risingwavelabs/risingwave · error · SinkError::SqlServer

unexpected downstream SQL Server type

Error message

unexpected downstream SQL Server type {sql_server_data_type} for Timestamptz

What it means

When binding a Timestamptz parameter for the SQL Server sink, RisingWave inspects the downstream column's reported SQL Server type. If it is neither of the expected datetime types (datetimeoffset/datetime2 family), this error reports the actual downstream type string. It protects against silently writing timestamps with wrong precision or timezone semantics.

Solutions

Alter the downstream column to `DATETIMEOFFSET`: `ALTER TABLE <schema>.<table> ALTER COLUMN <col> DATETIMEOFFSET;`.
Recreate the target table with `DATETIMEOFFSET` for that column and restart the sink.
Alternatively change the RisingWave column's type to Timestamp (non-tz) if `DATETIME2` semantics are acceptable.
Check the reported type in the error message against the supported list in `bind_params` in src/connector/src/sink/sqlserver.rs.

Example fix

-- before
CREATE TABLE dbo.orders (created_at DATETIME);
-- after
ALTER TABLE dbo.orders ALTER COLUMN created_at DATETIMEOFFSET;

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

-- ensure timestamp columns use DATETIMEOFFSET downstream
SELECT c.name, ty.name AS type_name
FROM sys.columns c
JOIN sys.types ty ON ty.user_type_id = c.user_type_id
WHERE ty.name NOT IN ('datetimeoffset') AND c.name LIKE '%time%';

Try / catch

if let Err(e) = sink.validate().await {
    if e.to_string().contains("for Timestamptz") {
        alter_downstream_to_datetimeoffset();
    } else { return Err(e); }
}

Prevention

Always use DATETIMEOFFSET for tz-aware columns in downstream DDL
Avoid legacy DATETIME defaults for new tables
Re-validate sinks after downstream type migrations

When it happens

Trigger: `bind_params` on a Timestamptz column whose downstream SQL Server column type (from `query_sql_server_table_metadata`) is something unexpected — e.g. `datetime`, `smalldatetime`, `date`, or `varchar` — instead of the supported `datetimeoffset` type.

Common situations: Downstream table created manually with `DATETIME` (common legacy default); migrations downgraded a `DATETIMEOFFSET` column; sink pointed at an older schema created before the sink supported Timestamptz.

Understand the failure class

Background: Type mismatch errors: IllegalArgumentException, TypeError and type guards across 150 open-source libraries — this error's family across 150 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of risingwavelabs/risingwave@6469eb736d (2026-09-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d6bdc08fc6646f93. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/connector/src/sink/sqlserver.rs:910

                DataType::Variant => return Err(data_type_not_supported("Variant")),
                DataType::Serial => return Err(data_type_not_supported("Serial")),
                DataType::Int256 => return Err(data_type_not_supported("Int256")),
                DataType::Map(_) => return Err(data_type_not_supported("Map")),
                DataType::Vector(_) => return Err(data_type_not_supported("Vector")),
            },
        };
    }
    Ok(())
}

fn data_type_not_supported(data_type_name: &str) -> SinkError {
    SinkError::SqlServer(anyhow!(format!(
        "{data_type_name} is not supported in SQL Server"
    )))
}

fn unexpected_downstream_timestamptz_type(sql_server_data_type: &str) -> SinkError {
    SinkError::SqlServer(anyhow!(format!(
        "unexpected downstream SQL Server type {sql_server_data_type} for Timestamptz"
    )))
}

fn check_data_type_compatibility(data_type: &DataType) -> Result<()> {
    match data_type {
        DataType::Boolean
        | DataType::Int16
        | DataType::Int32
        | DataType::Int64
        | DataType::Float32
        | DataType::Float64
        | DataType::Decimal
        | DataType::Date
        | DataType::Varchar
        | DataType::Time
        | DataType::Timestamp
        | DataType::Timestamptz

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