vitessio/vitess · error

schema change failed, ExecuteResult: %v

Error message

schema change failed, ExecuteResult: %v

What it means

schemamanager's Run completes and reports failure via a single error summarizing the ExecuteResult: either the executor reported an error string (ExecutorErr) or some shards failed. The full marshaled ExecuteResult JSON is embedded in the message so operators can see per-shard outcomes.

Source

Thrown at go/vt/schemamanager/schemamanager.go:133

	defer executor.Close()
	if err := executor.Validate(ctx, sqls); err != nil {
		log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("validation fail: %v", err))
		controller.OnValidationFail(ctx, err)
		return execResult, err
	}

	if err := controller.OnValidationSuccess(ctx); err != nil {
		return execResult, err
	}

	execResult = executor.Execute(ctx, sqls)

	if err := controller.OnExecutorComplete(ctx, execResult); err != nil {
		return execResult, err
	}
	if execResult.ExecutorErr != "" || len(execResult.FailedShards) > 0 {
		out, _ := json.MarshalIndent(execResult, "", "  ")
		return execResult, fmt.Errorf("schema change failed, ExecuteResult: %v", string(out))
	}
	return execResult, nil
}

// RegisterControllerFactory register a control factory.
func RegisterControllerFactory(name string, factory ControllerFactory) {
	if _, ok := controllerFactories[name]; ok {
		panic("register a registered key: " + name)
	}
	controllerFactories[name] = factory
}

// GetControllerFactory gets a ControllerFactory.
func GetControllerFactory(name string) (ControllerFactory, error) {
	factory, ok := controllerFactories[name]
	if !ok {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("there is no data sourcer factory with name: %s", name)
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 01a25a7d17)

Solutions

1. Parse the ExecuteResult JSON in the error message to find ExecutorErr and the failed shards list
2. Inspect the failing tablets' logs (vttablet) for the underlying migration error
3. Retry/revert the failed migration (e.g. vtctldclient UndoMigration or RetryMigration with the UUID) and re-run

result, err := mgr.Run(ctx)
if err != nil {
  var execRes *schemamanager.ExecuteResult
  if errors.As(err, &execRes) || strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), "schema change failed") {
    // parse JSON from the message for ExecutorErr and FailedShards
  }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running a schema change where TabletExecutor sets ExecutorErr (e.g. a migration failed on a tablet) or FailedShards is non-empty after applying statements to the keyspace.

Common situations: Online DDL migration failed on one or more shards; session or tablet errors during ALTER; a partially applied schema change where some primaries rejected the statement.

Related errors

• Not a valid UUID: %s
• direct DDL is disabled
• online DDL is disabled
• Foreign key found
• RENAME clause found

AI-assisted analysis of vitessio/vitess@01a25a7d17 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/476cce5915a7cc49. Report an issue: GitHub.