Informix Error -314

Reasons / Common Causes

-314 fires when a structural operation (typically DROP TABLE, but other DDL against the table can trigger it too) is attempted while another session is actively using the table — an open cursor, an in-progress transaction, or an active lock from concurrent access.

1. Another session holds an open cursor or active transaction against the table at the moment the DDL is attempted.
2. A busy production table where DDL is attempted during normal application traffic, rather than during a maintenance window.
3. A prior session's connection or transaction wasn't cleanly closed, leaving the table appearing "in use" longer than actually intended.
4. Concurrent DDL from another administrative session attempting a conflicting structural change at the same time.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Wait briefly and retry, per the official guidance — many occurrences are transient, resolving once the other session's activity completes.
2. Open the database with DATABASE ... EXCLUSIVE if exclusive access is genuinely needed for the duration of the DDL operation, preventing new concurrent access while it runs.
3. Identify what's currently using the table and, if appropriate, coordinate with that session/application rather than repeatedly retrying blind.
4. Schedule structural changes during a maintenance window for busy production tables, rather than during peak traffic.

Examples

Retrying after a transient conflict

DROP TABLE staging_import;
-- -314: another session currently has it open

-- wait briefly, then retry:
DROP TABLE staging_import;

Using exclusive database access for a guaranteed-clean DDL window

DATABASE sales EXCLUSIVE;
DROP TABLE staging_import;
CLOSE DATABASE;

Checking what's currently using the table

SELECT l.tabname, l.owner, s.username FROM sysmaster:syslocks l, sysmaster:syssessions s
WHERE l.owner = s.sid AND l.tabname = 'staging_import';

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check sysmaster:syslocks for active locks against the table in question.
2. Check for long-running or idle-in-transaction sessions (onstat -g ses) that might be holding it open unnecessarily.
3. Confirm whether the DDL genuinely needs to run during active traffic, or can be deferred to a maintenance window.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -313 — "Not owner of table." Another table-level restriction on structural operations, in this case about ownership rather than concurrent access.
• -291 — "Cannot change lock mode of table." A related table-locking-lifecycle error, in the same general concurrent-access family.

Most occurrences are transient — retry after a short wait, or use DATABASE ... EXCLUSIVE if the DDL genuinely needs guaranteed uncontended access.