hyperledger/fabric · error

cannot serve block [%d]. The ledger is bootstrapped from a s

Error message

cannot serve block [%d]. The ledger is bootstrapped from a snapshot. First available block = [%d]

What it means

Returned by blockfileMgr.retrieveBlockByNumber when the requested block precedes the first block available after snapshot bootstrap. A peer joined from a snapshot does not store pre-snapshot blocks, so any request below the snapshot height fails with this error naming the first served block.

Source

Thrown at common/ledger/blkstorage/blockfile_mgr.go:531

func (mgr *blockfileMgr) retrieveBlockByHash(blockHash []byte) (*common.Block, error) {
	logger.Debugf("retrieveBlockByHash() - blockHash = [%#v]", blockHash)
	loc, err := mgr.index.getBlockLocByHash(blockHash)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return mgr.fetchBlock(loc)
}

func (mgr *blockfileMgr) retrieveBlockByNumber(blockNum uint64) (*common.Block, error) {
	logger.Debugf("retrieveBlockByNumber() - blockNum = [%d]", blockNum)

	// interpret math.MaxUint64 as a request for last block
	if blockNum == math.MaxUint64 {
		blockNum = mgr.getBlockchainInfo().Height - 1
	}
	if blockNum < mgr.firstPossibleBlockNumberInBlockFiles() {
		return nil, errors.Errorf(
			"cannot serve block [%d]. The ledger is bootstrapped from a snapshot. First available block = [%d]",
			blockNum, mgr.firstPossibleBlockNumberInBlockFiles(),
		)
	}
	loc, err := mgr.index.getBlockLocByBlockNum(blockNum)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return mgr.fetchBlock(loc)
}

func (mgr *blockfileMgr) retrieveBlockByTxID(txID string) (*common.Block, error) {
	logger.Debugf("retrieveBlockByTxID() - txID = [%s]", txID)
	loc, err := mgr.index.getBlockLocByTxID(txID)
	if err == errNilValue {
		return nil, errors.Errorf(
			"details for the TXID [%s] not available. Ledger bootstrapped from a snapshot. First available block = [%d]",
			txID, mgr.firstPossibleBlockNumberInBlockFiles(),

View on GitHub (pinned to 2736b63f8f)

Solutions

1. Request only blocks >= the first available block shown in the error
2. Obtain older blocks from another peer that has full history or an archive

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at common/ledger/blkstorage/blockfile_mgr.go:531 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of hyperledger/fabric@2736b63f8f (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4c180265db251b6c. Report an issue: GitHub.