Full Guide: FME Flow Troubleshooting Guide
Are you encountering issues connecting a database to FME Flow?
Many workspaces that run in FME Flow require you to connect to and authenticate with a database. FME Flow allows you to securely upload, store, and reference your own authentication parameters with Database Connections. And just like in FME Workbench, connections to databases are safely stored as self-contained objects. Once uploaded to FME Flow, the Database Connections page provides a convenient and secure management hub.
Note that Database and Web Connections previously shared the same article. We have since broken the article into separate articles so we could expand on each topic and make it easier to find via search. Please navigate to FME Flow Troubleshooting: Web Connections article for information about Web Connections and Web Services.
General Troubleshooting
- Has the connection been uploaded from FME Form, and is it up-to-date?
- Can the account running the Engine Service access the database and/or its dependencies?
Getting Started
If you're looking for general information about database connections, this page is a great place to start:
Common Issues
"Some users are unauthorized to use connections”
Often, this comes down to user permissions to connections and resources. Please review FME Flow Connections Runtime Error: Unauthorized request by user due to lack of proper permissions for possible causes and how to resolve the error.
“After upgrading FME Flow, my database connection stopped working”
See our article on Known Issues in FME
"Users need to share their database connections on FME Flow."
The solution for sharing connections often begins with desktop connection management. Once workspaces are uploaded, they can easily share connections by referencing the same-named connection. Consult Making Database and Web Connections Public for best practices.
“My database connection works in FME Workbench, but fails in FME Flow”
The account that runs the FME Engine Service must be a user who can authenticate to the database. Thus, the account should be changed from the default Local System. Have you changed the account that runs the FME Engine service?
"Why does my database connection fail on FME Flow when using a file from Resources?"
When a database connection (e.g., SQLite) references a file uploaded to Resources, the workspace may fail at runtime with an error such as:
SQLite Reader: Failed to open database '$(FME_SHAREDRESOURCE_TEMP)\database joiner.sqlite'. SQLite3 Engine error: unable to open database file
This occurs because the temporary resource path used by FME Flow cannot reliably access the uploaded database file in this context. To fix this, try:
- Upload the database file directly to Resources > Data and reference it from there.
- On FME Form, configure the same database connection and publish the workspace to FME Flow using the Embed Connection Parameter.
These approaches ensure the database file is accessible at runtime and avoid reliance on temporary resource paths.
“My SQL Server database is failing to connect”
Consult the general FME and SQL Server Troubleshooting Guide.
“I have both the Oracle Client and FME installed, but my jobs still result in error”
Please refer to our step-by-step instructions for setting up the Oracle Instant Client for use with FME on Windows, Linux, UNIX, and Mac OS X operating systems.
Next, consult the general FME and Oracle Troubleshooting Guide.
“Where should I store SDE connection files on FME Flow?”
If you are frequently using SDE connection files, there are two recommended options:
- Store the SDE Connection file in a Resource folder in FME Flow.
- Store the SDE Connection file on a File Server accessible via UNC (a network share).
For a discussion of each option, please see How to Create and Manage Esri Geodatabase (ArcSDE) Connections in FME
“With OS authentication turned on, FME Flow can’t connect to my SDE GeoDatabase”
Check that the account running the FME Flow Engine service is a user that can access ArcGIS Server.
For more on using Esri and FME Flow, consult our article Using FME Flow with Esri ArcGIS Software. The general FME and Esri ArcGIS Troubleshooting Guide may also be helpful.
“My SQL Server database connection uses Windows Authentication and works on FME Form, but I receive access errors on FME Flow”
To use Windows Authentication in FME Flow, the services must run under a Windows service account that has access to the SQL Server database. Please see Running System Services Under Different Accounts.
Additional Resources
Are you still experiencing issues?
Please consider posting to the FME Community Q&A if you are still experiencing issues that are not addressed in this article. There are also different support channels available.
Have ideas on how to improve this?
You can add ideas or product suggestions to our Ideas Exchange.