pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleException

LoadFileInputMeta.Exception.ErrorSavingToRepository

LoadFileInputMeta.Exception.ErrorSavingToRepository

Error message

Unable to save step information to the repository for id_step={0}

What it means

Thrown from LoadFileInputMeta.saveRep when persisting the step's settings back to the Kettle repository. Any Exception from rep.saveStepAttribute(...) is wrapped in a KettleException with message key LoadFileInputMeta.Exception.ErrorSavingToRepository, formatted with the failing id_step. It indicates the metadata write to the repository failed.

Solutions

Check the wrapped cause (usually SQLException) — verify repository DB is writable, reachable, and not out of space.
Confirm you are not saving to a read-only replica or a file repository opened without write permissions.
Refresh the transformation from the repository and re-apply the change to resolve stale/conflicting versions.
As a workaround, export the transformation to .ktr XML locally, fix the repository issue, then re-import.

Example fix

// before
// saving to read-only DB replica -> KettleException id_step=123
// after
// point repository connection at the primary (writable) DB node, then save again

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

// Before saving, confirm the repository connection is writable:
if (!repo.isConnected()) repo.connect(...);
// optionally: attempt a no-op save on a scratch object to verify write access

Try / catch

try {
  transMeta.saveRep(repo, metaStore, transMeta.getObjectId() /* ... */);
} catch (KettleException e) {
  if (e.getMessage().contains("ErrorSavingToRepository")) {
    log.error("Repository write failed for step: " + e.getCause(), e);
    // export to .ktr locally so no work is lost, fix repo, retry
  } else { throw e; }
}

Prevention

Ensure the repository points to a writable primary, not a read-only replica.
Watch DB disk space and connection pools on the repository server.
Avoid concurrent edits of the same transformation by multiple users.
Save to XML first when repository health is uncertain.

When it happens

Trigger: Clicking Save on a transformation in a repository-backed setup while the repository DB is read-only, out of space, disconnected, or a unique/foreign key constraint fails on r_step_attribute inserts; also concurrent modification of the same transformation by two users.

Common situations: Repository database read-only replica; disk full on the DB server; locked transformation (another user holding it); repository connection timeout during save.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/74856c3b0bcd343d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at engine/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/loadfileinput/LoadFileInputMeta.java:978

        rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, i, FIELD_LENGTH_REP, field.getLength() );
        rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, i, FIELD_PRECISION_REP, field.getPrecision() );
        rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, i, FIELD_TRIM_TYPE_REP, field.getTrimTypeCode() );
        rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, i, FIELD_REPEAT_REP, field.isRepeated() );
      }
      rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, IS_IN_FIELDS, fileInField );

      rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, DYNAMIC_FILENAME_FIELD, dynamicFilenameField );
      rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, SHORT_FILE_FIELD_NAME, shortFileFieldName );
      rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, PATH_FIELD_NAME, pathFieldName );
      rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, HIDDEN_FIELD_NAME, hiddenFieldName );
      rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, LAST_MODIFICATION_TIME_FIELD_NAME,
          lastModificationTimeFieldName );
      rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, URI_NAME_FIELD_NAME, uriNameFieldName );
      rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, ROOT_URI_NAME_FIELD_NAME, rootUriNameFieldName );
      rep.saveStepAttribute( idTransformation, idStep, EXTENSION_FIELD_NAME, extensionFieldName );

    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      throw new KettleException( BaseMessages.getString( PKG, "LoadFileInputMeta.Exception.ErrorSavingToRepository", ""
          + idStep ), e );
    }
  }

  public FileInputList getFiles( Bowl bowl, VariableSpace space ) {
    return FileInputList.createFileList( bowl, space, fileName, fileMask, excludeFileMask, fileRequired,
        includeSubFolderBoolean() );
  }

  private boolean[] includeSubFolderBoolean() {
    int len = fileName.length;
    boolean[] includeSubFolderBoolean = new boolean[len];
    for ( int i = 0; i < len; i++ ) {
      includeSubFolderBoolean[i] = YES.equalsIgnoreCase( includeSubFolders[i] );
    }
    return includeSubFolderBoolean;
  }

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