apache/dolphinscheduler · error

WORKFLOW_INSTANCE_EXECUTING_COMMAND

WORKFLOW_INSTANCE_EXECUTING_COMMAND

Error message

workflow instance is executing the command, workflowDefinitionCode:{}, workflowDefinitionVersion:{}, workflowInstanceId:{}.

What it means

A concurrency guard in ExecutorServiceImpl.executeTask: the target workflow instance is currently executing a command (an active Command row references it), so a new EXECUTE_TASK command would race the running one and corrupt state — the request is rejected instead. The message names the workflow definition code/version and instance id; it is a transient state conflict, not a data corruption.

Source

Thrown at dolphinscheduler-api/src/main/java/org/apache/dolphinscheduler/api/service/impl/ExecutorServiceImpl.java:340

        // To add startParams only when repeat running is needed
        Map<String, Object> cmdParam = new HashMap<>();
        cmdParam.put(CMD_PARAM_RECOVER_WORKFLOW_ID_STRING, workflowInstanceId);
        // Add StartNodeList
        cmdParam.put(CMD_PARAM_START_NODES, startNodeList);

        Command command = new Command();
        command.setCommandType(CommandType.EXECUTE_TASK);
        command.setWorkflowDefinitionCode(workflowDefinition.getCode());
        command.setCommandParam(JSONUtils.toJsonString(cmdParam));
        command.setExecutorId(loginUser.getId());
        command.setWorkflowDefinitionVersion(workflowDefinition.getVersion());
        command.setWorkflowInstanceId(workflowInstanceId);

        // Add taskDependType
        command.setTaskDependType(taskDependType);

        if (!commandService.verifyIsNeedCreateCommand(command)) {
            log.warn(
                    "workflow instance is executing the command, workflowDefinitionCode:{}, workflowDefinitionVersion:{}, workflowInstanceId:{}.",
                    workflowDefinition.getCode(), workflowDefinition.getVersion(), workflowInstanceId);
            putMsg(response, Status.WORKFLOW_INSTANCE_EXECUTING_COMMAND,
                    String.valueOf(workflowDefinition.getCode()));
            return response;
        }

        log.info("Creating command, commandInfo:{}.", command);
        int create = commandService.createCommand(command);

        if (create > 0) {
            log.info("Create {} command complete, workflowDefinitionCode:{}, workflowDefinitionVersion:{}.",
                    command.getCommandType().getDescp(), command.getWorkflowDefinitionCode(),
                    workflowDefinition.getVersion());
            putMsg(response, Status.SUCCESS);
        } else {
            log.error(
                    "Execute workflow instance failed because create {} command error, workflowDefinitionCode:{}, workflowDefinitionVersion:{}， workflowInstanceId:{}.",

View on GitHub (pinned to 02eac45a1b)

Solutions

1. Retry after the in-flight command for the instance completes (poll instance state)
2. Stop or wait for the running execution before triggering task-level execution again
3. If no command is actually running, check for orphaned rows in t_ds_command referencing the instance and clean them

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at dolphinscheduler-api/src/main/java/org/apache/dolphinscheduler/api/service/impl/ExecutorServiceImpl.java:340 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/dolphinscheduler@02eac45a1b (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/add22d0cee2ee341. Report an issue: GitHub.