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Description

This error signifies that MySQL attempted to access a tablespace by a specified name, but the system could not locate it. It typically occurs when a database operation references a tablespace that has been deleted, renamed, or was never properly created.

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Error Message

Tablespace %s doesn't exist.

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Known Causes

3 known causes

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Tablespace Was Deleted

The tablespace referenced in the operation was previously dropped or removed from the MySQL instance.

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Incorrect Tablespace Name

The SQL statement or configuration references a tablespace name that does not exist, often due to a typo or misconfiguration.

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Incomplete Tablespace Creation

The tablespace was not successfully created or initialized, leaving no valid record for MySQL to find.

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Solutions

3 solutions available

1. Recreate Missing Tablespace Definition medium

Re-add the tablespace definition to the MySQL configuration if it was accidentally removed.

1

Identify the missing tablespace name from the error message. It will be the `%s` placeholder.

2

Locate your MySQL configuration file (e.g., `my.cnf` or `my.ini`). The location varies by OS and installation.

3

Within the `[mysqld]` section of your configuration file, add or uncomment the `innodb_data_file_path` directive. Ensure it includes the name of the missing tablespace. If using `innodb_file_per_table`, you might not need this directly for individual tablespaces, but it's crucial for the system tablespace.

[mysqld]
innodb_data_file_path = ibdata1:10M:autoextend
# Example for a specific tablespace definition (if not using file_per_table exclusively):
# innodb_data_file_path = <tablespace_name>:size=100M;autoextend

4

If you are using `innodb_file_per_table` and the error refers to a specific `.ibd` file, ensure that file still exists in the data directory and that the database and table it belongs to are still defined.

5

Restart the MySQL server for the changes to take effect.

sudo systemctl restart mysql  # Or equivalent command for your OS

2. Restore from Backup medium

If the tablespace file itself is missing or corrupted, restoring from a recent backup is the most reliable solution.

1

Ensure you have a recent, consistent backup of your MySQL database.

2

Stop the MySQL server.

sudo systemctl stop mysql

3

Locate your MySQL data directory (e.g., `/var/lib/mysql`).

4

Carefully remove or rename the problematic data files (including the missing tablespace file if it exists but is corrupt). **Proceed with extreme caution and ensure you have a backup before deleting anything.**

sudo mv /var/lib/mysql/<database_name> /var/lib/mysql/<database_name>.bak

5

Restore your database from the backup. The exact method depends on your backup tool (e.g., `mysqldump`, Percona XtraBackup).

mysql -u root -p <database_name> < /path/to/your/backup.sql

6

Start the MySQL server.

sudo systemctl start mysql

3. Recreate Database and Table (with data loss) advanced

If the tablespace is truly lost and no backup is available, you may need to recreate the database and table, accepting data loss.

1

Identify the database and table associated with the missing tablespace from the error message or your schema.

2

Connect to your MySQL server using a client (e.g., `mysql` command-line client).

mysql -u root -p

3

Drop the affected database or table. **This will result in permanent data loss for that database/table.**

DROP DATABASE <database_name>;
-- OR --
USE <database_name>;
DROP TABLE <table_name>;

4

Recreate the database and table with the same schema as before.

CREATE DATABASE <database_name>;
USE <database_name>;
CREATE TABLE <table_name> (
    -- your table definition here
);

5

If you had a schema definition file, you can use it to recreate the table.

mysql -u root -p <database_name> < /path/to/your/schema.sql

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Related Errors

5 related errors

MySQL Error 3510: Missing Tablespace Reference