pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleException

GPLoadMeta.GetSQL.NoConnectionDefined

Error message

GPLoadMeta.GetSQL.NoConnectionDefined

What it means

verifyDatabaseConnection(), called from init(), throws a KettleException with key GPLoadMeta.GetSQL.NoConnectionDefined when the step's database meta is null, i.e., no database connection is selected for the target Greenplum/Postgres database.

Solutions

1. Open the GPLoad step and select a valid database connection in the General tab.
2. Recreate or re-import the missing shared database connection in the transformation metadata or repository.
3. Edit the ktr XML to point the connection at an existing connection name.
4. Validate the transformation before scheduling so init() failures surface before runtime.

Example fix

// before (ktr xml)
<connection></connection>
// after
<connection>GreenplumDW</connection>

if (meta.getDatabaseMeta() == null) {
  throw new IllegalStateException("GPLoad step has no database connection selected");
}

try {
  init(smi, sdi);
} catch (KettleException ke) {
  if (ke.getMessage().contains("NoConnectionDefined")) {
    logError("Select a database connection in the GPLoad step", ke);
  }
  throw ke;
}

When it happens

Trigger: init() runs with meta.getDatabaseMeta() == null - the GPLoad step was saved without choosing a connection, or the referenced connection was deleted from the transformation/repository metadata.

Common situations: A partially configured GPLoad step; a shared database connection removed from the environment or repository; a ktr XML referencing a connection that no longer exists; copying steps between transformations without the shared connection.

Understand the failure class

Background: "is required", "must be set", "missing required field": configuration validation errors across open-source libraries — this error's family across 36 libraries.

Related errors

• exceptionMessage
• ColumnExists.Error.TablenameFieldMissing
• Error while closing output
• Error while executing \'" + commandLine + "\'. Exit value =…
• GetSubFolders.Exception.CouldnotFindField

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9cd0dbf2dc63fe13. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at plugins/gpload/core/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/gpload/GPLoad.java:644

        output.writeLine( getInputRowMeta(), r );
      }
      putRow( getInputRowMeta(), r );
      incrementLinesOutput();

    } catch ( KettleException e ) {
      logError( BaseMessages.getString( PKG, "GPLoad.Log.ErrorInStep" ) + e.getMessage() );
      setErrors( 1 );
      stopAll();
      setOutputDone(); // signal end to receiver(s)
      return false;
    }

    return true;
  }

  protected void verifyDatabaseConnection() throws KettleException {
    if ( meta.getDatabaseMeta() == null ) {
      throw new KettleException( BaseMessages.getString( PKG, "GPLoadMeta.GetSQL.NoConnectionDefined" ) );
    }
  }

  public boolean init( StepMetaInterface smi, StepDataInterface sdi ) {
    meta = (GPLoadMeta) smi;
    data = (GPLoadData) sdi;

    Trans trans = getTrans();
    preview = trans.isPreview();

    if ( super.init( smi, sdi ) ) {

      try {
        verifyDatabaseConnection();
      } catch ( KettleException ex ) {
        logError( ex.getMessage() );
        return false;
      }

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