A deadlock was detected while trying to lock variables for R/W access

Problem

While testing an Integration Service package with a File Watcher task as described in Using the Script Task in SSIS to Process Data Files When They Arrive, the following error was thrown:

The script threw an exception: A deadlock was detected while trying to lock variables <variablelist> for read access and variables <variablelist> for read/write access. A lock cannot be acquired after 16 attempts. The locks timed out.

This was developed as an SSIS 2012 project and deployed on a SQL server in the Integration Services Catalog. The package ran fine when I tested it in Visual Studio and when I executed the task from the Catalog. The error came when I create a SQL Server Agent job to run the task.

First I read some articles about variable locking in SSIS; but why did my package run without errors when I ran it under my account?

Solution

The cause of the problem: it is the account under which the package is run in the Job step that does not have read/write access to the folders where the File Watcher Task and the ensuing File System Tasks are doing their work. In this case the job step was run as the SQL Server Agent Service Account.

Either give this service account read/write access to the folders used by the SSIS package (may not be a good idea) or use a special windows account with sufficient rights and create a SQL Server Agent proxy for this account, see Use a windows account to grant SSIS packages folder and file access on a file share