Test Flow Hangs & Times Out

[Kaine]

Hi,

Problem

While trying to test new Flows I get the following error:

Flow run timed out because the starting action was not performed. Please try again.

How am I supposed to solve this?

This seems to be plaguing all on my new flows and I suspect that it is when I try to run a Test using the "I'll perform the trigger action" option. In this instance, I was not prompted for an action, nor does my flow expect one.

Flow Scenario

I have a very simple 3 step flow:

1. Http Request (no request body)
2. Run SQL Stored Procedure (no parameters)
3. Http Response (Body = Resultset > Table1)

This is a pattern that I have used many times and this is by far the simplest example used to return a single resultset containing sales orders from a backlog.

Testing the sp (Stored Procedure) in my Azure SQL Database, connecting with my Visual Studio IDE, it runs quickly returning only a handful of records as expected. It's a very simple procedure with no joins running on a small database containing only a few test data records.

My Suspicions

After doing a lot of research and coming up largely empty handed, I suspect that I have somehow come to the limit of my Flow runs and it may be throttling me (well my Flows at least, although I do feel like I'm being throttled as well). However, I have no way of determining this. I believe that my Flow environment is my default environment which is linked to my company E5 licence. 

Kaine

Edit: Removed rant. It was probably not helping. K

[AlanPs1]

Hi @Kaine 

2 things I would look at first of all.

When testing, I find it easier to Test > "Using data from previous runs". This doesn't require an action from you or the Flow but uses what has gone before.

Regards your quota, you will need to be an admin but this can be checked at the following link:

https://admin.flow.microsoft.com/tenant/quotas

If you have found my post helpful, please mark thumbs up.

If this post has solved your problem, please click "Accept as Solution".

Any other questions, just ask.

Thanks, Alan

[Kaine]

Hi @AlanPs1 ,

Thanks for your suggestions.

With regards to your first suggestion, I absolutley agree with you. However, I don't believe that you can run a test using data from previously runs for new Flows, since there have been no previous runs.

With regards to your second point, here is a screenshot of the page in the link that you sent, so it looks like the issue is not with quotas as I suspected.

Loads of capacity

Kaine

[AlanPs1]

Hi @Kaine , thanks for the additional info.

I tend to run my new Flows Once and once only, even if I have to change my requests/queries to get a small subset of data. After that, you can change the requests/queries and test away. 

After that, I don't have any additional information on teh performance/possible throttling so maybe another can come in but at least we have ruled out your quota.

Thanks, Alan

[Kaine]

Hi @AlanPs1 ,

Thanks for your help. As mentioned, this a new Flow and this is the first time I have been trying to run it, so no access to previous run data. The quota thing seems like a dead end as well. I'll try removing the SQL SP step and see if that has any effect.

I guess that my biggest gripe is that there is no information, nothing. There is nothing to help diagnose the problem and the error message is less than helpful.

Kaine

[Kaine]

I have removed the SQL step, so now there is nothing in the Flow, and still it Hangs when I test it!

Just two steps and still it Hangs when I hit the Test button.

What more can be done? 

Kaine

[AlanPs1]

Hi Kaine.
Is it possible something in the local network could be having an impact on this. Have you tried out with where you are and other browsers perhaps?

Just to try and be sure this is Flow and not anything else causing the delay in getting to the web maybe.

I’m just thinking out loud here really .

Thanks, Alan

[Kaine]

Thanks @AlanPs1 ,

I really appreciate your help and perseverance, and can almost hear you thinking from over here... 🙂

In answer to your questions, I don't appear to be having any network issues, everything seems fine. I have, however, tried using Chrome as well, per your suggestion, but get the same results. So, for the record, it's the same behaviour in both Edge & Chrome.

I can also confirm that it appears to be affecting all of my Flows when I use the Test > I'll perform the trigger action option.

This doesn't seem to affect some of my older Flows when I use the Test > Using data from previous runs.

So, in conclusion, it seems to be only when behaving like this when I use the Test > I'll perform the trigger action option, which is the only way to test a new Flow.

Kaine

[AlanPs1]

Hi @Kaine 

I find that too and as a rule of thumb I do not test by triggering at all. I just do 1 single run and test using previous data. Hopefully if you can work that in to your process, you'll have a better experience.

Thanks, Alan

[Kaine · Accepted solution]

Hi @AlanPs1 ,

I guess that I was misunderstanding your suggestion. I've just got off of the phone with a lovely MS support person, who manage to help me see where I was making my mistake.

So, for the benefit of anyone else having this or similar issues, I'll detail where I was making my mistake and why I misunderstood how I was expecting things to work.

Testing PowerApp Flows

When testing a PowerApp Flow, after kicking off the Test using the I'll prform the trigger action option, the Flow coordinates the test on your behalf. So, if your PowerApp Flow expects a Sales Order Number or User ID for instance, it will prompt you to enter this information before the Flow test begins.

Testing Http Request Flows

Testing PowerApp Flows is contrasted with testing Http Request Flows in that there is no prompt. The Flow just sits there waiting for it's Url to be touched. For instance, suppose that your Http Request Flow expects a GET request to its Url, you'll need to make a GET call to that Url from either your browser or some other client, such as Postman, or maybe the software that you're developing, before the Flow test will run.

Conclusion

I was expecting the Flow to have been called automatically by the Test trigger, in a similar way to the way that PowerApps Flows are triggered, but that isn't the case. Instead, they are simply initiated and sit ready, waiting to be called on their Url. 

This wan't clear to me, but then I guess that I should have RTFM. Doh!

I hope that my explanation helps someone else who may be in the same situation, scratching their head or tearing their hair out.

Happy coding

Kaine