How to fix "report processing jobs limit have been reached" in asp.net./vb.net application

Question

What could be the problem leading to this error: The maximum report processing jobs limit configured by your system administrator has been reached."... We have already increased report limit in registry? The application was developed inhouse and during pick hours that error messages is often received...The reports have been developed using crystalreports tool on a ASP.NET/VB.NET application.

Answer 1

Hi @Moemedi Ntunyane ,

Thanks for reaching out. Based on the error message you're encountering — "The maximum report processing jobs limit configured by your system administrator has been reached" — it sounds like your application is hitting the upper limit of concurrent report processing jobs allowed by the Crystal Reports engine, especially during peak usage.

Here’s a structured approach to help you resolve this:

1. Double-Check That Registry Setting

You mentioned you already increased the PrintJobLimit — good move. Just make sure:

 

• It’s in the right registry path.
• The value is high enough (try 200 or more, depending on your server’s capacity). Avoid setting it too high unless your server has enough memory and CPU to handle the load.
• You’ve restarted the server after making the change. Registry changes won’t take effect until the Crystal Reports engine is restarted — usually by rebooting the server or restarting the application pool.
• Nothing is silently reverting it (like group policies or antivirus tools).

2. Ensure Proper Cleanup of Report Objects

One of the most common causes of this issue is that ReportDocument objects are not being properly closed and disposed after use. Even if the report appears to be done, it may still be consuming resources in the background.

Recommendation: Review your code to ensure that every report is explicitly closed and disposed — even in error scenarios. This helps free up memory and avoids lingering report jobs.

 

3. Optimize Report Design

Heavy or complex reports can take longer to process, increasing the chance of hitting the job limit.

Suggestions:

• Simplify queries and reduce the volume of data being fetched.
• Avoid subreports where possible.
• Use parameters to limit the dataset returned.

4. Implement Report Throttling

If users are able to generate multiple reports simultaneously, the system can quickly become overloaded.

Best Practice:

• Limit the number of concurrent reports a user can run.
• Queue or delay report generation during peak hours.
• Consider caching frequently accessed reports.

5. Evaluate Server Resources

Sometimes the issue isn’t just with Crystal Reports — it could be that the server itself is under strain.

Action:

• Monitor CPU, memory, and thread usage during peak times.
• If needed, scale out by moving report generation to a dedicated server or using load balancing.

6. Monitor and Log Report Activity

To better understand usage patterns and identify bottlenecks:

• Log report generation events (user, report name, duration).
• Use this data to optimize performance and plan capacity.

7. Consider Pre-Generating or Caching Reports

For reports that don’t change frequently, consider generating them during off-peak hours and serving cached versions to users.

Finally, this issue is usually a mix of configuration, resource management, and user behavior. Tuning all three will give you the best results.

Hope my answer would help. If you have extra questions, please click "Comment".