{"record":{"id":"079159456ad2c112","repo":"apache/cassandra","slug":"unknown-broadcast-address","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Unknown broadcast_address '","messagePattern":"Unknown broadcast_address '","errorType":"validation","errorClass":"ConfigurationException","httpStatus":null,"severity":"critical","filePath":"src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/DatabaseDescriptor.java","lineNumber":1537,"sourceCode":"\n            if (listenAddress.isAnyLocalAddress())\n                throw new ConfigurationException(\"listen_address cannot be a wildcard address (\" + config.listen_address + \")!\", false);\n        }\n        else if (config.listen_interface != null)\n        {\n            listenAddress = getNetworkInterfaceAddress(config.listen_interface, \"listen_interface\", config.listen_interface_prefer_ipv6);\n        }\n\n        /* Gossip Address to broadcast */\n        if (config.broadcast_address != null)\n        {\n            try\n            {\n                broadcastAddress = InetAddress.getByName(config.broadcast_address);\n            }\n            catch (UnknownHostException e)\n            {\n                throw new ConfigurationException(\"Unknown broadcast_address '\" + config.broadcast_address + '\\'', false);\n            }\n\n            if (broadcastAddress.isAnyLocalAddress())\n                throw new ConfigurationException(\"broadcast_address cannot be a wildcard address (\" + config.broadcast_address + \")!\", false);\n        }\n\n        /* Local IP, hostname or interface to bind RPC server to */\n        if (config.rpc_address != null && config.rpc_interface != null)\n        {\n            throw new ConfigurationException(\"Set rpc_address OR rpc_interface, not both\", false);\n        }\n        else if (config.rpc_address != null)\n        {\n            try\n            {\n                rpcAddress = InetAddress.getByName(config.rpc_address);\n            }\n            catch (UnknownHostException e)","sourceCodeStart":1519,"sourceCodeEnd":1555,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/apache/cassandra/blob/88fd0f6a0eaed8943f05ac9e8f947882b8ddc8f1/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/config/DatabaseDescriptor.java#L1519-L1555","documentation":"The broadcast_address value in cassandra.yaml could not be resolved to an IP: InetAddress.getByName() threw UnknownHostException and DatabaseDescriptor converted it into this ConfigurationException. broadcast_address is what other nodes see, so it must resolve to the node's routable address.","triggerScenarios":"config.broadcast_address is set and InetAddress.getByName(config.broadcast_address) fails with UnknownHostException.","commonSituations":"Setting broadcast_address to an external/public hostname that does not resolve from inside the node (common in NAT/cloud multi-DC setups); typo in the hostname; stale DNS after instance rename.","solutions":["Set broadcast_address to an IP address that resolves from the node (or remove broadcast_address if it equals listen_address).","Fix /etc/hosts or DNS so the configured hostname resolves.","Verify the value matches the address peers should use to reach this node."],"exampleFix":"# before (cassandra.yaml)\nbroadcast_address: cassandra-node5.public.example\n# after\nbroadcast_address: 10.0.0.5","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"ba = yaml['broadcast_address']\nraise \"broadcast_address '#{ba}' unresolvable\" if ba && !ba.match?(Resolv::IPv4::Regex) && !Resolv.getaddress(ba)","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"catch (ConfigurationException e) { logger.error(\"broadcast_address does not resolve: {}\", e.getMessage()); System.exit(2); }","preventionTips":["Omit broadcast_address unless the node is behind NAT/multi-DC address translation","Use IPs that resolve from inside the node","Verify with `getent hosts <value>` before startup"],"tags":["configuration","network","dns","gossip","cassandra"],"backgroundTag":"invalid-argument-value","analyzedSha":"88fd0f6a0eaed8943f05ac9e8f947882b8ddc8f1","analyzedAt":"2026-09-10T07:29:22.284Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-10T07:29:22.284Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-14T11:17:12.474Z"}