Informix Help
Stuck on an Informix error, a slow query or a server that won’t come up? Start here. Look up any of 3,000+ Informix error codes, check what an onstat flag or ONCONFIG parameter does, search three decades of Informix community answers, or talk to an engineer who has been fixing Informix since the 1990s.
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Look up an Informix error code
Every Informix error has a negative number. Our Informix error code finder explains what each one means, its common causes, and how to fix it, across more than 3,000 SQL, ISAM, network, ESQL/C, 4GL and ON-Bar errors.
Tip: an SQL error such as -271 or -244 usually comes with an ISAM error (for example -113 or -154). The ISAM code tells you the real cause, so look up both.
Most common Informix errors
| Error | Message | Usually means |
|---|---|---|
| -201 | A syntax error has occurred. | Invalid SQL, a reserved word used as a name, or a version-specific syntax |
| -206 | The specified table is not in the database. | Wrong database, owner or synonym; the table was dropped or renamed |
| -217 | Column not found in any table in the query. | Misspelled column, wrong alias, or a quoted identifier issue |
| -239 | Could not insert new row – duplicate value in a UNIQUE INDEX column. | A duplicate key on insert |
| -268 | Unique constraint violated. | A duplicate key against a named constraint |
| -243 | Could not position within a table. | Check the ISAM error: usually a lock (-107/-113/-154) or corruption |
| -244 | Could not do a physical-order read to fetch next row. | Usually a locked row or table; check the ISAM error |
| -245 | Could not position within a file via an index. | A lock or a damaged index; check the ISAM error |
| -246 | Could not do an indexed read to get the next row. | A lock or a damaged index; check the ISAM error |
| -271 | Could not insert new row into the table. | A locked table, a full dbspace or no more extents (-136); check the ISAM error |
| -346 | Could not update a row in the table. | A lock or a space problem; check the ISAM error |
| -391 | Cannot insert a null into column. | A NOT NULL column with no value supplied |
| -404 | The cursor or statement is not available. | A cursor used after it was freed or closed |
| -458 | Long transaction aborted. | The transaction crossed the LTXHWM; the logical logs are too small for the workload |
| -1213 | A character to numeric conversion process failed. | Non-numeric data in a numeric comparison or insert |
| -1262 | Non-numeric character in datetime or interval. | A bad date or time literal, or a DBDATE/GL_DATETIME mismatch |
| -329 | Database not found or no system permission. | Wrong database name, server, or permissions |
| -387 | No connect permission. | The user hasn't been granted CONNECT on the database |
| -908 | Attempt to connect to database server failed. | Server down, or a wrong sqlhosts entry, host or port |
| -930 | Cannot connect to database server. | Name resolution, sqlhosts or network problem |
| -951 | User is not known on the database server. | The OS or mapped user doesn't exist on the server host |
| -25580 | System error occurred in network function. | A network or OS-level failure on the connection |
| -25582 | Network connection is broken. | The connection dropped: timeout, firewall or server crash |
Common ISAM errors
| Error | Message |
|---|---|
| -107 | ISAM error: record is locked. |
| -111 | ISAM error: no record found. |
| -113 | ISAM error: the file is locked. |
| -136 | ISAM error: no more extents. |
| -143 | ISAM error: deadlock detected. |
| -154 | ISAM error: Lock Timeout Expired. |
Browse errors by product
SQL · ISAM · Connectivity · ESQL/C · 4GL Runtime · ON-Bar / Backup · DB-Access · Smart Blobs · All groups →
Informix commands and configuration
onstat guide
What every onstat option shows and how to read the output, from onstat - to onstat -g ses. Open the onstat guide →
ONCONFIG parameters
A quick reference for each ONCONFIG parameter: what it controls, sensible values, and a link to the HCL documentation. Browse ONCONFIG parameters →
Command and IPC reference
Commands, configuration, IPC and the other technical notes that don’t fit anywhere else. Open the reference →
Also useful: Informix glossary: plain-English definitions of Informix terms, from chunks and dbspaces to LTXHWM. More in the full reference section.
Search 30 years of Informix answers
The Informix Archive holds decades of comp.databases.informix and IIUG list discussions: real problems, real fixes, from the people who built and ran Informix systems. If your problem is unusual, someone has probably hit it before.
Troubleshooting guides
Field-tested fixes and write-ups from Oninit engineers. Read the technical articles →
Free Informix diagnostic tools
- Dr Watson: Informix diagnostics and health reporting
- Logwalker: online-log analysis and alerting
- BenchIt Toolkit: verify hardware and tuning changes
Talk to an Informix expert
Some problems need more than a manual page. Oninit has supported Informix for more than 150 companies since 1999. We handle first-, second- and third-line support, health checks, remote DBA work and recovery when nothing else has worked.