Informix Error -718: Statement is invalid while a global transaction is suspended.

Reasons / Common Causes

-718 fires when any statement other than xa_start is issued while the Resource Manager (this database server, from the XA transaction manager's perspective) has a suspended global transaction — per the official guidance, once suspended, the very next statement must resume it via xa_start; nothing else is permitted in between.

1. An ordinary SQL statement issued after xa_end(TMSUSPEND) (or equivalent suspension) but before xa_start resumes the transaction, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.
2. Application/connection-pooling code that doesn't track suspension state, allowing another part of the program to issue a statement on the connection while it still holds a suspended global transaction.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Issue xa_start to resume the suspended transaction before any other statement, per the official guidance — this is the only statement allowed at this point.
2. Audit connection-handling code for suspension-state tracking, ensuring no other code path can issue a statement on a connection that currently holds a suspended global transaction.
3. If the transaction genuinely doesn't need to be suspended, review why xa_end(TMSUSPEND) was called at all, rather than a normal transaction flow without suspension.

Examples

The disallowed statement after suspension

/* xa_end(xid, TMSUSPEND) was just called */
EXEC SQL SELECT * FROM orders WHERE order_id = 42;
/* -718: only xa_start is allowed here */

Corrected — resume first

xa_start(xid, TMRESUME);
EXEC SQL SELECT * FROM orders WHERE order_id = 42;

Diagnostic Checks

1. Confirm whether the connection currently holds a suspended global transaction, and if so, ensure the very next statement issued is xa_start.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -700 — "Statement is invalid within a global transaction." A related XA-environment restriction, on BEGIN/COMMIT/ROLLBACK WORK specifically within an active (not suspended) global transaction.
• -701 — "Statement is invalid within the XA environment." A related, broader list of restricted statements within an active global transaction.

Once a global transaction is suspended, xa_start must be the very next statement — nothing else is permitted until it resumes.