Problems with existing Datashare and existing Datalake connection during Add Datasets - Failed to retrieve Azure Datalake folders

Question

Problems with existing Datashare and existing Datalake connection during Add Datasets - Failed to retrieve Azure Datalake folders

Catherine Quinn 0

Trying to add Azure Datalake gen2 datasets to an existing datashare.

I have added datasets from this exact folder many times previously. Datashare has all of the necessary permissions on the Datalake to view and retrieve files. I can see the top level folders in the datalake but none of the datasets (.txt files) are showing. Says 0 datasets.

ERROR: Failed to retrieve Azure Datalake folders at this moment. Please try again later.

Very frustrating. Help would be appreciated. Thank you!

Chandra Boorla 14,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-28T21:05:40.2166667+00:00

@Catherine Quinn

The error "Failed to retrieve Azure Datalake folders at this moment" usually indicates a temporary problem with accessing the folder contents or a permissions-related issue. Since you mentioned the datashare has proper permissions and you can see top-level folders.

Here are some quick checks that might help:

Confirm that the Data Share has read and list permissions on both folders and files in your Azure Data Lake Gen2.

Check for any recent changes in folder structure or file names that could affect dataset visibility.

Wait a few minutes and try again, as this could be a temporary service or connectivity glitch.

Verify there are no network restrictions or firewall rules blocking access between Data Share and Data Lake.

Review the Azure Status page for any ongoing service issues.

Temporary glitches, as the error suggests, this might be a transient issue. Waiting a bit and retrying often helps.

Clear cache or try another browser, occasionally, UI issues can cause display problems; try refreshing your browser cache or using a different browser.

I hope this information helps. Please do let us know if you have any further queries.

Kindly consider upvoting the comment if the information provided is helpful. This can assist other community members in resolving similar issues.

Thank you.
Chandra Boorla 14,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-29T19:05:06.9833333+00:00

@Catherine Quinn

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Catherine Quinn 0 Reputation points

2025-05-29T23:31:53.64+00:00

@Chandra Boorla Despite using the above suggestions - including trying another browser & waiting a day, there is no improvement in the situation. Checked the Azure health page and doesn't seem to have an outage. Data share has both the reader & contributor roles on Datalake. Were there any recent security changes to Datashare or Azure data lake? See attached photos. In Storage Explorer, I can see 43 .txt files in the top folder. All of those files that are assigned to the data share are successfully sending snapshots. I just can't seem to add another one.
Chandra Boorla 14,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-30T23:10:55.53+00:00
@Catherine Quinn

Thank you for the additional details and for taking the time to test across browsers, wait it out, and check Azure Service Health. It’s helpful to know that:

You’re able to see all 43 .txt files in Storage Explorer.

Existing datasets are still successfully sharing snapshots.

The Data Share has both Reader and Contributor roles.

There's no service outage on Azure's end.

Given all of this, it appears that the issue is not related to permissions, connectivity, or UI limitations, but may instead be related to:

Metadata caching - Azure Data Share sometimes relies on cached metadata from the storage account. It’s possible the newly added file hasn’t been picked up yet. Unfortunately, this cache isn’t user-controlled and may delay visibility in the dataset picker.

Hidden file limitations or naming issues - Occasionally, a file might not appear due to naming conventions (e.g., special characters), file size limits, or hidden characters in the name. Please double-check if the file you're trying to add differs in any way from the existing shared files.

Dataset limit - While unlikely with 43 files, you may want to verify you haven’t reached any dataset or snapshot limits on the Data Share.

I hope this information helps.

Thank you.
Chandra Boorla 14,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-03T08:24:01.1866667+00:00

@Catherine Quinn

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.

Your answer

Chandra Boorla 14,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-28T21:05:40.2166667+00:00

@Catherine Quinn

The error "Failed to retrieve Azure Datalake folders at this moment" usually indicates a temporary problem with accessing the folder contents or a permissions-related issue. Since you mentioned the datashare has proper permissions and you can see top-level folders.

Here are some quick checks that might help:

Confirm that the Data Share has read and list permissions on both folders and files in your Azure Data Lake Gen2.

Check for any recent changes in folder structure or file names that could affect dataset visibility.

Wait a few minutes and try again, as this could be a temporary service or connectivity glitch.

Verify there are no network restrictions or firewall rules blocking access between Data Share and Data Lake.

Review the Azure Status page for any ongoing service issues.

Temporary glitches, as the error suggests, this might be a transient issue. Waiting a bit and retrying often helps.

Clear cache or try another browser, occasionally, UI issues can cause display problems; try refreshing your browser cache or using a different browser.

I hope this information helps. Please do let us know if you have any further queries.

Kindly consider upvoting the comment if the information provided is helpful. This can assist other community members in resolving similar issues.

Thank you.
Chandra Boorla 14,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-29T19:05:06.9833333+00:00

@Catherine Quinn

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Catherine Quinn 0 Reputation points

2025-05-29T23:31:53.64+00:00

@Chandra Boorla Despite using the above suggestions - including trying another browser & waiting a day, there is no improvement in the situation. Checked the Azure health page and doesn't seem to have an outage. Data share has both the reader & contributor roles on Datalake. Were there any recent security changes to Datashare or Azure data lake? See attached photos. In Storage Explorer, I can see 43 .txt files in the top folder. All of those files that are assigned to the data share are successfully sending snapshots. I just can't seem to add another one.
Chandra Boorla 14,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-30T23:10:55.53+00:00

@Catherine Quinn

Thank you for the additional details and for taking the time to test across browsers, wait it out, and check Azure Service Health. It’s helpful to know that:

You’re able to see all 43 .txt files in Storage Explorer.

Existing datasets are still successfully sharing snapshots.

The Data Share has both Reader and Contributor roles.

There's no service outage on Azure's end.

Given all of this, it appears that the issue is not related to permissions, connectivity, or UI limitations, but may instead be related to:

Metadata caching - Azure Data Share sometimes relies on cached metadata from the storage account. It’s possible the newly added file hasn’t been picked up yet. Unfortunately, this cache isn’t user-controlled and may delay visibility in the dataset picker.

Hidden file limitations or naming issues - Occasionally, a file might not appear due to naming conventions (e.g., special characters), file size limits, or hidden characters in the name. Please double-check if the file you're trying to add differs in any way from the existing shared files.

Dataset limit - While unlikely with 43 files, you may want to verify you haven’t reached any dataset or snapshot limits on the Data Share.

I hope this information helps.

Thank you.
Chandra Boorla 14,510 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-03T08:24:01.1866667+00:00

@Catherine Quinn

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.

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Problems with existing Datashare and existing Datalake connection during Add Datasets - Failed to retrieve Azure Datalake folders

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