pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleException

JobJob.Exception.MissingJobFileName

Error message

JobJob.Exception.MissingJobFileName

What it means

Thrown by MetaFileLoaderImpl.getMetaFromRepository when a job is configured to load from a repository but the meta path (repository path + job name) is blank or null. This is the JobMeta branch of the same blank-metaPath check that produces error 615, using the JobJob 'missing job file name' message. Reached via getMetaForEntry.

Solutions

1. Set the job's repository path (metaPath, e.g. '/home/admin/myJob') on the job entry meta before execution.
2. Define any variables used in the path (run configuration, job parameters, kettle.properties) so substitution produces a non-empty value.
3. If the job should load from a file, switch specificationMethod to FILENAME and provide a valid .kjb path.
4. Validate with StringUtils.isBlank(metaPath) in calling code before invoking the loader and report a clearer message.

Example fix

// before
jobEntry.setSpecificationMethod(REPOSITORY_BY_NAME); // path left empty
loader.getMetaForEntry(bowl, rep, metaStore, space);

// after
jobEntry.setSpecificationMethod(REPOSITORY_BY_NAME);
jobEntry.setJobName("myJob");
jobEntry.setDirectory("/home/admin"); // metaPath = "/home/admin/myJob"
loader.getMetaForEntry(bowl, rep, metaStore, space);

// Java caller, before invoking the loader
if (StringUtils.isBlank(jobEntry.getMetaPath())) {
  throw new IllegalArgumentException(
    "Job repository path is blank; set the /dir/name path for the child job");
}

boolean hasRepositoryPath(JobExecutorMeta m) {
  return m != null && StringUtils.isNotBlank(m.getDirectory() + m.getJobName());
}

try {
  T meta = loader.getMetaForEntry(bowl, rep, metaStore, space);
} catch (KettleException e) {
  if (String.valueOf(e.getMessage()).contains("MissingJobFileName")) {
    throw new ConfigurationException("Child job path not configured: " + entryName, e);
  }
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling getMetaForEntry/getMetaFromRepository for a JobMeta with specificationMethod=REPOSITORY_BY_NAME while metaPath is null/blank — e.g. the job entry's repository path field is empty, or a ${VARIABLE} in the path resolved to empty during environmentSubstitute.

Common situations: Job executor entries pointing at the repository with the 'Job' path left blank; unset environment variables yielding an empty path after substitution; migrated metadata missing the repository reference; programmatic use of the loader API without setting metaName/directory.

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required argument" and "the following required arguments were not provided": what required-argument errors mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

• JobTrans.Exception.MissingTransFileName
• ColumnExistsMeta.Exception.UnableToSaveStepInfo
• ColumnExistsMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorReadingStepInfo
• CreditCardValidatorMeta.Exception.UnexpectedErrorReadingStepInfo
• CreditCardValidatorMeta.Exception.UnableToSaveStepInfo

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1fe0a752970f431d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at engine/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/base/MetaFileLoaderImpl.java:376

    return realFilename;
  }

  boolean hasUnresolvedFilenamePlaceholders( String filename ) {
    return filename != null && ( filename.contains( "${" ) || filename.contains( "%%" ) );
  }

  private T getMetaFromRepository( Bowl bowl, Repository rep, CurrentDirectoryResolver r, String metaPath, VariableSpace tmpSpace )
    throws KettleException {
    String realName = "";
    String realDirectory = "/";

    if ( StringUtils.isBlank( metaPath ) ) {
      if ( isTransMeta() ) {
        throw new KettleException(
          BaseMessages.getString( persistentClass, "JobTrans.Exception.MissingTransFileName" ) );
      } else {
        throw new KettleException(
          BaseMessages.getString( persistentClass, "JobJob.Exception.MissingJobFileName" ) );
      }
    }

    int index = metaPath.lastIndexOf( RepositoryFile.SEPARATOR );
    if ( index != -1 ) {
      realName = metaPath.substring( index + 1 );
      realDirectory = index == 0 ? RepositoryFile.SEPARATOR : metaPath.substring( 0, index );
    }
    realDirectory = r.normalizeSlashes( realDirectory );

    RepositoryDirectoryInterface repositoryDirectory = rep.loadRepositoryDirectoryTree().findDirectory( realDirectory );
    if ( repositoryDirectory == null ) {
      throw new KettleException( "Unable to find repository directory [" + Const.NVL( realDirectory, "" ) + "]" );
    }

    T theMeta = null;
    if ( isTransMeta() ) {

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