Tips to resolve error "Unable to load workflow actions from the server"

Recently, we have run into  "Unable to load workflow actions from the server" multiple times when users try to create or modify a workflow using SharePoint designer. Here is the error message.

 

It seems worth to summarize the major possible reason that might cause the issue and the procedure to fix it.

  

First, missing feature is the most common reason. You could follow Ian Hayse’s blog to use Fiddler verifying any missing feature. We had removed Bamboo PM suit from our environment but some reference still remained on app server. The Fiddler captures the missing feature error as in the following screenshot. The action is to clean up the feature or add back the feature if needed.

You can identify the exactly missing feature is as highlighted. The solution is to clean up the Bamboo features and components in our case. If you still need the missing feature, you should install again to avoid such issue.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"><soap:Body><soap:Fault><faultcode>soap:Server</faultcode><faultstring>Exception of type 'Microsoft.SharePoint.SoapServer.SoapServerException' was thrown.</faultstring><detail><errorstring xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/">Failed to find the XML file at location '14\Template\Features\ProjectCentralContentTypes\feature.xml'</errorstring><errorcode xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/">0x80131600</errorcode></detail></soap:Fault></soap:Body></soap:Envelope>

Second, corrupted workflow action file is the second common reason. You could verify the procedure form Microsoft site. The action is to copy the correct workflow action file and bounce IIS. We had corrupted file on one of the WFEs and it was fixed by coping the file from another server.

Third, corrupted SharePoint designer cache. You can delete the designer cache as described in this blog. 

There may be some other reasons that might cause the same issue. You should always try to IISRESET and clean up designer cache as the first two steps.

 

Nested AD group support issues in Sharepoint 2010

Our company is implementing nested AD groups and we found some strange behavior how SharePoint support the nested groups. Here are the nested groups we have.

• parentGroup includes childGroup and some users
• childGroup includes childofchildGroup and some users
• childofchildGroup includes childofchildofchildGroup and some users
• childofchildofchildGroup includes some users

 

After we added the parent group like parentGroup to owner group for a site, we could search permissions for any individual users from the nested groups like user2 from childGroup. However, we are not able to display permissions for any nested groups.

We tried to use the following powershell to display the users but could not display any nested groups except leaf nested groups childofchildofchildGroup.

$urlWeb = "http://server/sites/n2ktest/"

Get-SPUser -Web $urlWeb | select UserLogin, @{name="Exlicit given roles";expression={$_.Roles}}, @{name="Roles given via groups";expression={$_.Groups | %{$_.Roles}}},Groups | format-Table -auto

Based on the Microsoft resource, the nested AD group is supported for SharePoint. You could verify our testing result that all the individual users in the nested groups will be granted the correct permissions.

However, After looking at other blogs and discussions, it seems like SharePoint 2010 has some limitations to supported nested AD groups. Some Microsoft team especially MPS team does not recommend using nested groups.

For ease of security management, the following items are not recommended in managing Active Directory groups.

• Assign permission levels directly to Active Directory groups.
• Adding security groups that contain nested security groups, contacts, or distribution lists. 

The following functions might have issues if using nested groups and you might follow the suggestions to set up the permissions.

• Resources sync performance issues in Project server 2010
• When a security group is added to a SharePoint group for a specific site, the site will not appear in the users’ My Sites. The User Information List will not show individual users until they have contributed to the site
• Security groups with deep nested structure might break SharePoint sites
• We will have issue to list all the users who have access the site  
• Performance

It look to me nested AD group is supported for SharePoint 2010/2013, however it is not recommended by some Microsoft groups.