KB230267: "Unspecified System Error = -21005" or "Inexact character conversion during translation" error returned when trying to upgrade an Informix metadata in MicroStrategy 9.x.

SUMMARY

This technical note is about an issue that arises when trying to upgrade an Informix metadata. This issue is related to using an outdated code page for the metadata. This issue has been seen in other contexts, such as importing objects or adding translations to objects.
 

SYMPTOMS

When trying to upgrade an Informix metadata, users may encounter one of the following errors:
 

Unspecified System Error = -21005

Inexact character conversion during translation

These errors can be seen in other contexts that deal with translations.
CAUSE
This is due to an incorrect code page being used in the metadata. Starting in Strategy 9.x, only databases that support and use Unicode code pages are supported. In this particular instance, the Informix database is using an older code page that is non-Unicode and doesn't contain support for international characters.
More information about this exact error can be found in the following IBM TN: http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21402358
ACTION
The only way to resolve this issue is by doing the following:

1. Create a new database on the Informix database server that uses a Unicode code page.
2. Create a new metadata shell against this new database using the pre-upgrade version of the software.
3. Duplicate all projects from the pre-upgrade metadata into the new metadata shell created.
4. Continue using the new metadata and upgrade the new metadata.