No users can create tables within Hive

[#1]

SYMPTOM:

hive> create table mytab (col1 int) location '/tmp/abc';
FAILED: Execution Error, return code 1 from org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.exec.DDLTask. MetaException(message:java.security.AccessControlException: Permission denied: user=dbloader, access=WRITE, inode="/user/hive":hive:hadoop:drwxr-xr-x
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode.FSPermissionChecker.check(FSPermissionChecker.java:319)
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode.FSPermissionChecker.checkPermission(FSPermissionChecker.java:219)
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode.FSPermissionChecker.checkPermission(FSPermissionChecker.java:190)
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode.FSDirectory.checkPermission(FSDirectory.java:1780)
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode.FSDirectory.checkPermission(FSDirectory.java:1764)
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode.FSDirectory.checkPathAccess(FSDirectory.java:1738)
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode.FSNamesystem.checkAccess(FSNamesystem.java:8445)
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.server.namenode.NameNodeRpcServer.checkAccess(NameNodeRpcServer.java:2022)
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.protocolPB.ClientNamenodeProtocolServerSideTranslatorPB.checkAccess(ClientNamenodeProtocolServerSideTranslatorPB.java:1451)
        at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.protocol.proto.ClientNamenodeProtocolProtos$ClientNamenodeProtocol$2.callBlockingMethod(ClientNamenodeProtocolProtos.java)
        at org.apache.hadoop.ipc.ProtobufRpcEngine$Server$ProtoBufRpcInvoker.call(ProtobufRpcEngine.java:616)
        at org.apache.hadoop.ipc.RPC$Server.call(RPC.java:969)
        at org.apache.hadoop.ipc.Server$Handler$1.run(Server.java:2206)
        at org.apache.hadoop.ipc.Server$Handler$1.run(Server.java:2202)
        at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
        at javax.security.auth.Subject.doAs(Subject.java:422)
        at org.apache.hadoop.security.UserGroupInformation.doAs(UserGroupInformation.java:1709)
        at org.apache.hadoop.ipc.Server$Handler.run(Server.java:2200)
)
hive>

ROOT CAUSE: Misconfiguration of the property hive.metastore.warehouse.dir within hive-site.xml. The value reflects the default location where objects should be created, however, if it is set to a location such as "/user/hive" or a directory where the permissions do not apply, it could produce the exception as stated above.

RESOLUTION: Ensure that the value is set to the default i.e., "/apps/hive/warehouse" or a directory where you have appropriate permissions. This error would show up with/without impersonation enabled.