Workflow Service: The HTTP request has timed out after 20000 milliseconds

Question

I had configured Workflow Manager on my environment, everything was working as expected and suddenly i have started seeing Workflow Manage error.

SocialRESTExceptionProcessingHandler.DoServerExceptionProcessing - SharePoint Server Exception [System.TimeoutException: The HTTP request has timed out after 20000 milliseconds. ---> System.Net.WebException: The request was aborted: The request was canceled.    
 at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.EndGetResponse(IAsyncResult asyncResult)    
 at Microsoft.Workflow.Client.HttpGetResponseAsyncResult`1.OnGotResponse(IAsyncResult result)     -
 -- End of inner exception stack trace ---    
 at Microsoft.Workflow.Common.AsyncResult.End[TAsyncResult](IAsyncResult result)    
 at Microsoft.Workflow.Client.HttpGetResponseAsyncResult`1.End(IAsyncResult result)    
 at Microsoft.Workflow.Client.ClientHelpers.SendRequest[T](HttpWebRequest request, T content)    
 at Microsoft.Workflow.Client.WorkflowManager.StartInternal(String workflowName, WorkflowStartParameters startParameters)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowServices.FabricWorkflowManagementClient.StartInstance(String serviceGroupName, String workflowName, String monitoringParam, String activationKey, IDictionary`2 payload)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowServices.FabricWorkflowInstanceProvider.StartWorkflow(WorkflowSubscription subscription, IDictionary`2 payload)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowServices.FabricWorkflowInstanceProvider.StartWorkflowOnListItem(WorkflowSubscription subscription, Int32 itemId, IDictionary`2 payload)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowServices.WorkflowInstanceServiceServerStub.StartWorkflowOnListItem_MethodProxy(WorkflowInstanceService target, XmlNodeList xmlargs, ProxyContext proxyContext)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowServices.WorkflowInstanceServiceServerStub.InvokeMethod(Object target, String methodName, XmlNodeList xmlargs, ProxyContext proxyContext, Boolean& isVoid)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ServerStub.InvokeMethodWithMonitoredScope(Object target, String methodName, XmlNodeList args, ProxyContext proxyContext, Boolean& isVoid)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientMethodsProcessor.InvokeMethod(Object obj, String methodName, XmlNodeList xmlargs, Boolean& isVoid)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientMethodsProcessor.ProcessMethod(XmlElement xe)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientMethodsProcessor.ProcessOne(XmlElement xe)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientMethodsProcessor.ProcessStatements(XmlNode xe)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientMethodsProcessor.Process()]

I am not sure what has caused this. does anyone came across this before?

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

I found resolution to this issue, like everything else the log entries were bit confusing and the resolution was fairly simple.

Following two services are responsible for all the communication betweek workflow clients and workflow manager farm. This two services are setup for "Automatic (Delayed Start)". This services didnt start when the servers were rebooted and that was causing all the errors.

I started this on all nodes of my Workflow Manager farm and everything started working.

Hopefully this will help someone in need:-