PDO exception while executing cron: newsletter queue send fails (Unknown column 'main_table.data' in 'field list')

Question

the cron job fails when processing the newsletter queue. I debugged the PDO calls and it seems like Magento is mixing up fields here. I have no clue where Magento (or Zend PDO) get the fields to select from, but it looks totally mixed up:

It seems like Magento fails on getting the customer's first name. The last selects are:

SELECT eav_entity_type.* FROM eav_entity_type WHERE (eav_entity_type.entity_type_code='customer')

DESCRIBE customer_eav_attribute

DESCRIBE customer_eav_attribute_website

then comes a select with a field list that does not exist:

SELECT main_table.data, main_table.lifetime, main_table.expire, main_table.priority, additional_table.attribute_id, additional_table.is_visible, additional_table.input_filter, additional_table.multiline_count, additional_table.validate_rules, additional_table.is_system, additional_table.sort_order, additional_table.data_model, scope_table.website_id AS scope_website_id, scope_table.is_visible AS scope_is_visible, scope_table.multiline_count AS scope_multiline_count FROM eav_attribute AS main_table INNER JOIN customer_eav_attribute AS additional_table ON additional_table.attribute_id = main_table.attribute_id LEFT JOIN customer_eav_attribute_website AS scope_table ON scope_table.attribute_id = main_table.attribute_id AND scope_table.website_id = :scope_website_id WHERE (main_table.entity_type_id = :mt_entity_type_id)

Parameters for that query: :mt_entity_type_id' => 1 and :scope_website_id' => 0

this raises

exception 'PDOException' with message 'SQLSTATE[42S22]: Column not found: 1054 Unknown column 'main_table.data' in 'field list''

because the eav_attribute table does not include fields data, lifetime, expire or priority.

Here's the complete stack trace:

Stack trace:
0 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/lib/Zend/Db/Statement/Pdo.php(228): PDOStatement->execute(Array)
1 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/lib/Varien/Db/Statement/Pdo/Mysql.php(110): Zend_Db_Statement_Pdo->_execute(Array)
2 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Zend/Db/Statement.php(291): Varien_Db_Statement_Pdo_Mysql->_execute(Array)
3 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/lib/Zend/Db/Adapter/Abstract.php(480): Zend_Db_Statement->execute(Array)
4 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/lib/Zend/Db/Adapter/Pdo/Abstract.php(238): Zend_Db_Adapter_Abstract->query('SELECT `main_ta...', Array)
5 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/lib/Varien/Db/Adapter/Pdo/Mysql.php(428): Zend_Db_Adapter_Pdo_Abstract->query('SELECT `main_ta...', Array)
6 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/lib/Zend/Db/Adapter/Abstract.php(737): Varien_Db_Adapter_Pdo_Mysql->query('SELECT `main_ta...', Array)
7 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/lib/Varien/Data/Collection/Db.php(734): Zend_Db_Adapter_Abstract->fetchAll('SELECT `main_ta...', Array)
8 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Model/Resource/Db/Collection/Abstract.php(521): Varien_Data_Collection_Db->_fetchAll('SELECT `main_ta...', Array)
9 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Eav/Model/Config.php(356): Mage_Core_Model_Resource_Db_Collection_Abstract->getData()
10 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Eav/Model/Config.php(478): Mage_Eav_Model_Config->_initAttributes(Object(Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Type))
11 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Eav/Model/Entity/Abstract.php(512): Mage_Eav_Model_Config->getEntityAttributeCodes(Object(Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Type), Object(Mage_Customer_Model_Customer))
12 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Customer/Model/Customer.php(340): Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Abstract->loadAllAttributes(Object(Mage_Customer_Model_Customer))
13 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Customer/Model/Customer.php(354): Mage_Customer_Model_Customer->getAttributes()
14 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Newsletter/Model/Resource/Subscriber/Collection.php(134): Mage_Customer_Model_Customer->getAttribute('firstname')
15 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Newsletter/Model/Queue.php(191): Mage_Newsletter_Model_Resource_Subscriber_Collection->showCustomerInfo()
16 [internal function]: Mage_Newsletter_Model_Queue->sendPerSubscriber(20)
17 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/lib/Varien/Data/Collection.php(466): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
18 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Newsletter/Model/Observer.php(70): Varien_Data_Collection->walk('sendPerSubscrib...', Array)
19 [internal function]: Mage_Newsletter_Model_Observer->scheduledSend(Object(Mage_Cron_Model_Schedule))
20 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Cron/Model/Observer.php(325): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
21 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Cron/Model/Observer.php(72): Mage_Cron_Model_Observer->_processJob(Object(Mage_Cron_Model_Schedule), Object(Mage_Core_Model_Config_Element))
22 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Model/App.php(1338): Mage_Cron_Model_Observer->dispatch(Object(Varien_Event_Observer))
23 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Model/App.php(1317): Mage_Core_Model_App->_callObserverMethod(Object(Mage_Cron_Model_Observer), 'dispatch', Object(Varien_Event_Observer))
24 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/app/Mage.php(448): Mage_Core_Model_App->dispatchEvent('default', Array)
25 /usr/www/users/weartb/shop/cron.php(84): Mage::dispatchEvent('default')
26 {main}

