SharePoint 3.0: Pointing Excel Web Access at a Separate Web Application

There is an additional, configuration step required to display an Excel file stored in a different SharePoint web applications from the location where the Excel Web Access web part is being used. The instructions below explain how to set this up.

1.
Locate an Excel file you would like to display in Excel Web Access. For this example, the Excel file is called, stoplight.xlsx. It is stored in a document library at http://sample1portal.domain.com/excelfiles_site/excelfiles_library/



2.
Verify that the intended audience has permission to view the file.

3.
Verify that Excel File location is trusted by Excel Services.



4.
If you have not done so previously, run the following command:

stsadm.exe -o set-ecssecurity -ssp -SSPNAME -allowcrossdomainaccess true

5.
Add the Excel Web Access web part to a page to display stoplight.xslx. Since you have enabled cross domain access, it will now display regardless if the Excel file is part of the same web application as the Excel file, or in a different web application.

In this example, I am displaying the Excel Web Access Web Part on a sub site of http://sample2portal.domain.com although the Excel file is being stored on http://sample1portal.domain.com.

SharePoint V3: Error: Excel Services: Access Denied

Description:
Error: "Access Denied. You do not have permissions to open this file on Excel Services. Make sure that the file is in an Excel Services trusted location and that you have access to the file."

The Excel Services is properly enabled and Excel Services trusted file locations have been properly configured in SharePoint Central Admin. Your user account has access to the Office SharePoint Server 2007 document library that you are trying to publish an Excel workbook to, however, you receive an Access Denied error when attempting to publish an Excel 12 workbook to the document library.



Solution:
Open the Shared Services Admin Site
Central Admin > Application Management > Create or Configure this Farm's Shared Services > SSP > Open Shared Services Admin Site
Set the Unattended Service Account
Shared Services Admin > Excel Services Settings > Edit Excel Services Settings > External Data > Unattended Service Account