apache/cassandra · error · InvalidConstraintDefinitionException

Constraints combination of

Error message

Constraints combination of %s is not supported: %s %s %s, %s %s %s

What it means

ensureSatisfiability checks pairs of constraints on a column for logically impossible or redundant combinations. Combinations like GT+GTE, LT+LTE, or any pair involving EQ are rejected outright because they cannot (or trivially do) constrain anything meaningful; the exception lists the constraint name, column, both relations and terms.

Solutions

1. Remove the redundant constraint of each rejected pair (e.g. drop the GT when GTE is present).
2. Replace EQ+range combos with a single equality constraint only.
3. Merge the two relations into a single well-formed range constraint.

Example fix

// before
CREATE TABLE t (x int CHECK x > 5 AND x >= 5);
// after
CREATE TABLE t (x int CHECK x >= 5);

if (first == Operator.EQ || second == Operator.EQ) throw new IllegalArgumentException("EQ cannot be combined with another constraint");
if ((first == Operator.GT && second == Operator.GTE) || (first == Operator.GTE && second == Operator.GT)
 || (first == Operator.LT && second == Operator.LTE) || (first == Operator.LTE && second == Operator.LT))
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Redundant constraint pair");

try {
    session.execute(schemaDdl);
} catch (InvalidRequestException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().contains("Constraints combination")) {
        log.error("Remove redundant/conflicting constraint pair: {}", e.getMessage());
    } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: CREATE TABLE/ALTER TABLE declaring two constraints on one column where one is EQ, or where relations are GT&GTE or LT&LTE against each other.

Common situations: Writing redundant bounds (x > 5 AND x >= 5); accidentally specifying both an equality and a range on the same column; translating RDBMS CHECK semantics that Cassandra rejects.

Understand the failure class

Background: Conflicting config options: "cannot be used together" — configuration validation errors across open-source libraries — this error's family across 162 libraries.

Related errors

• Constraints of are not satisfiable
• Column value does not satisfy value constraint for column
• Column value does not satisfy value constraint for column
• constraint of relation ' ' is not supported. Only these are
• There are duplicate constraint definitions on column

AI-assisted analysis of apache/cassandra@88fd0f6a0e (2026-09-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6110944a1b81cbde. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/constraints/AbstractFunctionSatisfiabilityChecker.java:138

    private void ensureSatisfiability(ColumnMetadata columnMetadata,
                                      String constraintName,
                                      List<CONSTRAINT_TYPE> allConstraints)
    {
        if (allConstraints.size() != 2)
            return;

        Operator firstRelation = allConstraints.get(0).relationType();
        String firstTerm = allConstraints.get(0).term();
        Operator secondRelation = allConstraints.get(1).relationType();
        String secondTerm = allConstraints.get(1).term();

        if ((firstRelation == GT && secondRelation == GTE) ||
            (firstRelation == GTE && secondRelation == GT) ||
            (firstRelation == LT && secondRelation == LTE) ||
            (firstRelation == LTE && secondRelation == LT) ||
            (firstRelation == EQ || secondRelation == EQ))
        {
            throw new InvalidConstraintDefinitionException(format("Constraints combination of %s is not supported: %s %s %s, %s %s %s",
                                                                  constraintName,
                                                                  columnMetadata.name,
                                                                  firstRelation,
                                                                  firstTerm,
                                                                  columnMetadata.name,
                                                                  secondRelation,
                                                                  secondTerm));
        }
        else if (firstRelation == NEQ && secondRelation == NEQ)
        {
            if (firstTerm.equals(secondTerm))
                throw new InvalidConstraintDefinitionException(format("There are duplicate constraint definitions on column '%s'.", columnMetadata.name));
        }
        else
        {
            AbstractType<?> returnType = returnType(columnMetadata);
            ByteBuffer firstTermBuffer = returnType.fromString(ParseUtils.unquote(firstTerm));
            ByteBuffer secondTermBuffer = returnType.fromString(ParseUtils.unquote(secondTerm));

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