Informix Error -174

Reasons / Common Causes

-174 is the direct sibling of -173, for the archive (full database) backup process instead of the logical log backup — the same generic-wrapper structure applies: this code itself doesn't say what went wrong, and the accompanying SQL API error text does.

1. Archive destination unavailable or out of space. A full archive is typically much larger than a logical log backup, so insufficient space on the destination is an even more likely candidate here than for -173.
2. Backup device or media failure mid-archive — a tape drive fault or media issue occurring partway through what can be a long-running operation.
3. Network connectivity problems, for a remote archive target.
4. Permission issues on the archive destination.
5. Concurrent conflicting operations — an archive colliding with another archive already in progress, or with an administrative operation incompatible with an active backup.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Check the accompanying SQL API error text first, exactly as with -173 — this generic code wraps a more specific underlying error.
2. Check archive destination space and availability — given how much larger a full archive is than a log backup, this deserves particular attention.
3. Check backup device/media status if using physical tape or similar hardware.
4. Check network connectivity for a remote archive target.
5. Review for concurrent conflicting operations that might have interrupted or blocked the archive.
6. Once the underlying cause is identified from the SQL API error text, address it directly and retry the archive.

Examples

Checking the associated error text first

-- As with -173, don't stop at the generic -174 message — capture
-- and read the accompanying SQL API error text for the specific cause

Space exhaustion on a full-database archive

df -h /backup/archives
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdd1       500G  500G     0 100% /backup/archives

A full archive needing far more space than a logical log backup makes this an especially common practical cause — confirm destination capacity before assuming a more exotic explanation.

Diagnostic Checks

1. Capture and review the accompanying SQL API error text.
2. Check archive destination space and availability:

   df -h /backup/archives
   

3. Check network connectivity if archiving to a remote target.
4. Review for concurrent operations that might conflict with an active archive.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -173 — "ISAM error: An error has occurred during logical log back up." The direct structural sibling — same generic-wrapper pattern, applied to the archive process instead of logical log backup.
• -147 — "ISAM error: archive in progress." Related through the same general archive/backup family, though -147 is about operations blocked by an active archive rather than the archive itself failing.

Capture the accompanying SQL API error text first — this generic code alone doesn't identify the cause, and given a full archive's size, destination space is worth checking early.