ArcSDE error messages
Error messages you see when working with ArcSDE geodatabases can come from the underlying database management system, ArcSDE, or the client application. The following sections list some of the messages you might see returned from ArcSDE in the client interface or log files.
Since it is possible for only the text of the message and not the error number to be returned, lists in each section are organized in alphabetical order by message text. If you only have the error number, see the Return codes in the ArcSDE Developer Help, which organizes errors numerically based on the error number.
General error messages
General error messages can be returned for various reasons and in different situations. The number of such messages is kept to a minimum since they are not as helpful as more specific error messages. However, there are times when the information returned to ArcSDE is not recognizable or cannot be mapped to a more specific error message. In those cases, a general error message is returned.
Error text and number | Description |
|---|---|
Operation failed (-1) | If you receive this message, it means ArcSDE was not able to get useful information about the failure. This message should rarely be returned and usually means you have run into an issue that no one else has ever encountered and reported. Therefore, if you receive this message, contact ESRI support. |
Network I/O error (-10) | This error is returned when communication between the ArcSDE client and server fails. The most common cause of this error is a gsrvr crash, but you could also see the error if the server crashes or is taken off the network or there are other problems with network communication. |
SDE lost its connection with the underlying DBMS (-409) | This could be caused by a database or server crash, or the connection may have timed out. |
Underlying DBMS error (-51) | An error was returned from the database that was not recognized by ArcSDE or the client application. Check the DBMS logs for more information. |
Error messages encountered when connecting to an ArcSDE geodatabase
The following messages are returned when an attempted connection to an ArcSDE geodatabase fails.
Error text and number | Description |
|---|---|
ArcGIS 9.2 geodatabases do not support direct connect using Oracle 11g clients. Please use the Oracle 10g client or the application server. (-497) | Because Oracle 11g was not supported with ArcSDE 9.2, you must use an Oracle 10g client to make a direct connection to an ArcSDE 9.2 geodatabase stored in an Oracle 10g database. If this connection is needed for data access rather than a geodatabase upgrade, you could use an ArcSDE service to make the connection. |
ArcSDE direct connect driver release isn't compatible with ArcSDE database instance release (-450) | Your ArcSDE geodatabase and the direct-connect drivers of the connecting application must be compatible to make a direct connection from the client application to the geodatabase. See Direct connect compatibility between clients and ArcSDE geodatabases for a list of compatible geodatabase and driver releases. |
Bad login user (-9) | The system is unable to validate the specified user and password. To figure out why you received this message, do the following:
|
Connection was attempted with an older version of SQL Server client communications software that is not compatible with the SQL Server database server. (-493) | The client is using an older, incompatible version of the SQL Native Client to connect to a SQL Server database. The version of the SQL Server client software required depends on the version of the SQL Server database to which you are connecting. Check the Microsoft SQL Server support site for information on SQL Native Client and SQL Server database engine compatibility.  Note:Beginning with ArcGIS 10, the SQL Native Client 2008 is installed with ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Server, and ArcReader, and can optionally be installed with ArcGIS Engine. If you need a different version of the SQL Native Client, download it from the Microsoft Download Center. |
Invalid DBA password (-93) | The password specified for the ArcSDE administrative user is incorrect. Make sure you are using the correct password and try again. On Windows operating systems, if the password for the ArcSDE administrative user that created the ArcSDE service is changed, you will receive this error message. You will not be able to start the ArcSDE service until you either delete and re-create the service using the account with the new password, change the password for the ArcSDE administrative user back to what it was when the service was created, or use the sdeservice command to alter the ArcSDE administrative user's password for the service. |
Invalid database name (-162) | The specified database name is not recognized or does not exist. Be sure the database name is spelled correctly and is valid for the server to which you are connecting. |
Maximum number of connections to instance exceeded (-7) | The maximum number of connections to the ArcSDE geodatabase has been reached; no more connections are accepted. Check the value set for the CONNECTIONS parameter in the SERVER_CONFIG or sde_server_config ArcSDE system table to be sure it is sufficient. If it is not, increase the number of allowed connections using the sdeconfig command with the alter operation. See the ArcSDE Administration Command Reference for syntax and description of the sdeconfig command. |
