pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleStepException

GetSequence.Exception.CouldNotFindNextValueForSequence

Error message

GetSequence.Exception.CouldNotFindNextValueForSequence

What it means

GetSlaveSequence.addSequence throws KettleStepException with 'CouldNotFindNextValueForSequence' when it cannot obtain the next value from the slave server's named sequence. The step asks a remote slave server for the next sequence value; if the slave server is unknown, unreachable, or the sequence name is missing/invalid, no value can be produced and the step aborts the row. The target field name is appended to the message for diagnostics.

Solutions

Verify the slave server named in the step exists and is reachable (Tools > Slave servers / cluster schema).
Confirm the sequence name is created/registered on the slave server.
Check the increment value configured in the step is a positive number.
Run the transformation on the master with the cluster enabled so the slave dispatcher is initialized.

Example fix

// before: step references stale slave
slaveServerName = "old-slave"; // removed from config
// after: point to a defined, reachable slave
slaveServerName = "slave-1"; // exists in cluster schema

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Before running the transformation, verify slave + sequence config
GetSlaveSequenceMeta m = (GetSlaveSequenceMeta) stepMeta.getStepMetaInterface();
if ( m.getSlaveServerName() == null || m.getSlaveServerName().isEmpty() )
  throw new IllegalStateException( "Get slave sequence step has no slave server configured" );
if ( m.getSequenceName() == null || m.getSequenceName().isEmpty() )
  throw new IllegalStateException( "Get slave sequence step has no sequence name configured" );

Try / catch

try {
  trans.execute( null );
} catch ( KettleException e ) {
  if ( e.getMessage() != null && e.getMessage().contains( "CouldNotFindNextValueForSequence" ) ) {
    // check slave server availability and sequence existence, then re-run
  } else throw e;
}

Prevention

Define all slave servers in the cluster schema and health-check them before runs
Create the named sequence on every slave before deploying the transformation
Keep sequence names in variables/parameters validated at job level
Test clustered transformations with a single row before production runs

When it happens

Trigger: processRow -> addSequence calls meta.getSlaveServerName()/sequence lookup and the returned next value is null/unavailable; slave server not defined in the cluster run configuration; sequence name does not exist on the slave.

Common situations: Running a clustered transformation where the slave server was removed or renamed; typo in the sequence name; slave's sequence service not running; using the step in a non-clustered run where no slave is available.

Understand the failure class

Background: 'Could not be found', 'does not exist', 'not found in database': the resource-not-found family when an ID, slug, key, or URI lookup comes back empty — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e86ec62242a6b69e. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at engine/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/getslavesequence/GetSlaveSequence.java:71

    if ( data.value >= ( data.startValue + data.increment ) ) {
      // Get a new value from the service...
      //
      data.startValue = data.slaveServer.getNextSlaveSequenceValue( data.sequenceName, data.increment );
      data.value = data.startValue;
    }

    next = Long.valueOf( data.value );
    data.value++;

    if ( next != null ) {
      Object[] outputRowData = inputRowData;
      if ( inputRowData.length < inputRowMeta.size() + 1 ) {
        outputRowData = RowDataUtil.resizeArray( inputRowData, inputRowMeta.size() + 1 );
      }
      outputRowData[inputRowMeta.size()] = next;
      return outputRowData;
    } else {
      throw new KettleStepException( BaseMessages.getString(
        PKG, "GetSequence.Exception.CouldNotFindNextValueForSequence" )
        + meta.getValuename() );
    }
  }

  public boolean processRow( StepMetaInterface smi, StepDataInterface sdi ) throws KettleException {
    meta = (GetSlaveSequenceMeta) smi;
    data = (GetSlaveSequenceData) sdi;

    Object[] r = getRow(); // Get row from input rowset & set row busy!
    if ( r == null ) { // no more input to be expected...

      setOutputDone();
      return false;
    }

    if ( first ) {
      first = false;

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