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Informix Error -226

-226 Cannot create index for system catalog table-name.

The database server is trying to create one of the tables for the system catalog, probably as part of a CREATE DATABASE statement. It created the table, but a problem with the host operating system prevents it from making an index. Check the accompanying ISAM error code for more information, and look for operating-system error messages. Insufficient disk space probably caused this error.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-226 is the direct sibling of -225, one step later in the same CREATE DATABASE process: the system catalog table itself was created successfully, but building its index failed due to an OS issue. The official text names insufficient disk space as the probable cause.

  1. Insufficient disk space — the officially named probable cause, occurring after the table itself was already created successfully.
  2. File-access permission issues preventing index file creation, even though table creation succeeded.
  3. General OS-level issues — hardware or filesystem problems specific to the index-creation step.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Check the accompanying ISAM error code and OS-level error messages, per the official guidance.
  2. Check disk space in the target dbspace or directory — the most likely cause given the table creation already succeeded.
  3. Check file-access permissions if space isn't the issue.
  4. Retry CREATE DATABASE after addressing the underlying cause.
Examples
Checking space before retrying
onstat -d
-- confirm free space in the target dbspace, especially if table
-- creation succeeded but index creation immediately failed
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check the accompanying ISAM error code for the specific underlying cause.
  2. Check disk space and permissions for the target dbspace or directory.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -225 — "Cannot create file for system catalog table-name." The direct sibling, one step earlier in the same CREATE DATABASE process — the table itself, rather than its index.
  • -211 — "Cannot read system catalog ." Another system-catalog-related condition, though a read failure on an existing catalog rather than a creation failure.

Check disk space first, given the table itself already created successfully — this is almost always the same infrastructure constraint as -225, just caught one step later.