Why can't I select a dataset from my Azure Datalake Gen2 within Data Explorer to add to my existing Datashare?

Question

Why can't I select a dataset from my Azure Datalake Gen2 within Data Explorer to add to my existing Datashare?

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.

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.

NoDatasetsFound

Very frustrating. Help would be appreciated. Thank you!

Suwarna S Kale 3,391 Reputation points

2025-06-06T23:23:22.67+00:00

Hello Catherine Quinn,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

The issue you're encountering where Azure Data Share fails to retrieve datasets from an otherwise accessible Data Lake Gen2 folder suggests a permission or metadata synchronization problem, despite correct RBAC roles. First, confirm that the Storage Blob Data Reader role is explicitly assigned to the Data Share’s managed identity at the container or file level (not just the storage account). Recent Azure updates now enforce stricter ACL inheritance, so verify that the Data Share’s identity has execute (X) permissions on all parent folders leading to the files.

If permissions are correct, refresh the Data Share’s dataset mapping or recreate the share link to force metadata sync. For deeper diagnosis, check Azure Monitor logs for Data Share errors or test with a new, simplified folder structure. If the issue persists, escalate to Microsoft Support with Storage Explorer screenshots and the exact timestamp of failures.

If the above answer helped, please do not forget to "Accept Answer" as this may help other community members to refer the info if facing a similar issue. Your contribution to the Microsoft Q&A community is highly appreciated.
Venkat Reddy Navari 3,465 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-09T02:08:50.3833333+00:00

Hi @Catherine Quinn
As Suwarna S Kale suggested, these problems are often due to permission or metadata sync issues. However, since you've already confirmed those areas and this folder previously worked, it’s likely a backend metadata or cache-related issue in Azure Data Share.

Here are a few troubleshooting steps:

Check Network Security and Firewall Settings: If your Data Lake is behind a VNet or restricted by firewall rules, verify that Azure Data Share still has access, especially if any NSG or firewall settings were recently changed.

Validate Hierarchical Namespace & ACL Inheritance: If HNS is enabled, ensure the Data Share identity has Execute (X) permission on every parent folder leading to the dataset. Inherited ACLs can silently break access if not consistently set.

List Datasets via CLI or PowerShell: Run az storage fs file list or the PowerShell equivalent to try listing files directly. If this works, the issue may lie in the Data Share UI layer or metadata cache, not actual access.

Review Activity Logs & Policy Changes: Check Azure Activity Logs or Defender for Cloud alerts for any recent changes to IAM, policy, or storage settings that may have silently impacted access.

Create a New Share Definition: Try creating a new Data Share pointing to the same folder. This can help rule out stale metadata or mapping issues in the original share.

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.
Chandra Boorla 14,665 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-09T21:06:46.6766667+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.
Dileep Raj Narayan Thumula 330 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-11T02:56:12.67+00:00

Hello @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.
Dileep Raj Narayan Thumula 330 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-12T09:49:22.1266667+00:00

Hello @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.

1 answer

Your answer

Suwarna S Kale 3,391 Reputation points

2025-06-06T23:23:22.67+00:00

Hello Catherine Quinn,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

The issue you're encountering where Azure Data Share fails to retrieve datasets from an otherwise accessible Data Lake Gen2 folder suggests a permission or metadata synchronization problem, despite correct RBAC roles. First, confirm that the Storage Blob Data Reader role is explicitly assigned to the Data Share’s managed identity at the container or file level (not just the storage account). Recent Azure updates now enforce stricter ACL inheritance, so verify that the Data Share’s identity has execute (X) permissions on all parent folders leading to the files.

If permissions are correct, refresh the Data Share’s dataset mapping or recreate the share link to force metadata sync. For deeper diagnosis, check Azure Monitor logs for Data Share errors or test with a new, simplified folder structure. If the issue persists, escalate to Microsoft Support with Storage Explorer screenshots and the exact timestamp of failures.

If the above answer helped, please do not forget to "Accept Answer" as this may help other community members to refer the info if facing a similar issue. Your contribution to the Microsoft Q&A community is highly appreciated.
Venkat Reddy Navari 3,465 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-09T02:08:50.3833333+00:00

Hi @Catherine Quinn
As Suwarna S Kale suggested, these problems are often due to permission or metadata sync issues. However, since you've already confirmed those areas and this folder previously worked, it’s likely a backend metadata or cache-related issue in Azure Data Share.

Here are a few troubleshooting steps:

Check Network Security and Firewall Settings: If your Data Lake is behind a VNet or restricted by firewall rules, verify that Azure Data Share still has access, especially if any NSG or firewall settings were recently changed.

Validate Hierarchical Namespace & ACL Inheritance: If HNS is enabled, ensure the Data Share identity has Execute (X) permission on every parent folder leading to the dataset. Inherited ACLs can silently break access if not consistently set.

List Datasets via CLI or PowerShell: Run az storage fs file list or the PowerShell equivalent to try listing files directly. If this works, the issue may lie in the Data Share UI layer or metadata cache, not actual access.

Review Activity Logs & Policy Changes: Check Azure Activity Logs or Defender for Cloud alerts for any recent changes to IAM, policy, or storage settings that may have silently impacted access.

Create a New Share Definition: Try creating a new Data Share pointing to the same folder. This can help rule out stale metadata or mapping issues in the original share.

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.
Chandra Boorla 14,665 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-09T21:06:46.6766667+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.
Dileep Raj Narayan Thumula 330 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-11T02:56:12.67+00:00

Hello @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.
Dileep Raj Narayan Thumula 330 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-12T09:49:22.1266667+00:00

Hello @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.

Answer 1

Dileep Raj Narayan Thumula 330 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @Catherine Quinn
Based on the information provided, it seems that the issue is not related to permissions, connectivity, or UI restrictions. Instead, it could be linked to the following factors:

Metadata caching - Azure Data Share may rely on cached metadata from the storage account, causing a delay in detecting newly added files in the dataset picker.

Hidden file limitations or naming issues - Files may not be visible due to naming conventions, file size limits, or hidden characters in the file name. Please ensure that the file you are trying to add does not differ in any way from the existing shared files.

Dataset limit - Although less likely with 43 files, it is advisable to check if you have exceeded any dataset or snapshot limits on the Data Share platform.

I hope this revised explanation clarifies the potential reasons for the issue you are facing.

Dileep Raj Narayan Thumula 330 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-17T11:47:00.3733333+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.
Dileep Raj Narayan Thumula 330 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-18T12:03:49.6633333+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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Why can't I select a dataset from my Azure Datalake Gen2 within Data Explorer to add to my existing Datashare?

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