apache/hadoop · error · RuntimeException

EC policy file {url} found on the classpath is not on the lo

Error message

EC policy file {url} found on the classpath is not on the local filesystem.

What it means

ECPolicyLoader.getPolicyFile() treats a non-absolute policy file path as a URL and requires the file: protocol. If the URL parses but uses another scheme (http://, https://, jar:, ftp:// ...), it throws this RuntimeException because the loader can only read local files. A plain relative filename without a scheme never reaches this message — it fails URL parsing and surfaces as the wrapped 'Failed to load EC policy file' RuntimeException from loadPolicy().

Source

Thrown at hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/util/ECPolicyLoader.java:231

      }
    }

    return policies;
  }

  /**
   * Path to the XML file containing user defined EC policies. If the path is
   * relative, it is searched for in the classpath.
   * @param policyFilePath path of EC policy file
   * @return EC policy file
   */
  private File getPolicyFile(String policyFilePath)
      throws MalformedURLException {
    File policyFile = new File(policyFilePath);
    if (!policyFile.isAbsolute()) {
      URL url = new URL(policyFilePath);
      if (!url.getProtocol().equalsIgnoreCase("file")) {
        throw new RuntimeException(
            "EC policy file " + url
                + " found on the classpath is not on the local filesystem.");
      } else {
        policyFile = new File(url.getPath());
      }
    }

    return policyFile;
  }

  /**
   * Load a schema from a schema element in the XML configuration file.
   * @param element EC schema element
   * @return ECSchema
   */
  private ECSchema loadSchema(Element element) {
    Map<String, String> schemaOptions = new HashMap<String, String>();
    NodeList fields = element.getChildNodes();

View on GitHub (pinned to 2add963021)

Solutions

1. Download the file to local disk and pass a local absolute path: hdfs ec -loadPolicy /etc/hadoop/conf/user_ec_policies.xml
2. Or use a file: URL: file:///etc/hadoop/conf/user_ec_policies.xml
3. If you intended a classpath-style relative reference, place the file on the local filesystem and give an absolute path instead

Example fix

# before
hdfs ec -loadPolicy http://config-host/user_ec_policies.xml

# after
curl -o /tmp/user_ec_policies.xml http://config-host/user_ec_policies.xml
hdfs ec -loadPolicy /tmp/user_ec_policies.xml

File f = new File(policyFilePath);
if (!f.isAbsolute()) {
  URL u = new URL(policyFilePath); // throws MalformedURLException if no protocol
  if (!"file".equalsIgnoreCase(u.getProtocol())) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException(policyFilePath + " is not a local file path or file: URL");
  }
  f = new File(u.getPath());
}

try { new ECPolicyLoader().loadPolicy(path); }
catch (RuntimeException e) {
  LOG.error("Cannot load EC policies from {}: {}", path, e.getMessage()); // point user at local path requirement
}

When it happens

Trigger: `hdfs ec -loadPolicy http://host/user_ec_policies.xml` (or any non-file URL) — the path is relative, parses as a URL, and its protocol is not 'file'.

Common situations: Trying to load the policy file straight from a web server, HDFS web UI, or documentation link instead of downloading it first; passing a jar: classpath URL.

Related errors

• Policy '%s' does not match any enabled erasure coding polici
• The given erasure coding policy {} does not exist.
• Failed to load EC policy file: {policyFilePath}
• Bad EC policy configuration file: top-level element not <con
• Bad EC policy configuration file: no <policies> element

AI-assisted analysis of apache/hadoop@2add963021 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e0680e4fe2cc9af0. Report an issue: GitHub.