prestodb/presto · error · PrestoException

HIVE_INVALID_METADATA

HIVE_INVALID_METADATA

Error message

Table is missing storage descriptor

What it means

fromMetastoreApiTable converts a raw Thrift metastore Table into Presto's Table model and requires a non-null StorageDescriptor; the incoming metastore object lacks one, which is invalid metadata, so this guard fires to prevent building a table without column/location information.

Source

Thrown at presto-hive-metastore/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/hive/metastore/thrift/ThriftMetastoreUtil.java:413

        if (parameters == null) {
            parameters = ImmutableMap.of();
        }

        return Database.builder()
                .setDatabaseName(database.getName())
                .setLocation(Optional.ofNullable(database.getLocationUri()))
                .setOwnerName(ownerName)
                .setOwnerType(ownerType)
                .setComment(Optional.ofNullable(database.getDescription()))
                .setParameters(parameters)
                .build();
    }

    public static Table fromMetastoreApiTable(org.apache.hadoop.hive.metastore.api.Table table, ColumnConverter columnConverter)
    {
        StorageDescriptor storageDescriptor = table.getSd();
        if (storageDescriptor == null) {
            throw new PrestoException(HIVE_INVALID_METADATA, "Table is missing storage descriptor");
        }
        return fromMetastoreApiTable(table, storageDescriptor.getCols(), columnConverter);
    }

    public static Table fromMetastoreApiTable(org.apache.hadoop.hive.metastore.api.Table table, List<FieldSchema> schema, ColumnConverter columnConverter)
    {
        StorageDescriptor storageDescriptor = table.getSd();
        if (storageDescriptor == null) {
            throw new PrestoException(HIVE_INVALID_METADATA, "Table is missing storage descriptor");
        }

        // TODO: remove the table type change after Hive 3.0 update.
        // Materialized view fetched from Hive Metastore uses TableType.MANAGED_TABLE before Hive 3.0. Cast it back to MATERIALIZED_VIEW here.
        PrestoTableType tableType = PrestoTableType.optionalValueOf(table.getTableType()).orElse(OTHER);
        if (table.getParameters() != null && "true".equals(table.getParameters().get(PRESTO_MATERIALIZED_VIEW_FLAG))) {
            checkState(
                    TableType.MANAGED_TABLE.name().equals(table.getTableType()),
                    "Materialized view %s has incorrect table type %s from Metastore.", table.getTableName(), table.getTableType());

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

1. Repair the table metadata in the Hive metastore so it has a StorageDescriptor (e.g. recreate the table)
2. Investigate the client or export tool that produced a Table message without a storage descriptor

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at presto-hive-metastore/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/hive/metastore/thrift/ThriftMetastoreUtil.java:413 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of prestodb/presto@55bb57d202 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/84f96269daec4929. Report an issue: GitHub.