pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleXMLException

LDAPInputMeta.UnableToLoadFromXML

LDAPInputMeta.UnableToLoadFromXML

Error message

LDAPInputMeta.UnableToLoadFromXML

What it means

LDAPInputMeta.readData(), called from loadXML(), wraps any exception while deserializing the step configuration from the transformation XML into KettleXMLException. It means the <step> node for LDAP Input could not be parsed — a tag was malformed or unexpected. Used when a user opens a .ktr file in Spoon.

Solutions

1. Open the .ktr in a text editor and validate the XML around the LDAP Input <step> block; fix malformed tags.
2. Open the transformation in the same (or newer) PDI version that created it.
3. Restore the ktr from version control or backup and re-apply changes carefully.
4. Delete and re-create the LDAP Input step if only that step's XML is corrupt.

Example fix

// before (malformed tag)
<trustAllCertificate>Y</trustAllCertificate>
// after
<trustAllCertificates>Y</trustAllCertificates>

// before loading the ktr
try { DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance().newDocumentBuilder().parse(new File(ktrPath)); } catch (SAXException e) { throw new IllegalStateException("ktr XML is malformed: " + e.getMessage()); }

try { meta.loadXML(stepnode, databases, metaStore); } catch (KettleXMLException e) { logError("Failed to load LDAP Input step XML: " + e.getCause().getMessage(), e); }

When it happens

Trigger: loadXML(stepnode, databases, metaStore) encounters an XMLHandler.getTagValue() failure or malformed structure inside the stepnode; e.g. hand-edited ktr, truncated file, or XML written by a newer PDI version with incompatible tags.

Common situations: Opening a transformation created in a newer Pentaho version in an older one, corrupted ktr after bad merge/transfer, manual edits that broke the step XML block.

Related errors

• GetTableNamesMeta.Exception.UnableToReadStepInfo
• GPBulkLoaderMeta.Exception.UnableToReadStepInfoFromXML
• GPLoadMeta.Exception.UnableToReadStepInfoFromXML
• JobEntryMailValidator.Meta.UnableToLoadFromXML
• MappingMeta.Exception.ErrorLoadingTransformationStepFromXML

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/45371d81cc69cc40. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at plugins/ldap/impl/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/ldapinput/LDAPInputMeta.java:668

      multiValuedSeparator = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "multivaluedseparator" );
      dynamicSearch = "Y".equalsIgnoreCase( XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "dynamicsearch" ) );
      dynamicSeachFieldName = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "dynamicseachfieldname" );
      dynamicFilter = "Y".equalsIgnoreCase( XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "dynamicfilter" ) );
      dynamicFilterFieldName = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "dynamicfilterfieldname" );
      searchScope =
        getSearchScopeByCode( Const.NVL(
          XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "searchScope" ),
          getSearchScopeCode( LDAPConnection.SEARCH_SCOPE_SUBTREE_SCOPE ) ) );

      protocol = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "protocol" );
      trustStorePath = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "trustStorePath" );
      trustStorePassword =
        Encr.decryptPasswordOptionallyEncrypted( XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "trustStorePassword" ) );
      trustAllCertificates = "Y".equalsIgnoreCase( XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "trustAllCertificates" ) );
      useCertificate = "Y".equalsIgnoreCase( XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "useCertificate" ) );

    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      throw new KettleXMLException( BaseMessages.getString( PKG, "LDAPInputMeta.UnableToLoadFromXML" ), e );
    }
  }

  private static int getSearchScopeByCode( String tt ) {
    if ( tt == null ) {
      return 0;
    }

    for ( int i = 0; i < searchScopeCode.length; i++ ) {
      if ( searchScopeCode[i].equalsIgnoreCase( tt ) ) {
        return i;
      }
    }
    return 0;
  }

  public void allocate( int nrfields ) {

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