I have 2 approval workflows on a list - a main workflow that is started manually and an update workflow that is started on item update. This is to accomplish a parallel approval process i.e., the site owner/administrator will initially enter the list of approvers and start the main workflow. An approval task should be created for all of them. While that is in progress, the owner can come in and add more approvers or remove existing approvers at which time the update workflow would run. If all the main workflow approvals are complete before the update workflow, it will sit around and wait for the update workflow to complete. I am achieving this synchronization by having both the workflows update a common list field (called 'Number Approved') and having the main workflow 'Wait for Item Update' of this field.
Now, here is the problem. The main workflow waits for item update for a few minutes and then suddenly (while the update workflow is still waiting for approvals) comes out of it and the workflow errors out. I tried inserting a delay (pause) but still the same effect. I do not see any specific error information related to this in ULS logs. However, I do see a couple of Workflow Infrastructure errors and the dreaded 'Unable to locate the xml definition for CType with SPContentTypeId xxxx' message right before them. Here is an excerpt from the log exactly at the time of the workflow error:
07/18/2013 15:40:44.45 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Monitoring nasq Medium Entering monitored scope (Timer Job job-workflow) b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.47 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Monitoring nasq Medium Entering monitored scope (WorkflowTelemetryScope) b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.63 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Monitoring b4ly High Leaving Monitored Scope (EnsureListItemsData). Execution Time=49.1149014749081 b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.73 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Monitoring b4ly High Leaving Monitored Scope (EnsureListItemsData#1). Execution Time=7.10704852152997 b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.80 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation General 8e2s Medium Unknown SPRequest error occurred. More information: 0x8000ffff b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.80 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation General 72k4 Medium <nativehr>0x8000ffff</nativehr><nativestack></nativestack> b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.80 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation General 8kh7 High <nativehr>0x8000ffff</nativehr><nativestack></nativestack> b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.80 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation General 7fad Medium Unable to locate the xml-definition for CType with SPContentTypeId'0x01080100E646D059FB084DDF989F4E3CCF2A3A42', exception: Microsoft.SharePoint.SPException ---> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x8000FFFF): <nativehr>0x8000ffff</nativehr><nativestack></nativestack> at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequestInternalClass.GetGlobalContentTypeXml(String bstrUrl, Int32 type, UInt32 lcid, Object varIdBytes) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequest.GetGlobalContentTypeXml(String bstrUrl, Int32 type, UInt32 lcid, Object varIdBytes) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPGlobal.HandleComException(COMException comEx) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequest.GetGlobalContentTypeXml(String bstrUrl, Int32 type, UInt32 lcid, Object varIdBytes) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPContentTypeCollection.FillCollection(SPRequest req, SqlDataReader rdr, Boolean openWeb) b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.82 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Monitoring b4ly High Leaving Monitored Scope (Event Receiver (Nintex.Workflow, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=913f6bae0ca5ae12, Nintex.Workflow.ConditionalWorkflowStartReceiver)). Execution Time=121.27239635205 b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.88 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Workflow Infrastructure 88xr Unexpected WinWF Internal Error, terminating workflow Id# 149883af-c269-4945-a413-ce23dc958bf3 b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.88 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Workflow Infrastructure 98d4 Unexpected System.InvalidCastException: Unable to cast object of type 'System.Double' to type 'System.String'. at Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowActions.CoerceStringActivity.SetReturnValue(Object obj) at Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowActions.CoerceActivity.Coerce() at Microsoft.SharePoint.WorkflowActions.CoerceActivity.Execute(ActivityExecutionContext provider) at System.Workflow.ComponentModel.ActivityExecutor`1.Execute(T activity, ActivityExecutionContext executionContext) at System.Workflow.ComponentModel.ActivityExecutor`1.Execute(Activity activity, ActivityExecutionContext executionContext) at System.Workflow.ComponentModel.ActivityExecutorOperation.Run(IWorkflowCoreRuntime workflowCoreRuntime) at System.Workflow.Runtime.Scheduler.Run() b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:44.96 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Monitoring b4ly High Leaving Monitored Scope (EnsureListItemsData#1). Execution Time=7.54900413320687 b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:45.02 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation General 8e2s Medium Unknown SPRequest error occurred. More information: 0x8000ffff b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:45.02 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation General 72k4 Medium <nativehr>0x8000ffff</nativehr><nativestack></nativestack> b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:45.02 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation General 8kh7 High <nativehr>0x8000ffff</nativehr><nativestack></nativestack> b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:45.02 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation General 7fad Medium Unable to locate the xml-definition for CType with SPContentTypeId'0x01080100E646D059FB084DDF989F4E3CCF2A3A42', exception: Microsoft.SharePoint.SPException ---> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x8000FFFF): <nativehr>0x8000ffff</nativehr><nativestack></nativestack> at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequestInternalClass.GetGlobalContentTypeXml(String bstrUrl, Int32 type, UInt32 lcid, Object varIdBytes) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequest.GetGlobalContentTypeXml(String bstrUrl, Int32 type, UInt32 lcid, Object varIdBytes) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPGlobal.HandleComException(COMException comEx) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequest.GetGlobalContentTypeXml(String bstrUrl, Int32 type, UInt32 lcid, Object varIdBytes) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPContentTypeCollection.FillCollection(SPRequest req, SqlDataReader rdr, Boolean openWeb) b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:45.04 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Monitoring b4ly High Leaving Monitored Scope (Event Receiver (Nintex.Workflow, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=913f6bae0ca5ae12, Nintex.Workflow.ConditionalWorkflowStartReceiver)#1). Execution Time=107.825715279456 b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:45.06 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Monitoring b4ly High Leaving Monitored Scope (FireWorkflowCompletedEvent). Execution Time=18.865805570261 b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
07/18/2013 15:40:45.48 OWSTIMER.EXE (0x13F0) 0x0838 SharePoint Foundation Monitoring b4ly Medium Leaving Monitored Scope (Timer Job job-workflow). Execution Time=1023.42699980025 b9ff6d5b-824f-4fd2-9d20-675339aa4705
I understand this may not be a Nintex error and though it causes a Nintex action and workflow to error, the underlying cause could be something else. But any help or insight would be appreciated.