Newer direct connect driver attempting to connect to older geodatabase instance (-465) | The connecting client is using a newer release ArcSDE direct-connect driver than is supported by the ArcSDE geodatabase to which the connection is being made. See Direct connect compatibility between clients and ArcSDE geodatabases for a list of compatible geodatabase and driver releases. |
No ArcSDE server license found (-327) | You must have a valid license key to create and use ArcSDE geodatabases. Either your license key has expired or the ArcSDE postinstallation step to authorize ArcSDE was not performed properly. Rerun the authorization postinstallation setup with a valid license key. |
Older direct connect driver attempting to connect to a newer geodatabase instance (-466) | The connecting client is using an older release ArcSDE direct-connect driver than is supported by the ArcSDE geodatabase to which the connection is being made. See Direct connect compatibility between clients and ArcSDE geodatabases for a list of compatible geodatabase and driver releases. |
Password too long for this ArcSDE server (-456) | The password provided contains too many characters. See Constants that define limits in the ArcSDE Developer Help for maximum password length. |
RDBMS datasource machine not found (-422) | Make sure the server or data source name you provided is spelled correctly and is accessible from the connecting machine. For example, make sure the server is running, on the network, and isn't behind a firewall that the client can't get through. |
Schema is out of date, Retry as owner or sdeadmin (-407) | When you edit a dataset in a geodatabase in Oracle outside of ArcGIS, the next time the dataset is accessed in ArcGIS, it must be accessed by the owner or the ArcSDE administrator to allow certain system tables that reference the dataset to be updated. |
SDE not running on server (-101) | The ArcSDE service is stopped. Either start the service and retry the connection or use a direct connection to the geodatabase. |
SDE not started (-5) | You cannot connect or perform the requested operation because the ArcSDE service is not running. Start the ArcSDE service and re-execute the operation, or use a direct connection to the geodatabase instead of a service. |
Server library could not be loaded (-324) | This message is usually returned when SDEHOME is set incorrectly in your system path variable or as its own environment variable. The most common cause of this is subsequent installations of ArcSDE on the same server that use a different type of DBMS than the previous installation used. For example, if you used to have ArcSDE for Oracle 10g installed, but you uninstalled it then installed ArcSDE for Oracle 11g or ArcSDE for PostgreSQL, your SDEHOME or path variable may still be set to the old SDEHOME location. On Windows, the first SDEHOME location encountered in the path variable is used; therefore, subsequent SDEHOME definitions appended to the end of the path variable are ignored. Check these system variables and the dbinit.sde file (if used) to be sure these variables are set correctly. |
Server machine not found (-100) | The specified server was not found. Be sure the server name you specified is correct and that the server is accessible from the client computer. |
The geodatabase is not accepting connections while the instance is being upgraded. If you suspect you have mistakenly encountered this error, please speak with your geodatabase administrator. (-481) | The geodatabase is currently paused to perform an upgrade; therefore, no new connections can be made to the geodatabase until the upgrade procedure completes. |
The version of your database server is not supported. (-494) | The version of the DBMS to which you are connecting is not supported with the version of ESRI software you are using. Check the ArcGIS Server system requirements page on the Resource Center for supported DBMS releases. |
Underlying DBMS did not accept username/password (-98) | The user name, password, or both that you provided are not recognized by the DBMS. Be sure you spelled the user name and password correctly and that you do not have Caps Lock on. If you are using operating system authentication, be sure the login with which you are currently connected is in the database. If it is but you still get this message, be sure you do not have the SDEUSER or SDEPASSWORD variables set. If set, the values specified for these variables are used in place of your system login. |
Version not found (-126) | The specified geodatabase version does not exist for this geodatabase. Be sure the geodatabase version you specified is valid for the geodatabase to which you are connecting. This is most often encountered when connecting to a dbo-schema geodatabase in SQL Server. In these geodatabases, the DEFAULT version is owned by dbo, not sde; therefore, to connect to the default version, you must specify dbo.DEFAULT. |
Error messages encountered when creating or working with geodatabase data
The following table includes error messages you might see when adding data to a geodatabase or querying or editing existing geodatabase data.
