pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleException

DelayMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorSavingStepInfo

DelayMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorSavingStepInfo

Error message

DelayMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorSavingStepInfo

What it means

DelayMeta.saveRep writes the Delay step's timeout and scaletime via rep.saveStepAttribute. Any repository exception is wrapped in a KettleException with 'DelayMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorSavingStepInfo'. It means the Delay step's metadata could not be persisted to the repository.

Solutions

1. Check repository connectivity, reconnect, and retry the save.
2. Read the wrapped cause exception for the exact repository/SQL failure.
3. Verify write permissions for the repository user.
4. Save the transformation as a local XML file to avoid losing changes, then re-save to the repository once fixed.

Example fix

// before
transMeta.saveRep(rep, metaStore, transId, null);
// after: verify save and fall back to local file
try {
  transMeta.saveRep(rep, metaStore, transId, null);
} catch (KettleException e) {
  logError("Repo save failed: " + e.getCause().getMessage(), e);
  transMeta.setFilename("/backup/delay-transform.ktr");
  transMeta.saveXml();
}

if (rep == null || !rep.isConnected()) { throw new KettleException("Repository not connected; cannot save Delay step"); }

try { delayMeta.saveRep(rep, metaStore, transId, stepId); } catch (KettleException e) { logError("Delay saveRep failed: " + e.getCause().getMessage(), e); transMeta.setFilename("/backup/transform.ktr"); transMeta.saveXml(); }

When it happens

Trigger: saveRep while rep.saveStepAttribute throws: repository connection lost, write permission denied, DB constraint/storage failure, or value rejected by repository storage.

Common situations: Saving a transformation over an unstable VPN/database link; repository user with read-only rights; repository tablespace full; schema drift after PDI upgrade.

Related errors

• CubeInputMeta.Exception.UnableToSaveStepInfo
• CubeOutputMeta.Exception.UnableToSaveStepInfo
• CubeOutputMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorInReadingStepInfo
• DelayMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorReadingStepInfo
• DenormaliserMeta.Exception.UnableToSaveStepInfo

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7610cbc9f00ff1f4. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at plugins/core/impl/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/delay/DelayMeta.java:169

    try {
      timeout = rep.getStepAttributeString( id_step, "timeout" );
      scaletime = rep.getStepAttributeString( id_step, "scaletime" );
      // set all unknown values to seconds
      setScaleTimeCode( getScaleTimeCode() ); // compatibility reasons for transformations before 3.1.1, see PDI-1850,
                                              // PDI-1532
    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      throw new KettleException( BaseMessages
        .getString( PKG, "DelayMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorReadingStepInfo" ), e );
    }
  }

  public void saveRep( Repository rep, IMetaStore metaStore, ObjectId id_transformation, ObjectId id_step ) throws KettleException {
    try {
      rep.saveStepAttribute( id_transformation, id_step, "timeout", timeout );
      rep.saveStepAttribute( id_transformation, id_step, "scaletime", scaletime );

    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      throw new KettleException(
        BaseMessages.getString( PKG, "DelayMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorSavingStepInfo" ), e );
    }
  }

  @Override
  public void getFields( Bowl bowl, RowMetaInterface rowMeta, String origin, RowMetaInterface[] info, StepMeta nextStep,
    VariableSpace space, Repository repository, IMetaStore metaStore ) throws KettleStepException {
  }

  public void check( List<CheckResultInterface> remarks, TransMeta transMeta, StepMeta stepMeta,
    RowMetaInterface prev, String[] input, String[] output, RowMetaInterface info, VariableSpace space,
    Repository repository, IMetaStore metaStore ) {
    CheckResult cr;
    String error_message = "";

    if ( Utils.isEmpty( timeout ) ) {
      error_message = BaseMessages.getString( PKG, "DelayMeta.CheckResult.TimeOutMissing" );
      cr = new CheckResult( CheckResultInterface.TYPE_RESULT_ERROR, error_message, stepMeta );

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