prestodb/presto · error · PrestoException

HIVE_METASTORE_ERROR

HIVE_METASTORE_ERROR

Error message

Database can not be created with a location set

What it means

FileHiveMetastore (file-based metastore backed by files on HDFS/local FS) rejects createDatabase calls when the Database object carries an explicit location, because database directories are derived deterministically via getDatabaseMetadataDirectory. Allowing arbitrary locations would break the metastore's layout invariants, so it throws HIVE_METASTORE_ERROR.

Source

Thrown at presto-hive-metastore/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/hive/metastore/file/FileHiveMetastore.java:179

    {
        this.hdfsEnvironment = requireNonNull(hdfsEnvironment, "hdfsEnvironment is null");
        this.catalogDirectory = new Path(requireNonNull(catalogDirectory, "baseDirectory is null"));
        this.hdfsContext = new HdfsContext(new ConnectorIdentity(metastoreUser, Optional.empty(), Optional.empty()));
        try {
            metadataFileSystem = hdfsEnvironment.getFileSystem(hdfsContext, this.catalogDirectory);
        }
        catch (IOException e) {
            throw new PrestoException(HIVE_METASTORE_ERROR, e);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public synchronized void createDatabase(MetastoreContext metastoreContext, Database database)
    {
        requireNonNull(database, "database is null");

        if (database.getLocation().isPresent()) {
            throw new PrestoException(HIVE_METASTORE_ERROR, "Database can not be created with a location set");
        }

        verifyDatabaseNotExists(metastoreContext, database.getDatabaseName());

        Path databaseMetadataDirectory = getDatabaseMetadataDirectory(database.getDatabaseName());
        writeSchemaFile("database", databaseMetadataDirectory, databaseCodec, new DatabaseMetadata(database), false);
    }

    @Override
    public synchronized void dropDatabase(MetastoreContext metastoreContext, String databaseName)
    {
        requireNonNull(databaseName, "databaseName is null");

        getRequiredDatabase(metastoreContext, databaseName);
        if (!getAllTables(metastoreContext, databaseName).orElse(ImmutableList.of()).isEmpty()) {
            throw new PrestoException(HIVE_METASTORE_ERROR, "Database " + databaseName + " is not empty");
        }

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

1. Remove the location property from the CREATE SCHEMA statement when using the file metastore
2. Switch the catalog to a Thrift or Glue metastore if custom database locations are required
3. Create the database without location and place data under table-level locations instead
4. Update deployment scripts/templates to omit location for file-metastore catalogs

Example fix

// before
CREATE SCHEMA web WITH (location = 'hdfs:///warehouse/web');
// after (file metastore)
CREATE SCHEMA web;

// Before createDatabase on a file metastore
if (database.getLocation().isPresent()) {
    // strip location or use a different metastore implementation
    database = Database.builder(database).setLocation(Optional.empty()).build();
}

boolean isFileMetastoreCompatible(Database db) {
    return db.getLocation().isEmpty();
}

try {
    metastore.createDatabase(metastoreContext, database);
} catch (PrestoException e) {
    if (e.getErrorCode().getName().equals("HIVE_METASTORE_ERROR")) {
        // retry without location, or switch to thrift/glue metastore
    }
    throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling metastore.createDatabase(metastoreContext, database) where database.getLocation().isPresent() — e.g. CREATE SCHEMA ... WITH (location = '...') against a connector configured with hive.metastore=file.

Common situations: Users applying Hive-metastore-style CREATE SCHEMA WITH (location=...) syntax against a file-based metastore; deployment tooling that always sets a location property; switching a catalog from Thrift/Hive metastore to file metastore without removing location clauses.

Related errors

• HIVE_DATABASE_LOCATION_ERROR
• NOT_SUPPORTED
• Table not found: ${databaseName}.${tableName}
• Table not found
• Constraint not found

AI-assisted analysis of prestodb/presto@55bb57d202 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fbb637144be18704. Report an issue: GitHub.