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Informix Error -606

-606 Invalid storage-space name for TEXT or BYTE data.

If this statement refers to a storage space (for example, the CREATE TABLE statement might create a column with type TEXT IN blobspace-name), the name is invalid or does not exist. Review the identifiers intended as storage-space names. If they are spelled as you intended, consult with the database server administrator to find out whether they exist and are online. If the statement does not refer to a storage space, this is an internal error. If the error recurs, note all circumstances and contact IBM Informix Technical Support.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-606 fires when a statement names a storage space for TEXT/BYTE data (for example, CREATE TABLE ... content TEXT IN blobspace_name) and that name is invalid or doesn't exist — or, per the official guidance, if the statement doesn't actually reference a storage space at all, this condition is instead an internal error.

  1. A misspelled blobspace/storage-space name in an IN storage-space-name clause, per the official guidance — the most likely cause when a storage space genuinely is referenced.
  2. A storage space that exists but isn't currently on-line, per the official guidance's pointer to checking with the database server administrator.
  3. A storage space referenced that was never created, or was dropped since the DDL was originally written.
  4. No storage space actually referenced by the statement, per the official guidance — in that case this reflects an internal error rather than a naming mistake.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Review the spelling of the storage-space identifier, per the official guidance.
  2. Consult with the database server administrator to confirm the storage space exists and is on-line, per the official guidance, if the spelling looks correct.
  3. If the statement doesn't reference a storage space at all, per the official guidance, treat this as an internal error: note all circumstances and contact IBM Informix Technical Support.
Examples
A misspelled blobspace name
CREATE TABLE documents (doc_id INT, content TEXT IN blobsapce1);
-- -606: 'blobsapce1' -- the actual blobspace is named 'blobspace1'
Corrected
CREATE TABLE documents (doc_id INT, content TEXT IN blobspace1);
Checking whether the storage space is on-line
$ onstat -d
-- review the list of dbspaces/blobspaces and their on-line status
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Review the spelling of the storage-space name against the administrator's list of defined dbspaces/blobspaces.
  2. Run onstat -d to confirm the storage space exists and is currently on-line.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -600 through -605 — the rest of the TEXT/BYTE storage-operation error family, covering create, delete, open, close, read, and write failures once a storage space is correctly identified.

Usually a misspelled or offline storage-space name — confirm it with onstat -d and the database server administrator before assuming an internal error.