<p>MySQL error 1661 occurs when a single DML statement touches storage engines that need different binary logging formats, making it impossible to write the operation to the binary log.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1661 (ER_BINLOG_ROW_ENGINE_AND_STMT_ENGINE) appears when one statement updates tables that require incompatible binlog formats. Split the statement or set binlog_format=ROW to resolve the issue.</p>
Cannot execute statement: impossible to write to binary
MySQL throws error 1661 with the message "Cannot execute statement: impossible to write to binary log" when a single statement involves both a row-incapable storage engine and a statement-incapable storage engine. The server cannot decide which binary logging format to use, so it blocks the statement to protect replication consistency.
The problem is most visible on replicated servers that rely on the binary log. Production workloads suddenly halt, making a fast fix critical to avoid data drift between the primary and replicas.
The error is triggered when a DML statement (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, REPLACE) touches at least two tables that have conflicting logging requirements. Engines like NDBCluster need ROW logging, while engines such as MEMORY reject ROW and accept only STATEMENT.
A mixed binlog_format (MIXED) cannot solve this conflict because both engines refuse one of the two formats. MySQL therefore aborts execution before any data is changed.
Split the operation into two statements, each affecting only one engine type. This lets the server pick the correct logging format for every statement.
If possible, migrate all affected tables to an engine that supports row-based logging and set binlog_format=ROW. Row logging works for every engine that participates in replication, eliminating future conflicts.
INSERT INTO persistent_table SELECT ... FROM temp_memory_table is a classic failure pattern. Rewrite the workflow to insert into a temporary InnoDB table first, or use two statements.
Bulk UPDATE joining an NDB table with an InnoDB table also fails. Perform the UPDATE on the NDB table using a staging table or process the join in application code.
Standardize on one storage engine for write-intensive workloads. Use InnoDB for transactional data to avoid cross-engine statements.
Configure all servers in a replication group with binlog_format=ROW. Test schema changes in staging to catch cross-engine statements early.
MySQL Error 1580 (BINLOG_FORMAT_MIXED_ENGINE) fires when a statement refers to a table that requires a specific format while binlog_format=MIXED. The fix is similar: switch to ROW or alter the table engine.
A query updates or inserts into tables that belong to different engines with incompatible logging rules, such as MEMORY and NDB.
Statements joining an NDBCluster table and a MEMORY table force MySQL to decide on a single format and trigger the error.
After triggers fire and manipulate tables in another engine, the composite event becomes unloggable.
Even with binlog_format=MIXED, MySQL cannot auto-switch when both formats are invalid for the engines involved.
Occurs when a single table requires a specific logging format that conflicts with the current binlog_format setting.
Raised when the server cannot safely switch binlog_format during execution.
Replication fails because the slave cannot interpret events written with an unsupported format.
MIXED still logs some statements in STATEMENT format. If any involved engine refuses STATEMENT logging, the conflict remains.
Yes, disabling binary logging removes the conflict, but you lose point-in-time recovery and replication capabilities.
ROW logging generates larger binlogs but is faster to apply on replicas. Compression and binlog rotation mitigate storage impact.
Galaxy’s SQL editor warns when a query mixes incompatible engines, and its AI copilot suggests engine-aligned rewrites before execution.
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