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Informix Error -465

-465 No more memory for locator buffer.

This query returns a BYTE or TEXT value that is located in memory, and the locator structure asked (by setting -1 in loc_bufsize) that the database server allocate the memory. It was unable to get the necessary memory for a buffer. If you can use operating-system methods to allocate more data space memory to your program, do so and run it again. Alternatively, locate the value in a file, or use a substring to select the value in portions. If this is a 4GL program, this error should not occur. On DOS systems, exit to the operating-system command line, free some disk space, and resubmit your program. If the error recurs, note all circumstances and contact IBM Informix Technical Support.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-465 fires when a BYTE/TEXT value's locator requests automatic memory allocation (loc_bufsize set to -1, meaning "allocate exactly enough") but the server can't obtain sufficient memory for the buffer — typically because the value itself is very large, or because overall available memory is constrained at the time.

  1. A genuinely very large blob value that exceeds what can be allocated in the current memory environment.
  2. Constrained available data space memory at the time of the request, even for a blob value that would normally fit.
  3. Memory fragmentation or pressure from other concurrent activity limiting the largest available contiguous allocation.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Increase available data space memory, per the official guidance, if the environment allows for it.
  2. Locate the value in a file instead of memory, per the official guidance — this avoids the in-memory buffer allocation entirely.
  3. Use a substring to retrieve the value in portions, per the official guidance, if only part of the blob is actually needed, or to process it incrementally rather than all at once.
  4. On DOS systems specifically, free disk space before resubmitting the program, per the official guidance.
Examples
Locating in a file instead of memory
loc_t my_loc;
memset(&my_loc, 0, sizeof(my_loc));
my_loc.loc_loctype = LOCFNAME;
my_loc.loc_fname = "/tmp/blob_output";
/* avoids the in-memory buffer allocation for a large value */
Retrieving a portion via substring
SELECT description[1,1000] FROM documents WHERE doc_id = 1001;
-- retrieves only the first 1000 bytes, avoiding a full
-- large-value memory allocation
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check the actual size of the blob value being retrieved.
  2. Check available memory on the server/client at the time of the failure.
  3. Consider whether a file-based or substring-based approach is more appropriate than a fully in-memory retrieval for this data.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -451 — "Locator buffer size too small." A related locator-buffer error, about an explicitly-sized buffer being too small rather than automatic allocation failing outright.
  • -406 — "Memory allocation failed." A related, more general memory-exhaustion error, in a broader context than this locator-specific scenario.

Switch to a file-based locator or a substring-based partial retrieval for genuinely large blob values, rather than relying on automatic in-memory allocation to always succeed.