prestodb/presto · error · PrestoException

HIVE_TABLE_DROPPED_DURING_QUERY

HIVE_TABLE_DROPPED_DURING_QUERY

Error message

The metastore delete operation failed: 

What it means

executeMetastoreDeleteOperations collects descriptions of every metastore delete operation that failed during commit/rollback; if any deletion failed, a HiveMetastoreError PrestoException is thrown with this message plus the concatenated descriptions, and other failures attached as suppressed exceptions. It signals partial failure of irreversible metastore cleanup.

Source

Thrown at presto-hive-metastore/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/hive/metastore/SemiTransactionalHiveMetastore.java:1774

                    logCleanupFailure(throwable, "failed to rollback: %s", operation.getDescription());
                }
            }
        }

        private void executeMetastoreDeleteOperations()
        {
            List<String> failedDeletionDescriptions = new ArrayList<>();
            List<Throwable> suppressedExceptions = new ArrayList<>();
            boolean anySucceeded = false;
            ErrorCodeSupplier errorCode = HIVE_METASTORE_ERROR;
            for (IrreversibleMetastoreOperation deleteOperation : metastoreDeleteOperations) {
                try {
                    deleteOperation.run();
                    anySucceeded = true;
                }
                catch (Throwable t) {
                    if (metastoreDeleteOperations.size() == 1 && t instanceof TableNotFoundException) {
                        throw new PrestoException(HIVE_TABLE_DROPPED_DURING_QUERY,
                                "The metastore delete operation failed: " + deleteOperation.getDescription());
                    }
                    if (t instanceof PrestoException) {
                        if (((PrestoException) t).getErrorCode().getType() == USER_ERROR) {
                            errorCode = HIVE_METASTORE_USER_ERROR;
                        }
                    }
                    failedDeletionDescriptions.add(deleteOperation.getDescription());
                    // A limit is needed to avoid having a huge exception object. 5 was chosen arbitrarily.
                    if (suppressedExceptions.size() < 5) {
                        suppressedExceptions.add(t);
                    }
                }
            }
            if (!suppressedExceptions.isEmpty()) {
                StringBuilder message = new StringBuilder();
                if (deleteOnly && !anySucceeded) {
                    message.append("The following metastore delete operations failed: ");

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

1. Read the full message and suppressed exceptions to identify which metastore deletes failed
2. Manually clean up leftover partitions/tables in the metastore listed in the failure descriptions
3. Check metastore connectivity/permissions; once resolved, the failed operations may be re-run idempotently

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at presto-hive-metastore/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/hive/metastore/SemiTransactionalHiveMetastore.java:1774 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/8f8bf64b339d9a92. Report an issue: GitHub.