What is Hive: Return Code 2 from org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.exec.MapRedTask

Question

I am getting:

FAILED: Execution Error, return code 2 from org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.exec.MapRedTask

While trying to make a copy of a partitioned table using the commands in the hive console:

CREATE TABLE copy_table_name LIKE table_name;
INSERT OVERWRITE TABLE copy_table_name PARTITION(day) SELECT * FROM table_name;

I initially got some semantic analysis errors and had to set:

set hive.exec.dynamic.partition=true
set hive.exec.dynamic.partition.mode=nonstrict

Although I'm not sure what the above properties do?

Full ouput from hive console:

Total MapReduce jobs = 1
Launching Job 1 out of 1
Number of reduce tasks determined at compile time: 1
In order to change the average load for a reducer (in bytes):
  set hive.exec.reducers.bytes.per.reducer=<number>
In order to limit the maximum number of reducers:
  set hive.exec.reducers.max=<number>
In order to set a constant number of reducers:
  set mapred.reduce.tasks=<number>
Starting Job = job_201206191101_4557, Tracking URL = http://jobtracker:50030/jobdetails.jsp?jobid=job_201206191101_4557
Kill Command = /usr/lib/hadoop/bin/hadoop job  -Dmapred.job.tracker=master:8021 -kill job_201206191101_4557
2012-06-25 09:53:05,826 Stage-1 map = 0%,  reduce = 0%
2012-06-25 09:53:53,044 Stage-1 map = 100%,  reduce = 100%
Ended Job = job_201206191101_4557 with errors
FAILED: Execution Error, return code 2 from org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.exec.MapRedTask

Answer 1

That's not the real error, here's how to find it:

Go to the hadoop jobtracker web-dashboard, find the hive mapreduce jobs that failed and look at the logs of the failed tasks. That will show you the real error.

The console output errors are useless, largely beause it doesn't have a view of the individual jobs/tasks to pull the real errors (there could be errors in multiple tasks)

Hope that helps.