Informix Error -12079: Smart Large Objects: Cannot decrement zero reference count.
Cause and resolution
Smart Large Objects: Cannot decrement zero reference count.
The reference count for the smart large object is already 0. Attempts to decrement the reference count to less than 0 are ignored.
Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance
Reasons / Common Causes
-12079 is an informational condition — per the official guidance, the object's reference count is already 0, and the attempted decrement is ignored rather than treated as fatal.
- A decrement attempted on a smart large object whose reference count is already 0, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.
Solutions / Resolution
- No action needed — per the official guidance, attempts to decrement below 0 are simply ignored.
Examples
N/A
No specific triggering statement is documented beyond decrementing an already-zero reference count.
Diagnostic Checks
- None needed for this condition itself; if unexpected, review the application logic holding a reference to an object whose count already reached 0.
Related Errors / Related Topics
- -12048 — "Smart Large Objects: unique ID does not match. Smart large object probably deleted." A related reference-count condition — a zero reference count can lead to the object being deleted.
A reference-count decrement was attempted on an object already at 0 — ignored, no action needed.