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MySQL error 1030 with “Got error 28 from storage engine” means the operating system returned errno 28 (ENOSPC): a filesystem has no space left for a write. Find the full filesystem first, then free or add capacity. Check both MySQL’s data directory and its temporary-file locations, because a full tmpdir or InnoDB temporary tablespace can trigger the message even when the database directory itself looks healthy. After emergency cleanup, limit or relocate temporary growth and fix the query or workload that consumed the space.
What the message means
At the operating-system level, error 28 is “No space left on device” (Linux ENOSPC). MySQL reports it through storage-engine error 1030:
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ERROR 1030 (HY000): Got error 28 from storage engineThe storage engine—usually InnoDB—attempted to create or extend a file and the operating system refused the write. This is a capacity problem, not evidence of a corrupt table or a MySQL defect by itself. The same errno can appear while MySQL writes a dump, a temporary file, a sort run, or an online DDL workspace.
Do not start by changing random MySQL variables. First identify the path that is full; otherwise you can delete useful data while leaving the actual bottleneck untouched.
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Where MySQL can run out of space
Temporary directory (tmpdir)
MySQL uses tmpdir for disk-backed temporary files created by large sorts and joins and by operations such as REPAIR TABLE, OPTIMIZE TABLE, LOAD DATA INFILE, and some ALTER TABLE or online-DDL work. A full filesystem mounted at that path produces the same errno 28 as a full data volume.
Check the effective value from the running server rather than assuming the operating-system /tmp is in use:
mysql -NBe "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'tmpdir';"If the result contains several directories, MySQL can use them according to its platform-specific rules; inspect every filesystem listed.
Global InnoDB temporary tablespace (ibtmp1)
InnoDB keeps a global temporary tablespace, normally a file named ibtmp1. By default it starts at a little more than 12 MB and auto-extends in the directory controlled by innodb_data_home_dir. Internal on-disk temporary tables consume this space. Dropping those temporary tables makes extents reusable, but the file does not shrink during normal operation, so its high-water size remains visible on disk.
Inspect the configured path and current size:
mysql -NBe "SELECT @@innodb_temp_data_file_path;"
mysql -e "SELECT FILE_NAME, TABLESPACE_NAME, ROUND((TOTAL_EXTENTS*EXTENT_SIZE)/1024/1024,1) AS size_mb FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.FILES WHERE TABLESPACE_NAME='innodb_temporary';"The information-schema view may not expose every filesystem detail on every release; confirm the actual file with the operating system and the MySQL error log.
Data directory and ordinary tablespaces
Table data, indexes, undo files, redo logs, and metadata can fill the partition containing datadir even when temporary work is modest. Determine the data directory with:
mysql -NBe "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'datadir';"A filesystem can be full because of another service, a runaway application log, or a deleted-but-still-open file, not because of MySQL. Use filesystem tools to establish ownership before removing anything.
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Binary and relay logs
Binary logs and, on replicas, relay logs accumulate when retention or replication cleanup is delayed. Purging them can recover space, but only after confirming that replicas and point-in-time recovery no longer require the files. Never delete log files manually from the filesystem while the server is running; use MySQL’s log-management statements and your documented retention policy.
Forgotten dumps and temporary exports
Database backups, import files, and compressed dumps left in /tmp or another staging directory are a common cause. A dump can be large enough to consume the last free gigabytes while a separate query is trying to create a temporary table.
Diagnose the full filesystem safely
Run the following as the account that administers the host. Capture output before deleting anything so you have an audit trail.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Check mounted filesystems. Use
df -hfor human-readable capacity anddf -ifor inode exhaustion. A volume can report free bytes but no free inodes, which also prevents file creation. - Check each relevant path. Substitute the paths returned for
datadir,tmpdir,innodb_data_home_dir, and any binary-log destination:
df -h /var/lib/mysql /tmp
df -i /var/lib/mysql /tmpUse the real paths on your host; the examples are not universal. If a path is on a separate mount, checking only the parent directory can give the wrong answer.
- Read the MySQL error log. Look for the operation and path that failed. Messages naming
/tmp,ibtmp1, a binary-log directory, or a table path tell you which filesystem to investigate first. - Find the largest consumers without crossing mounts. For example:
sudo du -xhd1 /var/lib/mysql | sort -h
sudo du -xhd1 /tmp | sort -hThen drill into the largest directory. On a busy production server, avoid an unrestricted recursive scan during peak I/O; narrow the path and schedule deeper analysis.
