apache/seatunnel · error · IOException

SftpException wrapped (pwd failed while creating directory)

Error message

SftpException wrapped (pwd failed while creating directory)

What it means

In mkdirs(), the first step resolves the server working directory with client.pwd(); an SftpException here is wrapped in a plain IOException. Directory creation cannot proceed because the code cannot compute the absolute path of the directory to create.

Source

Thrown at seatunnel-connectors-v2/connector-file/connector-file-sftp/src/main/java/org/apache/seatunnel/connectors/seatunnel/file/sftp/system/SFTPFileSystem.java:307

    }

    private FsPermission getPermissions(LsEntry sftpFile) {
        return new FsPermission((short) sftpFile.getAttrs().getPermissions());
    }

    /**
     * Convenience method, so that we don't open a new connection when using this method from within
     * another method. Otherwise every API invocation incurs the overhead of opening/closing a TCP
     * connection.
     */
    private boolean mkdirs(ChannelSftp client, Path file, FsPermission permission)
            throws IOException {
        boolean created = true;
        Path workDir;
        try {
            workDir = new Path(client.pwd());
        } catch (SftpException e) {
            throw new IOException(e);
        }
        Path absolute = makeAbsolute(workDir, file);
        String pathName = absolute.getName();
        if (!exists(client, absolute)) {
            Path parent = absolute.getParent();
            created = parent == null || mkdirs(client, parent, FsPermission.getDefault());
            if (created) {
                String parentDir = parent.toUri().getPath();
                boolean succeeded = true;
                try {
                    final String previousCwd = client.pwd();
                    client.cd(parentDir);
                    LOG.debug("Creating directory " + pathName);
                    client.mkdir(pathName);
                    client.cd(previousCwd);
                } catch (SftpException e) {
                    throw new IOException(String.format(E_MAKE_DIR_FORPATH, pathName, parentDir));
                }

View on GitHub (pinned to cf67b549a7)

Solutions

Reconnect the SFTP channel and retry mkdirs
Verify with an sftp client that pwd works for the account (chroot/restricted shell)
Check server logs for realpath failures at the time of the job
Ensure the channel/session is kept alive (SSH keepalive settings) during long jobs
Pass absolute paths so pwd resolution is less critical, though pwd is still called internally

Example fix

// before
fs.mkdirs(new Path("/out/2026/09/10")); // throws if channel dead
// after
if (channel == null || !channel.isConnected()) {
    channel = openConnectedChannel(conf);
}
fs.mkdirs(new Path("/out/2026/09/10"));

Defensive patterns

Strategy: retry

Validate before calling

if (channel == null || !channel.isConnected()) { channel = openConnectedChannel(conf); }

Try / catch

try { fs.mkdirs(path); } catch (IOException e) { reconnect(); fs.mkdirs(path); // single retry after refresh }

Prevention

Enable SSH keepalive
Reconnect on any IOException before retry
Probe pwd() at job start
Test chrooted accounts interactively
Reuse one healthy channel per job phase

When it happens

Trigger: mkdirs() (reached directly, from create()'s parent-creation, or recursively) runs on a dead/disconnected channel or a server that rejects the realpath request behind pwd().

Common situations: Connection dropped before a write step; session timed out between read and write phases; chrooted accounts whose server rejects realpath; channel reused after a prior operation threw and left it closed.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of apache/seatunnel@cf67b549a7 (2026-09-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/100fcbd9e3cd2385. Report an issue: GitHub.