Error text and number | Description |
|---|---|
A requested operation is unsupported on a multiversion table (-326) | The operation you attempted to perform on the dataset is not allowed on a dataset that is registered as versioned. For example, you cannot create a topology or a geometric network on a dataset that is registered as versioned. |
Attribute column not found (-38) | The specified attribute column does not exist in the table you are querying. Make sure you spelled the column name correctly and that the column actually exists in the specified table. |
Cannot delete a version that is the parent of other versions (-285) | A geodatabase version cannot be deleted if any of the versions created from it still exist. Before you can delete this version, you must reconcile and post all changes back to the parent version, then delete child versions. |
Compress is already running (-406) | You cannot start a compress operation if the process is already running. |
Database user and current schema are not the same (-453) | This message is returned when you attempt to create objects in a schema that does not have the same name as the user name with which you are connected. ArcSDE requires that users who own data have associated user schemas. The name of the schema must have the same name as the user. SQL Server and PostgreSQL databases do not require the user and schema name to be the same; however, to use with ArcGIS products, you must create a schema with the same name as the user and make the schema the user's default schema. |
DBMS table not found (-37) | The specified table does not exist in the database. Check to make sure the requested table name is spelled correctly and that you are querying the right database. |
Index name length exceeded (-477) | The specified index name is too long. See Constants that define limits in the ArcSDE Developer Help for maximum index name length. |
Insufficient permissions (-25) | The login you are using to connect to the geodatabase does not have the permissions necessary to perform the specified operation on that particular dataset or within the specified geodatabase. If the error was received when attempting to perform an operation on a specific dataset, have the dataset owner grant the necessary permissions to complete the operation. Be sure to also consider the permissions that might be needed on any dataset associated through a relationship class. If the error occurred when attempting an operation in the database, such as creating a dataset, the database administrator must grant your login sufficient privileges in the database to perform the operation. |
Invalid column data type (-53) | One of the columns in the source dataset is of a data type that is not accepted in the destination geodatabase. This is usually seen when importing, copying and pasting, or dragging a dataset into a geodatabase. It means the incoming dataset contains a column with a defined data type that cannot be mapped to a data type in the destination geodatabase. |
Invalid column value (-41) | The specified value exceeds the valid range for this field. This is usually seen when importing, copy and pasting, or dragging a dataset into a geodatabase. It means one of the columns in the source dataset is of a length that is not accepted in the destination geodatabase. |
Invalid DBTUNE data found (-429) | The DBTUNE ArcSDE system table stores parameters, grouped by keywords, which specify how an object is stored in the geodatabase. When the geodatabase, a log file table, or a dataset is created, storage information for the specified configuration keyword is read from the DBTUNE table and used to create the object. You can create your own custom configuration keywords, but you cannot create custom configuration parameters. This error message is usually encountered if the configuration keyword used to create the object contains an invalid configuration parameter. Valid configuration parameters vary slightly from DBMS to DBMS; therefore, see the DBTUNE configuration parameter topic for your DBMS for a list of valid parameters: |
Invalid layer name (-86) | Layer names must meet specific criteria:
|
Invalid spatial column name. (-161) | Spatial column names must meet specific criteria:
|
Invalid SQL syntax (-42) | The SQL query you submitted contains invalid syntax. Confirm that the attribute names used in the WHERE clause and the overall syntax of the SQL statement are correct for the type of database you are querying. |
Invalid ST_Geometry type release. (-455) | The ST_Geometry library is not compatible with the ST_Geometry type defined in the database. If you installed a newer version of ArcSDE, you may need to copy the ST_Geometry library from SDEHOME to the database home directory to be sure you have the right release of the ST_Geometry library in the database. |
Invalid ST_Raster type release. (-480) | The ST_Raster library stored in the database home directory is at a different, incompatible release than the ST_Raster stored procedure found in the database. If you have installed a new version of ArcSDE, you probably need to copy a new version of the ST_Raster library from SDEHOME to the database home directory. |
Layer is in load-only mode, operation not allowed (-77) | The feature class is set to load-only I/O mode, which only permits store and replace I/O operations to be performed. For all other operations, the layer must be in normal I/O mode. Use the sdetable command with the normal_io operation to place the layer back in normal I/O mode. |
Layer is locked by another connection (-18) | Whenever a table is accessed, ArcGIS applies a shared lock to the table. If a shared lock exists on a table, you cannot acquire an exclusive lock on that same table. Therefore, if you attempt an operation that requires an exclusive lock, such as adding a column to a table, the operation will fail. If another connecting user has an exclusive lock on a table, you cannot perform an operation that requires an exclusive lock on that same table until the first connection has released the lock. |
Maximum BLOB size exceeded (-80) | The maximum BLOB size is determined by the MAXBLOBSIZE parameter in the SERVER_CONFIG or sde_server_config system table. Use the sdeconfig command with the alter operation to change the value of this parameter if necessary. Note:Beginning with ArcGIS 10, the default setting for this parameter is -1, SE_UNLIMITED_BLOBSIZE. Therefore, you should not see this message in ArcSDE 10 and later geodatabases if you are using the default setting. |
