pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleStepException

CubeInputMeta.Exception.ErrorOpeningOrReadingCubeFile

CubeInputMeta.Exception.ErrorOpeningOrReadingCubeFile

Error message

CubeInputMeta.Exception.ErrorOpeningOrReadingCubeFile

What it means

CubeInputMeta.getFields() opens the cube file and reads its row metadata; an IOException during opening or reading is wrapped in this KettleStepException, indicating an I/O problem with the cube file.

Solutions

Check the file exists and is readable at the configured absolute path.
Fix permissions (chmod/chown) on the file and its directories.
Use environment variables like ${Internal.Transformation.Filename.Directory} to build reliable paths.
Confirm the step's filename field is not empty.

Example fix

// before
meta.setFilename( "data.cube" );
// after
meta.setFilename( "/opt/pdi/files/data.cube" );

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

java.io.File f = new java.io.File( meta.getFilename() );
if ( !f.isFile() || !f.canRead() ) throw new IllegalStateException( "Cube file missing/unreadable: " + f );

Try / catch

try {
  meta.getFields( row, name, null, null, null, metaStore );
} catch ( KettleStepException e ) {
  logError( "Check cube file path and permissions: " + e.getMessage(), e );
}

Prevention

Use absolute paths or PDI internal path variables.
Check file existence with File.exists()/canRead() before execution.
Ensure the runtime user has read permission on the file.

When it happens

Trigger: getFields attempts new FileInputStream/DataInputStream on the configured filename and the file is missing, unreadable, or a directory — IOException is thrown.

Common situations: Wrong or relative path; file deleted or moved after configuration; insufficient OS permissions; running on a node where the file doesn't exist.

Understand the failure class

Background: "open() failed", "failed to open file", "cannot create file" — what a file open error means and how to fix it — this error's family across 42 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9b45e870695796eb. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at plugins/core/impl/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/cubeinput/CubeInputMeta.java:174

                                   VariableSpace space, Repository repository,
                                   IMetaStore metaStore ) throws KettleStepException {
    GZIPInputStream fis = null;
    DataInputStream dis = null;
    try {
      InputStream is = KettleVFS.getInstance( bowl ).getInputStream( space.environmentSubstitute( filename ), space );
      fis = new GZIPInputStream( is );
      dis = new DataInputStream( fis );

      RowMetaInterface add = new RowMeta( dis );
      for ( int i = 0; i < add.size(); i++ ) {
        add.getValueMeta( i ).setOrigin( name );
      }
      r.mergeRowMeta( add );
    } catch ( KettleFileException kfe ) {
      throw new KettleStepException(
        BaseMessages.getString( PKG, "CubeInputMeta.Exception.UnableToReadMetaData" ), kfe );
    } catch ( IOException e ) {
      throw new KettleStepException( BaseMessages.getString(
        PKG, "CubeInputMeta.Exception.ErrorOpeningOrReadingCubeFile" ), e );
    } finally {
      try {
        if ( fis != null ) {
          fis.close();
        }
        if ( dis != null ) {
          dis.close();
        }
      } catch ( IOException ioe ) {
        throw new KettleStepException( BaseMessages.getString(
          PKG, "CubeInputMeta.Exception.UnableToCloseCubeFile" ), ioe );
      }
    }
  }

  @Override public String getXML() {
    StringBuilder retval = new StringBuilder( 300 );

View on GitHub (pinned to f3058517a1)