Resolving MySQL ERROR 5270: Object Not Found in Recycle Bin During Flashback

Phenomenon

When attempting to flashback a dropped table using SHOW RECYCLEBIN or FLASHBACK TABLE, users may encounter:

ERROR 5270 (HY000): Object not in RECYCLE BIN

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Steps to Reproduce:

Create and drop a table:

CREATE TABLE test.a (i INT);  
DROP TABLE test.a;  

Attempt to flashback:

FLASHBACK TABLE test.a TO BEFORE DROP;  
-- Returns ERROR 5270  

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Root Cause:
By default, FLASHBACK TABLE uses the ​current database context. If the table was dropped from a different database, the command fails unless explicitly qualified with database.table.

Key Findings & Solutions

1. ​Retrieve an Object’s Database in the Recycle Bin​

Use the internal __all_recyclebin table:

SELECT 
  rb.database_id, 
  db.database_name, 
  rb.original_name 
FROM __all_recyclebin rb 
JOIN __all_virtual_database db ON rb.database_id = db.database_id;

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2. ​Handling Duplicate Table Names​

The Recycle Bin retains ​multiple versions​ of the same-named table. Flashback prioritizes the ​most recently dropped instance. Verify with:

SHOW RECYCLEBIN;  
-- Newest entry appears first  

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3. ​Recycle Bin Visibility After Shutdown​

The Recycle Bin remains accessible even when disabled:

SET SESSION recyclebin = 0;  
SHOW RECYCLEBIN; -- Still visible  

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4. ​Tenant Isolation​

Recycle Bin contents are ​tenant-specific:

• Tenant A cannot access objects from Tenant B’s Recycle Bin.
• Use ALTER SYSTEM CHANGE TENANT to switch contexts.

5. ​Post-Disable Flashback​

Tables can still be recovered after disabling the Recycle Bin:

SET SESSION recyclebin = 0;  
FLASHBACK TABLE test.a TO BEFORE DROP; -- Works if object exists in __all_recyclebin  

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Conclusion

• ​Visibility: Use __all_recyclebin to locate objects across tenants/databases.
• ​Safety: Always qualify table names with database.table during flashback.
• ​Cleanup: Purge obsolete entries to manage storage:

PURGE RECYCLEBIN;  

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For advanced scenarios, explore MySQL’s documentation on Recycle Bin architecture.