Not supported on a view (-251) | The specified operation, such as starting an edit session, cannot be performed on a view. |
Operation not supported on non-gdb connection. (-475) | The specified operation is not supported for databases that do not contain ArcSDE geodatabase system tables. To use this functionality, create a geodatabase in the database and register the data with ArcSDE and the geodatabase. |
Polygon does not close properly (-150) | To be a polygon, the start and end points of the shape must intersect (the polygon must be closed); otherwise, the shape is a line. |
PostGIS geometry type is not installed. (-458) | PostGIS is not installed in the PostgreSQL database; therefore, you cannot use functionality or functions specific to PostGIS. Make sure PostGIS is installed and the database you are using is enabled to use PostGIS. |
Shape has too many points (-36) | More points have been defined for the object than are allowed. For example, it is invalid to define more than one point for a point object. |
Shapes of this entity type not allowed in this layer (-35) | The type of shape you insert into a feature class or layer must correspond to the entity type allowed for that feature class. For example, you can't add or append a point feature to a polygon feature class. |
Spatial column data contains multiple spatial references. (-469) | All records in a spatial table must have the same spatial reference to be registered with ArcSDE or used as a query layer from ArcGIS. If you receive this message, the table you are querying contains a spatial column, for which different records are using different spatial references. |
SQL keyword violation (-292) | You would receive this message if you inappropriately used a reserved SQL keyword. These keywords vary across database management systems, so consult your DBMS documentation for a list of SQL keywords. |
ST_Raster type library not found or invalid. (-492) | No ST_Raster library could be found or loaded. Be sure you have installed the ST_Raster type in the geodatabase. |
Table already exists (-62) | A table with the specified name, owned by the same user, already exists in the database. Note:If you created a dataset in ArcGIS then deleted it using the ArcSDE command sdetable -o delete or sdelayer -o delete, a record for that dataset still exists in the geodatabase system tables because ArcSDE commands do not update the geodatabase system tables. This will prevent you from being able to create another dataset with the same name in the geodatabase. Do not use ArcSDE commands to delete datasets created using ArcGIS. |
Table is not multiversion, but must be for this operation (-178) | Certain operations, such as archiving, replication, and versioned editing, require the dataset to be registered as versioned. Register the dataset as fully versioned and attempt the operation again. |
Table not registered (-220) | No record exists for this table in the TABLE_REGISTRY or sde_table_registry ArcSDE system table. You would receive this message if you attempted to alter the registration of a table that isn't already registered with ArcSDE. Register the table with ArcSDE and try again. |
The DBMS space limit is reached (-454) | The size for the database files has been exceeded. You must delete some files before you can proceed. This would most likely be encountered when using the express edition of a DBMS, which have lower size limits, but could be reached on other editions. See your DBMS documentation for information on database size limits. |
The keyset table could not be created. (-430) | A keyset table is created when an ArcGIS client executes a geodatabase relationship query that joins tables using attributes that are type integer, number, date, or string and when an edit session is started. In SQL Server, Informix, and DB2, keyset tables are created as a global temporary table. In PostgreSQL and Oracle, a keyset table is created in the schema of the user running the query or edit session. If this user does not have CREATE TABLE permission, the table is created in the SDE user's schema. If you see this error when using a geodatabase in DB2, it is possible the user has not been granted the USE privilege on the USER TEMPORARY tablespace or this tablespace is full. If you are using a geodatabase in Oracle or PostgreSQL, you might receive this message if the user cannot write to the SDE user's schema or (in Oracle) if the SDE user's tablespace is full. Any user who can connect to an Informix or SQL Server database should be able to create a global temporary table and, therefore, should be able to create a keyset table. If you see this error when you are using a geodatabase in Informix or SQL Server, contact ESRI customer service for assistance. |
The specified coordinate exceeds the valid coordinate range (-139) | When adding data to a feature class, this indicates some features in the data being added are outside the extent of the feature class. The coordinate range is determined by the precision and the x,y offset values (and z offset values, if using three-dimensional data) assigned when the feature class was created and cannot be altered after the fact. To fix this, export the data from the feature class and reload it into a new feature class, making sure to set the offset and precision values of the new feature class to allow for possible future extents of the data. |
The table is in load-only mode, operation not allowed (-427) | Only store and replace I/O operations are permitted on a table that is in load-only mode. Use the sdetable command with the normal_io operation to place the table back in normal I/O mode and try the operation again. |
The underlying DBMS spatial SQL extensions are not installed (-163) | You would receive this message if you attempted to perform a spatial operation on an Informix or DB2 database that was not spatially enabled. See the IBM documentation set for information on spatially enabling an Informix or DB2 database. |
