prestodb/presto · error · PrestoException

HIVE_INVALID_METADATA

HIVE_INVALID_METADATA

Error message

Table/partition metadata has 'numBuckets' set, but 'bucketCols' is not set: 

What it means

HiveBucketProperty.fromStorageDescriptor validates bucketing metadata read from the metastore: the StorageDescriptor declares numBuckets but bucketing column names (bucketCols) are absent or empty. This signals inconsistent table/partition metadata in the Hive metastore that Presto refuses to interpret.

Source

Thrown at presto-hive-metastore/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/hive/HiveBucketProperty.java:75

        if (bucketFunctionType.equals(PRESTO_NATIVE)) {
            checkArgument(types.isPresent(), "Types must be present for bucket function type " + bucketFunctionType);
            checkArgument(types.get().size() == bucketedBy.size(), "The sizes of bucketedBy and types should match");
        }
        else {
            checkArgument(!types.isPresent(), "Types not needed for bucket function type " + bucketFunctionType);
        }
    }

    public static Optional<HiveBucketProperty> fromStorageDescriptor(StorageDescriptor storageDescriptor, String tablePartitionName)
    {
        boolean bucketColsSet = storageDescriptor.isSetBucketCols() && !storageDescriptor.getBucketCols().isEmpty();
        boolean numBucketsSet = storageDescriptor.isSetNumBuckets() && storageDescriptor.getNumBuckets() > 0;
        if (!numBucketsSet) {
            // In Hive, a table is considered as not bucketed when its bucketCols is set but its numBucket is not set.
            return Optional.empty();
        }
        if (!bucketColsSet) {
            throw new PrestoException(HIVE_INVALID_METADATA, "Table/partition metadata has 'numBuckets' set, but 'bucketCols' is not set: " + tablePartitionName);
        }
        List<SortingColumn> sortedBy = ImmutableList.of();
        if (storageDescriptor.isSetSortCols()) {
            sortedBy = storageDescriptor.getSortCols().stream()
                    .map(order -> SortingColumn.fromMetastoreApiOrder(order, tablePartitionName))
                    .collect(toImmutableList());
        }
        return Optional.of(new HiveBucketProperty(
                storageDescriptor.getBucketCols(),
                storageDescriptor.getNumBuckets(),
                sortedBy,
                HIVE_COMPATIBLE,
                Optional.empty()));
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public List<String> getBucketedBy()
    {

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

1. Repair the table or partition metadata so bucketCols and numBuckets are consistent (recreate or ALTER the table if needed)
2. Drop and re-add the affected partition with correct bucketing properties
3. Check the tool or pipeline that wrote the metadata for a bug that persists numBuckets without bucketCols

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at presto-hive-metastore/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/hive/HiveBucketProperty.java:75 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/c28174bd92f579f2. Report an issue: GitHub.