SharePoint workflow canceled on start only when automatic

Question

I'm having a strange issue with a Visual Studio Sequential workflow. We're uploading files to SharePoint Document Library via Client Object Model using File.SaveBinaryDirect.

Error in log is as follows:

Failed to persist workflow instance: ... with error code: 5, instance data size: 25013, internal state: Locked, Running, NotStarted, processing id: ...

I've tried already to install CU, but still nothing better. Workflow doesn't wait for any time, it gets the status "Canceled" immediately and a message "canceled by system account" in workflow history.

But if I try to run the workflow manually, it starts with no problem. Also there is another workflow that used to be on the same list and that one started automatically just fine.

Answer 1

Are you saving the file under a SPSecurity.RunWithElevatedPrivileges?

If true, it's a by design behavior of Workflows. Workflows does not start automatically when the process identity is the current user (which is the case when using SPSecurity.RunWithElevatedPrivileges)