ERROR: "Error in 'dbxquery' command: External search command exited unexpectedly with non-zero error code 1".

Available Languages

Updated:September 29, 2026
Document ID:SPLK044952

Bias-Free Language

The documentation set for this product strives to use bias-free language. For the purposes of this documentation set, bias-free is defined as language that does not imply discrimination based on age, disability, gender, racial identity, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Exceptions may be present in the documentation due to language that is hardcoded in the user interfaces of the product software, language used based on RFP documentation, or language that is used by a referenced third-party product. Learn more about how Cisco is using Inclusive Language.

Applicability

Splunk Apps and Add-ons Splunk DB Connect

Investigation

DB Connect 3.3+ modifies the parameters for the dbxquery command.

If you had a local override from a DBX version older than 3.3, this will contain configuration and arguments for the old version of the command.

Depend on from what version you upgrade you will have different error in the search.log but the far most common one is:
  
INFO SearchParser - PARSING: | dbxquery query="select 1;" connection="TEST_ORACLE"INFO ChunkedExternProcessor - Running process: 
/opt//splunk/etc/apps/splunk_app_db_connect/linux_x86_64/bin/command.sh 
-DDBX_COMMAND_LOG_LEVEL\=INFOERROR ChunkedExternProcessor - stderr: Usage: java [-options] class [args...]ERROR ChunkedExternProcessor - stderr: (to execute a class)ERROR ChunkedExternProcessor - stderr: or java [-options] -jar jarfile [args...]


 

Resolution

Solution is to remove/review the whole [dbxquery] stanza from commands.conf in:
$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/splunk_app_db_connect/local

 
Splunk Documentation:
DB Connect Troubleshooting
https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/DBX/latest/DeployDBX/Troubleshooting

Revision History

Revision Publish Date Comments
1.0
29-Sep-2026
Initial Release

Was this Document Helpful?

FeedbackFeedback

Contact Cisco

This Document Applies to These Products

Related Articles