What does Windows error code 8429 (ERROR_DS_HIERARCHY_TABLE_MALLOC_FAILED) mean?

ERROR_DS_HIERARCHY_TABLE_MALLOC_FAILED

The allocation of the hierarchy table failed.

Windows assigns decimal 8429 and hexadecimal 0x000020ED to ERROR_DS_HIERARCHY_TABLE_MALLOC_FAILED. The decisive subject is memory allocation for a directory hierarchy table; the value alone does not reveal which object, server, file, session, or transition failed.

The native Value is 8429 (0x000020ED). Preserve this result immediately after the failing Windows call because later logging, cleanup, LDAP, RPC, or file operations can replace the last-error value.

Where the result appears

• processing memory allocation for a directory hierarchy table.
• executing an LDAP, RPC, deployment, replication, or directory-management operation.
• working against a specific domain controller whose replica and schema state affect the result.
• translating extended directory diagnostics into a Win32 error for an application or administration tool.

State boundary to prove

This result applies to memory allocation for a directory hierarchy table and does not by itself prove that the entire server, directory, disk, session, or application is unavailable. The state boundary to prove for it is whether the server can allocate bounded memory for the hierarchy size being processed. Use requested allocation size, object count and nesting depth, and LSASS memory and commit state as independent evidence. When evidence for it disagrees, preserve timestamps and investigate the transition instead of selecting the most convenient value.

Likely causes

• the hierarchy is unexpectedly large.
• the process or system is under memory pressure.
• fragmentation prevents a required contiguous allocation.
• invalid counts caused an excessive allocation request.

Diagnostic sequence

1. capture error 8429 immediately at the API boundary and record the operation that was attempted.
2. identify the exact owner of memory allocation for a directory hierarchy table, including object generation, server, path, session, replica, or client context.
3. collect requested allocation size before restarting a service or changing configuration.
4. compare object count and nesting depth with the documented or observed precondition.
5. correlate LSASS memory and commit state with the Directory Service event log, LDAP extended diagnostics, replication metadata, dcdiag and repadmin output, and the calling application’s request trace.
6. determine whether side effects occurred and verify recovery after changing one responsible condition.

Evidence to collect

• requested allocation size.
• object count and nesting depth.
• LSASS memory and commit state.
• input counts and overflow checks.

Correlate this result with the Directory Service event log, LDAP extended diagnostics, replication metadata, dcdiag and repadmin output, and the calling application’s request trace. Keep the first detailed status even when a later wrapper translates it to error 8429; the first status often distinguishes transport, authorization, storage, schema, state, and application-integrity causes that share the same final Win32 result.

Handling, retry, and recovery

The recovery objective is to validate counts, reduce pathological hierarchy size, relieve memory pressure, and retry only after the allocation requirement is understood.

Retry it only after the recorded condition changes and completion state is known. Idempotent queries may be repeated after recovery, but mutations require a state check first; backoff cannot repair malformed input, corruption, missing structure, or policy rejection.

Telemetry and support fields

• record ds_hierarchy_table_malloc_failed_api for the producing function or management operation.
• record ds_hierarchy_table_malloc_failed_target for the file, log, session, replica, object, or server identity.
• record ds_hierarchy_table_malloc_failed_state_before and ds_hierarchy_table_malloc_failed_requested_transition.
• record ds_hierarchy_table_malloc_failed_first_status for the earliest lower-level diagnostic.

For support escalation involving it, retain decimal 8429, hexadecimal 0x000020ED, the API, UTC time, target identity, and first subsystem-specific status. Include the smallest reproducible request and evidence that distinguishes this condition from nearby codes. In the context of it, many ds codes are internal or management-facing and are not tied to one public function. the producing ldap, rpc, deployment, or management api must therefore be recorded with the code.

Difference from nearby results

ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY is general; this code identifies allocation while building the directory hierarchy table

Practical validation scenario

A malformed import reports millions of nodes and drives an excessive allocation. Rejecting the invalid count prevents memory exhaustion and allows valid data to load. The negative test should preserve the responsible condition and reproduce it; the recovery test should change only the identified cause, repeat the same operation, and verify both success and the absence of an unintended partial side effect.

Developer and administrator guidance

Administrators handling it should preserve Directory Service events, replication metadata, and the contacted domain controller before changing objects or forcing role transitions. Developers should retain LDAP extended diagnostics and object identities across wrappers so the Win32 code does not erase the actionable directory result. Code that exposes it through RPC, JSON, REST, PowerShell, or another protocol should preserve the Win32 domain, decimal 8429, hexadecimal 0x000020ED, and original component diagnostic.

References

• Microsoft: Win32 system error range containing this code — official context relevant to it.
• Microsoft: AD DS troubleshooting — official context relevant to it.
• Microsoft: repadmin — official context relevant to it.
• Microsoft: dcdiag — official context relevant to it.
• Microsoft: AD and LDS diagnostic event logging — official context relevant to it.

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