- Check deleted-but-open files. A process can keep disk blocks allocated after a file is unlinked. Tools such as
lsof +L1can reveal this condition. Restarting the owning process releases the blocks, but coordinate a MySQL restart ifmysqldowns the file. - Check the failing workload. Identify long-running queries, concurrent reports, index builds, imports, and backups. Several operations can grow temporary storage simultaneously.
As a practical operating target, keep headroom on temporary volumes rather than allowing them to reach 100 percent. One operations guide suggests keeping them below roughly 80 percent used; treat that as a planning threshold, not a MySQL requirement.
Free space immediately
Remove verified leftovers
Stop or finish any process still writing a dump, export, or temporary artifact, then remove only files you can identify as disposable. Check ownership, modification time, and whether a process has the file open. Do not remove files inside the MySQL data directory merely because their names look unfamiliar.
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Purge eligible binary logs through MySQL
First inspect retention and replica state. Typical inspection commands are:
SHOW BINARY LOGS;
SHOW REPLICA STATUSG;On a correctly configured server, use a time- or file-based purge that preserves the recovery window and any logs needed by replicas. The exact statement depends on your retention policy; do not issue a blanket purge on a primary that still serves replicas or point-in-time recovery.
Reduce or pause the operation consuming temporary space
Canceling a report, reducing an export range, processing an import in batches, or postponing an index rebuild can stop further growth. Allow the server to clean up temporary objects, then recheck df. This is often safer than deleting files while an operation is active.
Move temporary work to a larger filesystem
Move tmpdir
Choose a filesystem with sufficient capacity and appropriate permissions, create a directory owned by the MySQL service account, and set the server’s tmpdir option in the MySQL configuration. A typical configuration fragment is:
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tmpdir=/srv/mysql-tmpUse the exact configuration file loaded by your installation and apply the change according to your release’s variable-dynamic rules; a restart may be required. Verify after startup:
mysql -NBe "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'tmpdir';"
df -h /srv/mysql-tmpEnsure the directory is on a local filesystem suitable for MySQL temporary I/O, has restrictive permissions, and is mounted before MySQL starts. A path change does not move existing files and does not relocate the InnoDB global temporary tablespace.
Do not confuse tmpdir with ibtmp1
Changing tmpdir alone will not move ibtmp1. In MySQL 5.7, compressed temporary tables use file-per-table tablespaces in tmpdir, while the global InnoDB temporary tablespace follows innodb_temp_data_file_path. Treat these as separate capacity controls and verify both after a change.
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Reclaim or relocate ibtmp1
Restart to recreate the global temporary tablespace
When temporary work has ended, a controlled MySQL restart removes and recreates the global temporary tablespace, reclaiming the unused high-water allocation. Confirm that no long-running transaction, replication task, backup, or maintenance window will be harmed. Take the normal operational precautions for a database restart and verify clean startup before allowing traffic.
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ls -lh /path/to/mysql/ibtmp1
mysql -NBe "SELECT @@innodb_temp_data_file_path;"A restart is not a permanent fix if the same query pattern immediately creates large on-disk temporary tables again.
Set a maximum size
On MySQL 5.7, innodb_temp_data_file_path can specify an auto-extending file with a maximum. For example:
[mysqld]
innodb_temp_data_file_path=ibtmp1:12M:autoextend:max:500MThe setting is read at startup, so changing it requires a restart. The values are examples: choose an initial size and maximum that fit your workload and available disk. When the file reaches its maximum, operations needing more temporary space fail with a “table is full” style error rather than consuming additional filesystem capacity. A cap protects the volume but can turn a disk-full incident into query failures; monitor and remediate the workload before reaching it.
Manual behavior differs by release. The 5.7 documentation describes the maximum-size behavior explicitly; the 8.0 material consulted does not state the same cap behavior in its excerpt. Test the exact MySQL version and configuration in a staging environment and consult that version’s manual before enforcing a limit.
Relocate the InnoDB temporary tablespace carefully
Use innodb_temp_data_file_path to specify the file location and attributes supported by your release. Relative-path rules and startup behavior matter, and an example that points to another directory is not a universal drop-in configuration. Prepare the destination mount first, apply correct ownership and permissions, restart during a maintenance window, and confirm the resulting path in INFORMATION_SCHEMA.FILES and on disk.
Fix the workload so the problem does not return
Find queries that create large temporary tables
Use the slow query log, Performance Schema, and currently running statements to locate reports or joins that spill to disk. Look for broad scans, unselective joins, large ORDER BY or GROUP BY operations, and unbounded exports. Add appropriate indexes, reduce the selected columns, filter earlier, paginate results, or process data in batches. Validate changes with EXPLAIN and observe temporary-table counters during representative load.
