prestodb/presto · error · SemanticException

NOT_SUPPORTED

NOT_SUPPORTED

Error message

'%s' is a materialized view, and create branch is not supported

What it means

CREATE BRANCH was issued against a materialized view, which Presto does not support branching. The task resolves the target name via metadata.getMetadataResolver(session).getMaterializedView(tableName); if a materialized view definition exists there, it throws SemanticException NOT_SUPPORTED.

Source

Thrown at presto-main-base/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/execution/CreateBranchTask.java:77

    @Override
    public String getName()
    {
        return "CREATE BRANCH";
    }

    @Override
    public ListenableFuture<?> execute(CreateBranch statement, TransactionManager transactionManager, Metadata metadata, AccessControl accessControl, Session session, List<Expression> parameters, WarningCollector warningCollector, String query)
    {
        QualifiedObjectName tableName = createQualifiedObjectName(session, statement, statement.getTableName(), metadata);
        Optional<TableHandle> tableHandleOptional = metadata.getMetadataResolver(session).getTableHandle(tableName);

        if (statement.isTableExists() && !tableHandleOptional.isPresent()) {
            return immediateFuture(null);
        }

        Optional<MaterializedViewDefinition> optionalMaterializedView = metadata.getMetadataResolver(session).getMaterializedView(tableName);
        if (optionalMaterializedView.isPresent()) {
            throw new SemanticException(NOT_SUPPORTED, statement, "'%s' is a materialized view, and create branch is not supported", tableName);
        }

        getConnectorIdOrThrow(session, metadata, tableName.getCatalogName());
        accessControl.checkCanCreateBranch(session.getRequiredTransactionId(), session.getIdentity(), session.getAccessControlContext(), tableName);

        if (statement.isReplace() && statement.isIfNotExists()) {
            throw new SemanticException(NOT_SUPPORTED, statement,
                    "Cannot specify both OR REPLACE and IF NOT EXISTS in CREATE BRANCH statement");
        }

        Optional<ConnectorTableVersion> tableVersion = Optional.empty();

        if (statement.getTableVersion().isPresent()) {
            TableVersionExpression tableVersionExpr = statement.getTableVersion().get();
            Expression stateExpr = tableVersionExpr.getStateExpression();
            TableVersionExpression.TableVersionType tableVersionType = tableVersionExpr.getTableVersionType();
            TableVersionExpression.TableVersionOperator tableVersionOperator = tableVersionExpr.getTableVersionOperator();

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

Issue CREATE BRANCH against a base table, not a materialized view
If a branch of the view's source is needed, branch the underlying table instead
List relations and confirm the type first (SHOW TABLES / system metadata) to avoid targeting a materialized view
Adjust automation to skip materialized-view entries when generating CREATE BRANCH statements

Example fix

// before
CREATE BRANCH mv_audit_2024 FROM reporting.mv_daily_sales;
// after
CREATE BRANCH audit_2024 FROM reporting.fact_sales; -- base table, not the materialized view

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// before CREATE BRANCH, confirm target is a table
boolean isMatView = metadataResolver.getMaterializedView(tableName).isPresent();
if (isMatView) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot branch materialized view: " + tableName);

Prevention

Filter materialized views out of automated branch-creation pipelines
Check relation type via metadata before branching
Document that branching applies to tables only in your tooling

When it happens

Trigger: Executing CREATE BRANCH <name> where the target qualified object name refers to a materialized view rather than a table; passing a materialized view name by mistake in migration or snapshotting scripts.

Common situations: Automation that snapshots 'all tables' but enumerates materialized views too; users assuming branches work on any relation in branch-capable catalogs (e.g. lakehouse connectors); renamed tables replaced by materialized views keeping the same name.

Understand the failure class

Background: Presto NOT_SUPPORTED error: what "not supported" means and how to fix it — this error's family across 3 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of prestodb/presto@55bb57d202 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/39d26bd34b98c24d. Report an issue: GitHub.