoft's warnings unless they choose to invest in a 3rd party product
that can perform this functionality. You need to keep your posterior
covered because when the server locks up, they need to know that it was
their decision that made it happen.
"Johnny Fugazzi" <re************ *******@ldmkusa .com> wrote in message
news:uy******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP12.phx.gbl. ..

Yeah. I know it is STRONGLY discouraged, but it is a request from above and I need to find out if/how to do it regardless of the warnings.

In theory the code should work. I know it's not elegant.

The Excel part works great, except for leaving a hanging process. After
trying all of the MS reccomendations , I figured it might be best to just
identify the process ID of the hanger and then outright kill it. It is the identification of the process ID that I am having a problem with at the
moment as it always comes back 0.

Any idea what is wrong?

Are there permissions retrictions that would stop the page from lookingup a process id. Are there permission restrictions that will also stop me from
killing a process that was started by the page?


"David Jessee" <dj*****@housto n.rr.com> wrote in message
news:%2******** **********@tk2m sftngp13.phx.gb l...

Run....Run fast!

If you look at Microsoft's web site, they strongly discourage anyone from using office applications from inside of asp.net. If there is any way
around it, then do it. One option would be to use Sql Reporting Services to
create a report and then export that report to an Excel file (file stream you send back to the client).
"abillmeier " <ab********@ldm kusa.com> wrote in message
news:11******** **************@ f14g2000cwb.goo glegroups.com.. .

Ever get this to work?
Having the exact same issue.
Excel continues to run, even after releasing the coms, and when I try
and get the process ID I am rewarded with a 0.


Lars-Erik Aabech wrote:
> I've tried all the workarounds. As you can see from my previous
posts, the
> .Net client releases excel when ran as a windows application or
service.
> Only when ran as ASP.NET Excel will stay around. Might be that I have
to
> create and release a reference to Worksheets too though, but I've
allready
> rewritten the code to use ADO for this problem. Anyway, thanks for
the help
> ppl - hope this issue will be resolved for office 2005 ;)
>
> Lars-Erik
>
>
> "bruce barker" <no***********@ safeco.com> wrote in message
> news:Os******** ******@tk2msftn gp13.phx.gbl...
> > microsoft does not recommend this approach:
> >
> > http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;257757
> >
> > here is the workaround to do the exit
> >
> > http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;317109
> >
> >
> >
> > -- bruce (sqlwork.com)
> >
> >
> > "Lars-Erik Aabech" <la************ **@markedspartn er.noSPAMBLOCK>
wrote in
> > message news:OQ******** ******@tk2msftn gp13.phx.gbl...
> > > Hi!
> > >
> > > This issue have been discussed a lot, but I haven't found a
solution
> that
> > > applies to ASP.NET. I have a library which does some operations
on Excel
> > > documents, and it will be used in an ASP.NET application. If I
use the
> > > library in a Forms application, the Excel process is removed when
the
> > > cleanup operations are done, but with ASP.NET all possible ways
to clean
> > up
> > > fails.
> > >
> > > The following code has been tried:
> > >
> > > Application app = new ApplicationClas s();
> > > Workbook wb = null;
> > >
> > > // some code... no sheet reference done, only doing wb.load, x =
> > > wb.Worksheets.C ount, wb.close
> > >
> > > // release workbook
> > > ReleaseComObjec t(wb);
> > > wb = null;
> > >
> > > app.Quit();
> > > ReleaseComObjec t(app);
> > > app = null;
> > >
> > > When the method is called from a windows app, Excel is now gone,
but
> when
> > > called from ASP.NET the Excel process remains.
> > >
> > > So we gathered that the process had to be killed manually. Off to
the
> > Win32
> > > api to find some functions. Et voila, we find
GetWindowThread ProcessId.
> > But
> > > what do you know? When the method is called from a windows app,
the
> > process
> > > ID is filled and we can kill the process, but when called from
ASP.NET,
> > the
> > > process ID is 0, the thread ID is 0, and Excel is still lingering
> about..
> > >
> > > I for one am ready to be committed to the local asylum...
> > >
> > > Any help greatly appreciated.... ..
> > >
> > > Lars-Erik
> > >
> > >
> >
> >