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Informix Error -605

-605 Cannot write TEXT or BYTE value.

This statement writes a BYTE or TEXT value, but some unexpected error prevented the creation of the value. Roll back the current transaction. Check the accompanying ISAM error code for more information; possibly a hardware error or data corruption of the storage space or tblspace occurred. One possible cause is that the storage space for this column is full. Another is that although a new chunk has been assigned to the storage space, pages cannot be allocated in it until the addition of the chunk has been logged and the log file closed. The database server administrator can use the tbmode -l or onmode -l command to force a log file to be closed. If the error recurs, note all circumstances and contact IBM Informix Technical Support.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-605, unlike its sibling BLOB-operation errors, comes with two specific named causes rather than just a general hardware/corruption pointer:

  1. The storage space for the column is full, per the official guidance — the more common, straightforward cause.
  2. A newly assigned chunk can't yet have pages allocated in it, per the official guidance, because the chunk addition hasn't been logged and the log file closed yet — a timing condition specific to how chunk additions are made durable.
  3. Hardware error or data corruption, as with the rest of this error family, though the official guidance for -605 specifically leads with the two causes above instead.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Roll back the current transaction, per the official guidance.
  2. Check the accompanying ISAM error code, per the official guidance, for the specific underlying reason.
  3. Check whether the storage space for the column is full, per the official guidance, as the first concrete check:
    onstat -d
  4. If a chunk was just added, force the log file to close so the addition becomes usable, per the official guidance — the database server administrator can do this with:
    onmode -l
    (or tbmode -l on platforms that name the utility tbmode instead of onmode).
  5. If this recurs after ruling out both, note all circumstances and contact IBM Informix Technical Support, per the official guidance.
Examples
Checking space, then forcing the log if a chunk was just added
$ onstat -d
-- confirm whether the storage space for the column is full

$ onmode -l
-- forces the current logical log to close, making a just-added chunk usable
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check whether the storage space is full first, per the official guidance — the more common of the two named causes.
  2. Check whether a chunk was recently added to the storage space, and whether the log has been closed since, if space isn't the issue.
  3. Check the accompanying ISAM error code for anything beyond these two named causes.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -600 — "Cannot create TEXT or BYTE value." Same BLOB-operation family, at initial creation.
  • -601 — "Cannot delete TEXT or BYTE value." Same family, at delete/replace.
  • -602 — "Cannot open TEXT or BYTE value." Same family, at open/locate.
  • -603 — "Cannot close TEXT or BYTE value." Same family, at write completion.
  • -604 — "Cannot read TEXT or BYTE value." Same family, at read.

Unlike its sibling BLOB errors, this one names two specific concrete causes — a full storage space, or a just-added chunk still awaiting its log-close — check those before treating it as hardware/corruption.