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Schedule space-intensive maintenance
ALTER TABLE, OPTIMIZE TABLE, repairs, index creation, and bulk loads can require working space in addition to the final table size. Estimate the temporary footprint, reserve free capacity on the relevant mount, and run one large operation at a time when possible. Keep backups and staging files off the same small partition as tmpdir.
Monitor both bytes and inodes
Alert before a filesystem is full, track the size of ibtmp1, and monitor binary-log retention, dump directories, and temporary mounts separately. Byte usage and inode usage are different failure modes; alert on both. Record the configured maximum for ibtmp1 so an on-call engineer knows whether a “table is full” error is an intentional cap or an unexpected filesystem limit.
Common mistakes and recovery paths
- Checking only
datadir: a fulltmpdiror separate mount still blocks writes. Rundfon every path returned by MySQL. - Deleting
ibtmp1while MySQL is running: this can corrupt the instance. Reclaim it through a clean restart after temporary activity has stopped. - Assuming a restart permanently solves the issue: the file can grow again as soon as disk-based temporary tables recur.
- Setting only
tmpdir: the global InnoDB temporary tablespace remains whereinnodb_temp_data_file_pathplaces it. - Purging logs without checking replicas: you can break replication or point-in-time recovery. Verify consumers and retention first.
- Applying an
ibtmp1cap without capacity planning: queries may fail at the limit. Size the cap for peak, not average, workload and monitor it. - Cleaning files by name alone: a file that looks old may be part of a live backup or import. Confirm process ownership and application records.
A practical incident runbook
- Capture the exact MySQL error, timestamp, statement, and error-log entry.
- Run
df -handdf -iagainstdatadir,tmpdir, and the InnoDB temporary-tablespace location. - Identify the largest safe-to-remove files, deleted-open files, active dumps, and log-retention issue.
- Stop or batch the consuming workload; remove verified leftovers and reclaim eligible logs through MySQL.
- Retry only after confirming free space and inode headroom.
- If
ibtmp1is oversized, schedule a restart to recreate it; if recurrence is expected, relocate it or configure a tested maximum. - Analyze the query or maintenance job, change its plan or schedule, and add alerts for the relevant mounts and files.
Quick comparison of remediation choices
| Action | Space recovered or added | Restart usually needed | Reversible | Main risk or limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove verified dumps and stale temporary files | Immediate recovery of the files’ size | No | Only if a backup exists | Deleting an active or needed file can break a job or recovery plan |
| Purge eligible binary or relay logs | Depends on retained log history | No | Not after deletion | Can break replicas or point-in-time recovery if retention is wrong |
| Cancel, batch, or tune the consuming query | Stops further growth; may release temporary extents | No | Yes | Does not reclaim an already enlarged ibtmp1 file by itself |
Move tmpdir |
Moves future temporary-file growth to a larger mount | Often, depending on version and configuration | Yes | Does not move ibtmp1; permissions and mount order must be correct |
Restart to recreate ibtmp1 |
Reclaims its unused high-water allocation | Yes | Yes, by reverting configuration if changed | Requires downtime and will not prevent regrowth |
Cap ibtmp1 |
Limits maximum consumption rather than adding space | Yes | Yes, with another restart | Queries fail with a table-full style error at the cap |
| Enlarge or add a filesystem | Adds durable capacity | Depends on storage platform | Usually, but capacity changes may be difficult to undo | Does not correct an unbounded workload or retention policy |
Frequently asked questions
Can error 28 occur when the server still shows free disk space?
Yes. The relevant mount may be full even though another filesystem has room, or the host may have exhausted inodes. Check the exact paths used by tmpdir, datadir, and ibtmp1 with both df -h and df -i. Also check whether a deleted file is still held open by a process.
Will dropping temporary tables shrink ibtmp1?
No. Dropping them makes space reusable inside the tablespace, but the file keeps its extended size until a controlled restart recreates it.
Does changing tmp_table_size solve error 28?
It can change when temporary tables spill to disk, but it is not a capacity fix. Raising it may increase memory pressure; lowering it can move more work to disk. Change it only after measuring the workload and ensuring both RAM and temporary-disk capacity are adequate.
Is this error always caused by InnoDB?
No. Error 28 is an operating-system write failure and can arise during ordinary file writes, dumps, or temporary-file creation. Error 1030 commonly wraps an InnoDB failure, but the path named in the error log determines what actually filled.
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What should I do if the error changes to “table is full” after setting a cap?
The cap is doing what it was configured to do: the temporary tablespace cannot grow further. Free or add capacity, reduce the operation’s temporary footprint, or revise the tested maximum and restart. Do not simply remove the cap without confirming that the filesystem can absorb peak growth.
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