Everything seems o.k. until the Mage_Customer_Model_Customer->getAttribute('firstname') call.

We did not extend the customer model or use any modules that do so, also previewing the newsletter works fine and sending it manually also, so this exception only occurs when Magento tries to process the newsletter queue via the cron call.

Answer 1

I think you have modified core file app/code/core/Mage/Newsletter/Model/Resource/Subscriber/Collection.php

Please check showCustomerInfo() function near line 130. It should be:

public function showCustomerInfo()
{
    $adapter = $this->getConnection();
    $customer = Mage::getModel('customer/customer');
    $firstname  = $customer->getAttribute('firstname');
    $lastname   = $customer->getAttribute('lastname');

    $this->getSelect()
        ->joinLeft(
            array('customer_lastname_table'=>$lastname->getBackend()->getTable()),
            $adapter->quoteInto('customer_lastname_table.entity_id=main_table.customer_id
             AND customer_lastname_table.attribute_id = ?', (int)$lastname->getAttributeId()),
            array('customer_lastname'=>'value')
        )
        ->joinLeft(
            array('customer_firstname_table'=>$firstname->getBackend()->getTable()),
            $adapter->quoteInto('customer_firstname_table.entity_id=main_table.customer_id
             AND customer_firstname_table.attribute_id = ?', (int)$firstname->getAttributeId()),
            array('customer_firstname'=>'value')
        );

    return $this;
}

Why I think so?

1. Your error log show what no any 3rd party extensions or Mage/local files are involved.

2. Standard SQL query for this Magento action don't have 'main_table.data, main_table.lifetime, main_table.expire, main_table.priority,' part.

Answer 2

Running through your stack trace, your SQL should look something like this:

SELECT `main_table`.`attribute_id`, `main_table`.`entity_type_id`, `main_table`.`attribute_code`, `main_table`.`attribute_model`, `main_table`.`backend_model`, `main_table`.`backend_type`, `main_table`.`backend_table`, `main_table`.`frontend_model`, `main_table`.`frontend_input`, `main_table`.`frontend_label`, `main_table`.`frontend_class`, `main_table`.`source_model`, `main_table`.`is_required`, `main_table`.`is_user_defined`, `main_table`.`default_value`, `main_table`.`is_unique`, `main_table`.`note`, `additional_table`.`is_visible`, `additional_table`.`input_filter`, `additional_table`.`multiline_count`, `additional_table`.`validate_rules`, `additional_table`.`is_system`, `additional_table`.`sort_order`, `additional_table`.`data_model`, `scope_table`.`website_id` AS `scope_website_id`, `scope_table`.`is_visible` AS `scope_is_visible`, `scope_table`.`is_required` AS `scope_is_required`, `scope_table`.`default_value` AS `scope_default_value`, `scope_table`.`multiline_count` AS `scope_multiline_count` FROM `eav_attribute` AS `main_table`
 INNER JOIN `customer_eav_attribute` AS `additional_table` ON additional_table.attribute_id = main_table.attribute_id
 LEFT JOIN `customer_eav_attribute_website` AS `scope_table` ON scope_table.attribute_id = main_table.attribute_id AND scope_table.website_id = :scope_website_id WHERE (main_table.entity_type_id = :mt_entity_type_id)

I cant seem to find the unknown columns anywhere in Magento, however i have a sneaky fealing this has something to do with sessions / cache but not 100% sure. Do you have Redis enabled perhaps? If so, disable and clear cache and see what the result is.