The user must be the table owner (-96) | You must be connected to the geodatabase as the table owner to perform the requested operation. Operations that require you to log in as the dataset owner include altering permissions on the dataset or registering the dataset as versioned. |
This operation is not valid for a history table (-432) | You cannot perform certain operations, such as editing, on a history table.  Tip:History tables have _h at the end of the table name. |
This SDE server does not support this client or operation (-88) | The client application or the requested operation is not supported by the release of ArcSDE geodatabase you are using. See the ESRI Resource Center for a list of supported releases of ESRI clients. For third-party applications, contact the application developer. |
This table has not been enabled for archiving operations (-414) | The specified operation cannot be performed because it requires the specified table to have archiving enabled. Enable archiving on the table and try again. Note:The table must be registered as versioned before it can be enabled for archiving. |
Unable to create logfile system tables. User perhaps lacks permissions or resources to create tables (-288) | If you are using shared log files, users must have permission to create the log file tables in the database the first time they create a selection set that exceeds the threshold necessary to trigger log file creation. Once a user has created his/her log file tables, you can revoke the CREATE TABLE permission if necessary. If you are using stand-alone log files, users must always have permission to create log file tables in the database (the permission cannot be revoked). If you are using session-based log files not created in temp_db, users must also be able to create tables in the database. If you are using session-based log files, you also need to make sure you configure enough space for the tables and indexes of the session-based log files. If there is not enough space for them, you will also receive this error message. |
Unique indexes can't be specified for multiversion tables (-195) | Trying to register as versioned a table containing unique indexes will fail with this error message because it is not allowed. It is possible to place the unique constraint on the base table after the table has been registered as versioned. However, this is not recommended. When you edit the data in a versioned dataset then compress the database, the changes from the delta tables may get written to the base table. If the compression writes data to the base table and the constraint is broken, compression fails. |
Errors specific to user-schema geodatabases in Oracle
In ArcSDE geodatabases in Oracle, users who are granted ArcSDE administrator permissions can create a geodatabase in their own schemas. The master geodatabase, which is in the SDE user's schema, must already exist. User-schema geodatabases are dependent on the master geodatabase, and the master geodatabase keeps track of all its dependent user-schema geodatabases.
Errors related to geodatabases in users' schemas are listed in the following table:
Error text and number | Description |
|---|---|
The layer is already registered in another instance (-419) | The specified layer or feature class is already registered to a different user's schema; therefore, you cannot register it in another schema. |
The schema already exists in the master instance (-417) | A record exists in the INSTANCES ArcSDE system table of the master geodatabase for every geodatabase created in another schema. Only one geodatabase can be created per user schema. Therefore, if a record for a geodatabase in the specified schema already exists, you will receive this error message and the geodatabase will not be created. |
The table is already registered in another instance (-420) | The specified table is already registered in another user's schema. Tables can only be registered in one schema. |
There are dependent columns of this object type (-464) | The master SDE geodatabase cannot be deleted because there are tables that contain an ST_Geometry data type registered in other users' schemas. The definition for the ST_Geometry type is stored in the master SDE geodatabase; therefore, it cannot be deleted while there are dependent columns in the Oracle database. |
There are user connections either to the ArcSDE Master instance or other project instances (-463) | There are active connections to the SDE master geodatabase or geodatabases owned by other users in the Oracle instance, and the operation you attempted requires there be no other connections (such as a geodatabase upgrade or attempts to delete a geodatabase). Use the sdemon command with the users or users_long operation to determine which users are connected. |
There exist project instances dependent on the Master ArcSDE instance. (-461) | At lease one other user's schema contains a geodatabase that is dependent on the master SDE geodatabase. As a result, you cannot delete the master geodatabase. |
This operation is only valid for the master (SDE) instance (-423) | The operation you attempted cannot be performed in a user-schema geodatabase. Such operations include creating a user-schema geodatabase inside the geodatabase, installing the ST_Raster type, or attempting to stop the ArcSDE service when connected to a user-schema geodatabase. |
Errors specific to an ArcSDE geodatabase upgrade
The following table lists ArcSDE errors specific to upgrading. Other error messages might be returned during a geodatabase upgrade, but they are either returned from the database or client application or can be seen in other, nonupgrade scenarios.
Error text and number | Description |
|---|---|
Active connections found during upgrade (-472) | One or more active connections to the geodatabase were found when an upgrade was attempted. The upgrade cannot proceed if there are active connections to the geodatabase. Close all connections to the geodatabase (except the one used to perform the upgrade) and try again. |
The geodatabase is not accepting connections while the instance is being upgraded. If you suspect you have mistakenly encountered this error, please speak with your geodatabase administrator. (-481) | The geodatabase is currently paused to perform an upgrade; therefore, no new connections can be made to the geodatabase until the upgrade procedure completes. |