Error Messages

Errors in Ingres can be classified into Fatal and Non-Fatal errors. Ingres displays error messages in a particular format. This format helps you find the specific problem that Ingres has encountered. Error messages and their formats are explained in the following sections.

Error Message Format

Error messages in Ingres consist of a three-part error code and accompanying message text. The code segment has the format:

E_FCxxxx_msg message text

The message codes are as follows:

• E_, I_, or W_

  E_ (error message), I_(informational message), or W_ (warning message).

• FC

  Two-letter Facility Code.

• xxxx

  4-digit hexadecimal number that represents the value returned to the application for use in error handling. The 2-letter facility code combined with the 4-digit hexadecimal number uniquely identifies this error code.

• _msg

  "msg" is an abbreviated message text or decimal number. As a decimal, it is always equivalent in value to the preceding hexadecimal number.

Message Help Files

Help is available online to aid in reading error messages. The error messages are stored in a single file messages.txt in the directory $II_SYSTEM/ingres/files/english/messages/.

Fatal Errors

Fatal errors are those errors that require correction before Ingres can proceed with the program. All errors, including fatal errors, are recoverable.

Fatal errors occur in the following categories:

• Ingres tools, such as QBF or ABF
• Ingres server errors
  • Environmental OS/hardware limits and problems
  • A command limit is reached, for example, exceeding the maximum number of aggregates in a query
  • System software error

To remove the cause of a fatal error, use the troubleshooting techniques in the chapter Troubleshooting Ingres.

Non-Fatal Errors

Non-fatal errors are diagnostic indications of user errors, usually in application development. For example, a non-fatal error code is returned when a user attempts to destroy a non-existent table. These errors are not severe and do not halt the user program or Ingres. User applications can choose to print or suppress these errors.

Ingres Facility Codes

Ingres facility codes consist of a two-character code that is generated by a particular facility. For example, the Abstract Data Type Facility has a facility code of AD so error messages generated by this facility have an error message format of:

E_ADxxxx_msg

Error messages often include an explicit reference to which internal Ingres function returned the error. A list of these modules and their functions can help you identify the source of errors requiring troubleshooting.

Facility Codes for Primary Components

The facility codes for the primary Ingres components, such as the DBMS Server and General Communications Facility, are shown in the following table:

Server-Only Components

The server-only components are mostly DMF routines. The facilities listed in the following table are all subcomponents for Compatibility Library (CL) and do not appear in the facility-code part of an error message. All messages involving these facilities start with E_CL, and usually contain the two-letter facility code in the abbreviated message part of the error text.

Tools-Only Components

The Ingres Tools-only components are shown in the following table:

Components for Stream File Management

Ingres components for stream file management are shown in the following table. The facilities listed below are all subcomponents for Compatibility Library (CL ) and do not appear in the facility-code part of an error message. All messages involving these facilities start with E_CL, and usually contain the two-letter facility code in the abbreviated message part of the error text.

Components for Utility Routines

Ingres components for utility routines are shown in the following table:

Miscellaneous Components

Miscellaneous components are shown in the following table: