Informix Error -764

Reasons / Common Causes

-764 fires when a non-DBA session runs UPDATE STATISTICS ... DROP DISTRIBUTIONS against the entire database in a mode other than LOW — per the official guidance, this specific combination (database-wide, non-LOW mode, with DROP DISTRIBUTIONS) requires DBA privilege (or being user informix).

1. A non-DBA session running database-wide UPDATE STATISTICS MEDIUM/HIGH with DROP DISTRIBUTIONS, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.
2. A maintenance script written assuming ordinary privilege is sufficient for a database-wide statistics operation, not accounting for this specific privilege requirement.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Run the statement as user informix or a DBA-privileged user, per the official guidance — this is the documented, required privilege level for this specific operation.
2. If DBA privilege genuinely isn't available, scope the UPDATE STATISTICS to a specific table instead of the whole database, or use LOW mode, if either avoids the restriction for the actual maintenance need.
3. Check the session's current privilege level:

   SELECT username, usertype FROM sysusers WHERE username = USER;
   

   (usertype = 'D' indicates DBA privilege, per the same check used for -514.)

Examples

Hitting the restriction

UPDATE STATISTICS MEDIUM DROP DISTRIBUTIONS;
-- as a non-DBA user, this is expected to hit either -764 or -738 depending
-- on server version — see the -738 cross-reference below before assuming
-- which one fires for a given case

Corrected — run as a DBA-privileged user

-- Run by user informix or a DBA-privileged user:
UPDATE STATISTICS MEDIUM DROP DISTRIBUTIONS;

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check the session's usertype in sysusers to confirm DBA privilege, the same check as -514.
2. Confirm the statement is genuinely database-wide and non-LOW-mode with DROP DISTRIBUTIONS, since that specific combination is what triggers the privilege requirement.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -738 — "DROP DISTRIBUTIONS is only valid in LOW mode." A related DROP DISTRIBUTIONS restriction, about mode compatibility rather than privilege level — note this error's own framing implies DROP DISTRIBUTIONS can appear with non-LOW modes in the database-wide form that specifically requires DBA privilege, a nuance worth checking against the current server version's documented behavior if -738 and -764 seem to conflict.

A privilege requirement specific to database-wide, non-LOW-mode DROP DISTRIBUTIONS — run as informix or a DBA-privileged user, or scope the operation to a specific table.