Msg 46530: External Data Sources Are Not Supported With Type GENERIC

Msg 46530 appears when you create an external data source and PolyBase isn’t ready, and the message never says so. I got it while trying PolyBase on my laptop. The solution had no relation to the error message.

The Error

Msg 46530, Level 16, State 11, Line 1
External data sources are not supported with type GENERIC.

What Happened

This is the statement I was running. The server and data source names are placeholders.

CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE YourExternalDataSource
WITH (
LOCATION = 'sqlserver://YourServer:1433',
PUSHDOWN = ON,
CREDENTIAL = RemoteCredentials
);

Why It Happens

Based on my internet search, the error appears when PolyBase isn’t installed or isn’t enabled with sp_configure.

How to Check

To check whether the feature is installed, use this T-SQL:

SELECT SERVERPROPERTY ('IsPolyBaseInstalled') AS IsPolyBaseInstalled;

A result of zero means the feature isn’t installed at all. A result of one means it’s installed, and you need to enable it.

The Fix

If the result is zero, install the feature with setup.exe. This is the feature you need:

If the result is one, enable PolyBase with sp_configure:

exec sp_configure @configname = 'polybase enabled', @configvalue = 1;
RECONFIGURE;

If the feature isn’t installed, that command fails with Msg 46923:

Msg 46923, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_configure, Line 166 [Batch Start Line 8]
PolyBase feature is not installed. Please consult Books Online for more information on this feature.

When the feature is installed, the command runs successfully:

Confirm It Worked

Run the CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE statement again.

How to Prevent It

Check IsPolyBaseInstalled before you write any CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE script, because the error message says nothing about the feature. Did this post help you fix the issue? Please tell me in the comments.

Msg 46530 is not a syntax error, it is a PolyBase feature that isn’t ready.

Published by Pinal Dave on SQLAuthority. More of my work at pinaldave.com.