apache/hadoop · error · IOException

Failed to mkdirs {}

Error message

Failed to mkdirs {}

What it means

Error "Failed to mkdirs {}" thrown in apache/hadoop.

Source

Thrown at hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/datanode/fsdataset/impl/BlockPoolSlice.java:163

   * @param bpDir directory corresponding to the BlockPool
   * @param conf configuration
   * @param timer include methods for getting time
   * @throws IOException
   */
  BlockPoolSlice(String bpid, FsVolumeImpl volume, File bpDir,
      Configuration conf, Timer timer) throws IOException {
    this.config = conf;
    this.bpDir = bpDir;
    this.bpid = bpid;
    this.volume = volume;
    this.fileIoProvider = volume.getFileIoProvider();
    this.currentDir = new File(bpDir, DataStorage.STORAGE_DIR_CURRENT);
    this.finalizedDir = new File(
        currentDir, DataStorage.STORAGE_DIR_FINALIZED);
    this.lazypersistDir = new File(currentDir, DataStorage.STORAGE_DIR_LAZY_PERSIST);
    if (!this.finalizedDir.exists()) {
      if (!this.finalizedDir.mkdirs()) {
        throw new IOException("Failed to mkdirs " + this.finalizedDir);
      }
    }

    this.ioFileBufferSize = DFSUtilClient.getIoFileBufferSize(conf);

    this.deleteDuplicateReplicas = conf.getBoolean(
        DFSConfigKeys.DFS_DATANODE_DUPLICATE_REPLICA_DELETION,
        DFSConfigKeys.DFS_DATANODE_DUPLICATE_REPLICA_DELETION_DEFAULT);

    this.cachedDfsUsedCheckTime =
        conf.getLong(
            DFSConfigKeys.DFS_DN_CACHED_DFSUSED_CHECK_INTERVAL_MS,
            DFSConfigKeys.DFS_DN_CACHED_DFSUSED_CHECK_INTERVAL_DEFAULT_MS);

    this.maxDataLength = conf.getInt(
        CommonConfigurationKeys.IPC_MAXIMUM_DATA_LENGTH,
        CommonConfigurationKeys.IPC_MAXIMUM_DATA_LENGTH_DEFAULT);

View on GitHub (pinned to 2add963021)

Solutions

1. Check that the parent directory of the block pool slice path exists and that the DataNode user has write permission on it.
2. Verify the volume is mounted and not read-only; remount or replace the disk if it failed.
3. Fix SELinux/AppArmor denials if the mkdir is blocked by a security policy.

When it happens

Trigger: Block pool slice initialization when mkdirs for the block pool directory fails, usually due to permissions or a bad disk on the storage volume.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/hadoop@2add963021 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cdffd7f236c6b482. Report an issue: GitHub.