prestodb/presto · critical · PrestoException

GENERIC_INTERNAL_ERROR

GENERIC_INTERNAL_ERROR

Error message

Distribution for dynamic system table must be ${SINGLE_COORDINATOR}

What it means

MetadataBasedSystemTablesProvider.getSystemTable enforces that any dynamic system table it returns uses SINGLE_COORDINATOR distribution, because dynamic tables need access to the coordinator's transaction context and can therefore only execute on the current coordinator. A table whose distribution differs indicates an internal/connector bug, so GENERIC_INTERNAL_ERROR (not a user error) is thrown.

Source

Thrown at presto-main-base/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/connector/system/MetadataBasedSystemTablesProvider.java:60

        this.catalogName = requireNonNull(catalogName, "catalogName is null");
    }

    @Override
    public Set<SystemTable> listSystemTables(ConnectorSession session)
    {
        return ImmutableSet.of();
    }

    @Override
    public Optional<SystemTable> getSystemTable(ConnectorSession session, SchemaTableName tableName)
    {
        Optional<SystemTable> systemTable = metadata.getSystemTable(
                ((FullConnectorSession) session).getSession(),
                new QualifiedObjectName(catalogName, tableName.getSchemaName(), tableName.getTableName()));

        // dynamic system tables require access to the transaction and thus can only run on the current coordinator
        if (systemTable.isPresent() && systemTable.get().getDistribution() != SINGLE_COORDINATOR) {
            throw new PrestoException(GENERIC_INTERNAL_ERROR, "Distribution for dynamic system table must be " + SINGLE_COORDINATOR);
        }

        return systemTable;
    }
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

1. Fix the connector: return SystemTable.Distribution.SINGLE_COORDINATOR from the dynamic system table's getDistribution().
2. Update the connector plugin to a version compatible with the running Presto server.
3. If you own neither, report the bug to the connector maintainer with the table name; this is not fixable from the query side.

Example fix

// before
@Override
public Distribution getDistribution() {
    return Distribution.CONNECTOR_TO_DISTRIBUTED_NODES;
}
// after
@Override
public Distribution getDistribution() {
    return Distribution.SINGLE_COORDINATOR;
}

if (systemTable.getDistribution() != SystemTable.Distribution.SINGLE_COORDINATOR) {
    throw new IllegalStateException("Dynamic system table must use SINGLE_COORDINATOR distribution");
}

try { tables = readSystemTable(...); }
catch (PrestoException e) { if (e.getErrorCode() == StandardErrorCode.GENERIC_INTERNAL_ERROR.toErrorCode()) { reportConnectorBug(tableName); } throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: A connector registers a dynamic SystemTable whose getDistribution() returns something other than SystemTable.Distribution.SINGLE_COORDINATOR, and a query or procedure reads that system table via the metadata-based provider.

Common situations: Third-party or custom connectors implementing a dynamic system table with CONNECTOR_TO_DISTRIBUTED_NODES distribution; connector version mismatches where a table was updated without updating distribution; Presto engine changes tightening the invariant while a connector lags.

Related errors

• GENERIC_INTERNAL_ERROR
• FUNCTION_IMPLEMENTATION_ERROR
• Unsupported java type %s
• CLICKHOUSE_QUERY_GENERATOR_FAILURE
• KdbTree type cannot be serialized

AI-assisted analysis of prestodb/presto@55bb57d202 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6ae41246d7e76b6a. Report an issue: GitHub.