elsa-workflows/elsa-core · error · InvalidOperationException

Runtime entity definition

Error message

Runtime entity definition '{definition.Name}' declares {definition.Indexes.Count} indexes, but only {maxIndexedFields} runtime index slots are available.

What it means

The number of declared indexes on a runtime entity definition is capped by MaxIndexedFields (from options) and by the physical slot count exposed by RuntimeEntityPersistenceSchemaProvider.IndexedFieldSlotCount — Validate uses the smaller of the two. Exceeding it throws, because the storage layout only materializes that many runtime index columns.

Solutions

1. Trim definition.Indexes to the most essential fields so the count fits the limit.
2. Raise RuntimeEntityOptions.MaxIndexedFields in configuration, if the physical slot count also allows it.
3. Drop low-value indexes (rarely filtered fields) and rely on scans for those queries instead.

Example fix

// before
options.MaxIndexedFields = 5; // definition declares 8 indexes
// after
options.MaxIndexedFields = 10; // or reduce definition.Indexes to 5

var max = Math.Min(options.MaxIndexedFields, RuntimeEntityPersistenceSchemaProvider.IndexedFieldSlotCount);
if (definition.Indexes.Count > max) throw new InvalidOperationException($"{definition.Indexes.Count} indexes exceeds limit {max}.");

try { validator.Validate(definition); }
catch (InvalidOperationException ex) { logger.LogError(ex, "Too many indexes on {Name}", definition.Name); throw; }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling Validate where definition.Indexes.Count exceeds min(options.MaxIndexedFields, RuntimeEntityPersistenceSchemaProvider.IndexedFieldSlotCount).

Common situations: Lowering MaxIndexedFields in configuration below a previously valid definition; adding many indexes as a document evolves; a storage provider with fewer physical slots than the definition assumes.

Understand the failure class

Background: "value must be between 0 and 1" / "out of range" / "must not be negative" errors: fixing range-validation failures across open-source libraries — this error's family across 42 libraries.

Related errors

• Runtime entity definition
• Runtime entity definition
• Runtime entity definition
• Runtime entity definition name is required.
• Runtime entity instance

AI-assisted analysis of elsa-workflows/elsa-core@fe9217bdfa (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/bccb0868cf729802. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/modules/Elsa.Persistence.VNext.Runtime/Services/RuntimeEntityDefinitionValidator.cs:22

namespace Elsa.Persistence.VNext.Runtime.Services;

public class RuntimeEntityDefinitionValidator(IOptions<RuntimeEntityOptions> options)
{
    public void Validate(RuntimeEntityDefinition definition)
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(definition.Name))
            throw new InvalidOperationException("Runtime entity definition name is required.");

        if (definition.Fields.Count == 0)
            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Runtime entity definition '{definition.Name}' must declare at least one field.");

        var duplicateField = definition.Fields.GroupBy(x => x.Name, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase).FirstOrDefault(x => x.Count() > 1);
        if (duplicateField is not null)
            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Runtime entity definition '{definition.Name}' declares field '{duplicateField.Key}' more than once.");

        var maxIndexedFields = Math.Min(options.Value.MaxIndexedFields, RuntimeEntityPersistenceSchemaProvider.IndexedFieldSlotCount);
        if (definition.Indexes.Count > maxIndexedFields)
            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Runtime entity definition '{definition.Name}' declares {definition.Indexes.Count} indexes, but only {maxIndexedFields} runtime index slots are available.");

        var fields = definition.Fields.Select(x => x.Name).ToHashSet(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
        foreach (var index in definition.Indexes)
        {
            if (!fields.Contains(index.FieldName))
                throw new InvalidOperationException($"Runtime entity definition '{definition.Name}' index '{index.Name}' references unknown field '{index.FieldName}'.");
        }
    }

    public void ValidateInstance(RuntimeEntityDefinition definition, RuntimeEntityInstance instance)
    {
        var dataKeys = instance.Data.Keys.ToHashSet(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
        var missingField = definition.Fields.FirstOrDefault(x => x.IsRequired && !dataKeys.Contains(x.Name));
        if (missingField is not null)
            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Runtime entity instance '{instance.Id}' is missing required field '{missingField.Name}'.");
    }
}

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