If the primary Extract process abends while writing to the trail, it may not properly close the file or flush the final record. The last few bytes—including the 4-byte header for the next record—are missing, leaving the trail file truncated.
Full error example (from GoldenGate log file, ggserr.log):
2025-05-15 10:23:45 ERROR OGG-01184 Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle, rep1.prm:
Expected 4 bytes but got 0 bytes in trail file /u01/ggate/dirdat/aa000123 (offset 0:0).
Possibly the trail file is truncated, corrupted, or not properly flushed.
Key elements:
In simple terms: GoldenGate reached a point in the trail file where a new record should begin, but there was no data left to read. The file is either incomplete or malformed.
Before fixing the error, you must understand what GoldenGate is trying to read. A trail file (e.g., dirdat/rt000001) is a binary sequence of records. Each record represents a database operation (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DDL). The structure is:
| Field | Size | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | Record Length | 4 bytes | Indicates the total size of the following data | | Record Data | Variable | Actual change data in canonical format | | Checksum (optional) | 4 bytes | Integrity check |
The error ogg-01184 expected 4 bytes but got 0 bytes occurs when GoldenGate’s reader reaches a point in the trail file where it expects to read the Record Length header, but the file ends abruptly. The system reads 0 bytes instead of 4.
If the primary Extract process abends while writing to the trail, it may not properly close the file or flush the final record. The last few bytes—including the 4-byte header for the next record—are missing, leaving the trail file truncated.
Full error example (from GoldenGate log file, ggserr.log): ogg-01184 expected 4 bytes but got 0 bytes in trail
2025-05-15 10:23:45 ERROR OGG-01184 Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle, rep1.prm:
Expected 4 bytes but got 0 bytes in trail file /u01/ggate/dirdat/aa000123 (offset 0:0).
Possibly the trail file is truncated, corrupted, or not properly flushed.
Key elements:
In simple terms: GoldenGate reached a point in the trail file where a new record should begin, but there was no data left to read. The file is either incomplete or malformed. If the primary Extract process abends while writing
Before fixing the error, you must understand what GoldenGate is trying to read. A trail file (e.g., dirdat/rt000001) is a binary sequence of records. Each record represents a database operation (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DDL). The structure is: Key elements:
| Field | Size | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | Record Length | 4 bytes | Indicates the total size of the following data | | Record Data | Variable | Actual change data in canonical format | | Checksum (optional) | 4 bytes | Integrity check |
The error ogg-01184 expected 4 bytes but got 0 bytes occurs when GoldenGate’s reader reaches a point in the trail file where it expects to read the Record Length header, but the file ends abruptly. The system reads 0 bytes instead of 4.