topic Re: [Bug] Orphan storage location in Data Engineering

[Bug] Orphan storage location

RTabur — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 13:52:02 GMT

Hello,

I'm not able to re-create an external location after removing its owner from Databricks Account. I'm getting the following error:
Input path url 'abfss://foo@bar.dfs.core.windows.net/' overlaps with an existing external location within 'CreateExternalLocation' call

I've tried to re-create the workspace but it seems that the information about the external location is stored somewhere inside the account metastore. I'm not able to find an API to list all external locations at the account level and since the workspace has been re-created the old workspace URL is no more accessible. Is there a way to remove the orpahned external location?

Re: [Bug] Orphan storage location

PL_db — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 14:32:07 GMT

Your metastore admin can list all external locations
Your metastore admin can then drop the external location

Re: [Bug] Orphan storage location

RTabur — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 16:41:34 GMT

I have already tried this, I am an account admin I see everything but not the old external location, it is not listed but it's there somewhere because I get the error...

That's why I think it's bug.

Thank you anyway!

Re: [Bug] Orphan storage location

salavatov — Tue, 19 May 2026 23:24:14 GMT

this is not helpful. Orphaned objects are not shown in account console

Re: [Bug] Orphan storage location

salavatov — Tue, 19 May 2026 23:26:05 GMT

I'm having the similar issue. Metastore somehow has some data which cannot be modified or deleted effectively preventing us to use same storage account container name. You might try using different name