risingwavelabs/risingwave · error · SinkError::Config

auth.method=key_pair_file requires `private_key_file`

Error message

auth.method=key_pair_file requires `private_key_file`

What it means

`auth.method = 'key_pair_file'` loads the RSA private key from a local file path given by `private_key_file`. from_btreemap requires that option when this method is selected and fails at sink creation otherwise.

Solutions

1. Add `private_key_file = '/path/to/private_key.p8'` to the WITH options
2. Or set `private_key_pem` and use `auth.method = 'key_pair_object'` if the key is inline
3. Drop the explicit auth.method to rely on automatic auth detection

Example fix

// before
WITH (connector='snowflake', auth.method='key_pair_file', user='u');
// after
WITH (connector='snowflake', auth.method='key_pair_file', user='u', private_key_file='/keys/rsa.p8');

if auth_method == "key_pair_file" && !options.contains_key("private_key_file") {
    return Err("auth.method=key_pair_file requires private_key_file");
}

When it happens

Trigger: CREATE SINK with `auth.method = 'key_pair_file'` but no `private_key_file` in the WITH options.

Common situations: Switching auth.method to key_pair_file while credentials were previously supplied as an inline PEM; option renamed or dropped when parameterizing the DDL.

Understand the failure class

Background: "is required", "must be set", "missing required field": configuration validation errors across open-source libraries — this error's family across 36 libraries.

Related errors

• auth.method=key_pair_file must not set `password`
• auth.method=key_pair_file must not set `private_key_pem`
• auth.method=key_pair_object requires `private_key_pem`
• auth.method=password must not set…
• auth.method=password requires `password`

AI-assisted analysis of risingwavelabs/risingwave@6469eb736d (2026-09-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9750846bafdbd068. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/connector/src/sink/snowflake_redshift/snowflake.rs:296

            .as_deref()
            .map(|s| s.trim().to_ascii_lowercase())
        {
            Some(method) if method == AUTH_METHOD_PASSWORD => {
                if !has_password {
                    return Err(SinkError::Config(anyhow!(
                        "auth.method=password requires `password`"
                    )));
                }
                if has_file || has_pem {
                    return Err(SinkError::Config(anyhow!(
                        "auth.method=password must not set `private_key_file`/`private_key_pem`"
                    )));
                }
                AUTH_METHOD_PASSWORD.to_owned()
            }
            Some(method) if method == AUTH_METHOD_KEY_PAIR_FILE => {
                if !has_file {
                    return Err(SinkError::Config(anyhow!(
                        "auth.method=key_pair_file requires `private_key_file`"
                    )));
                }
                if has_password {
                    return Err(SinkError::Config(anyhow!(
                        "auth.method=key_pair_file must not set `password`"
                    )));
                }
                if has_pem {
                    return Err(SinkError::Config(anyhow!(
                        "auth.method=key_pair_file must not set `private_key_pem`"
                    )));
                }
                AUTH_METHOD_KEY_PAIR_FILE.to_owned()
            }
            Some(method) if method == AUTH_METHOD_KEY_PAIR_OBJECT => {
                if !has_pem {
                    return Err(SinkError::Config(anyhow!(

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