dotnet/orleans · critical · OrleansConfigurationException

No credentials specified. Use the {GetType().Name}.Configure

Error message

No credentials specified. Use the {GetType().Name}.ConfigureTableServiceClient method to configure the Azure Table Service client.

What it means

Thrown by AzureStorageOperationOptions.Validate() when CreateClient is null — i.e. no credentials/client were ever configured for the Azure Table Service. Validate() runs during silo/client startup, so this surfaces as a blocking OrleansConfigurationException that prevents the host from booting. The message points you to the (now-obsolete) ConfigureTableServiceClient methods, but the recommended fix is to set TableServiceClient directly.

Source

Thrown at src/Azure/Shared/Storage/AzureStorageOperationOptions.cs:189

            var delay = storagePolicyOptions.PauseBetweenOperationRetries > TimeSpan.Zero
                ? storagePolicyOptions.PauseBetweenOperationRetries
                : TimeSpan.FromSeconds(0.8);

            var maxDelay = storagePolicyOptions.MaxPauseBetweenOperationRetries == Timeout.InfiniteTimeSpan
                ? TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1)
                : storagePolicyOptions.MaxPauseBetweenOperationRetries;

            retryOptions.Mode = RetryMode.Exponential;
            retryOptions.Delay = delay;
            retryOptions.MaxDelay = maxDelay >= delay ? maxDelay : delay;
            retryOptions.MaxRetries = Math.Max(0, storagePolicyOptions.MaxOperationRetries);
        }

        internal void Validate(string? name)
        {
            if (CreateClient is null)
            {
                throw new OrleansConfigurationException($"No credentials specified. Use the {GetType().Name}.{nameof(ConfigureTableServiceClient)} method to configure the Azure Table Service client.");
            }

            try
            {
                AzureTableUtils.ValidateTableName(TableName);
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                throw GetException($"{nameof(TableName)} is not valid.", ex);
            }

            Exception GetException(string message, Exception? inner = null) =>
                new OrleansConfigurationException($"Configuration for {GetType().Name} {name} is invalid. {message}", inner!);
        }
    }

    public class AzureStorageOperationOptionsValidator<TOptions> : IConfigurationValidator where TOptions : AzureStorageOperationOptions
    {

View on GitHub (pinned to fca799fa70)

Solutions

1. Set options.TableServiceClient to a configured TableServiceClient instance (preferred), or call a ConfigureTableServiceClient overload.
2. Ensure the assignment happens during startup configuration (e.g. in a PostConfigure or builder callback) before Validate runs.
3. Confirm the right AzureStorageOperationOptions instance is the one being registered.

Example fix

// before
silo.AddAzureTableGrainStorage("Default", o => { o.TableName = "grainstate"; /* no client! */ });
// after
silo.AddAzureTableGrainStorage("Default", o =>
{
    o.TableName = "grainstate";
    o.TableServiceClient = new TableServiceClient(connectionString);
});

void EnsureConfigured(AzureStorageOperationOptions o)
{
    if (o.TableServiceClient is null && o.CreateClient is null)
        throw new OrleansConfigurationException($"{nameof(AzureStorageOperationOptions)} has no TableServiceClient configured.");
}

static bool IsClientConfigured(AzureStorageOperationOptions o) => o.TableServiceClient is not null || o.CreateClient is not null;

catch (OrleansConfigurationException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("No credentials specified")) { /* wire TableServiceClient before startup */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Registering an Azure Table-backed storage/clustering/reminders/streaming provider without ever calling any ConfigureTableServiceClient overload or assigning TableServiceClient. Also when a custom AzureStorageOperationOptions subclass leaves the client unassigned.

Common situations: Forgot to wire credentials for Azure Table storage; DI bound AzureStorageOperationOptions but no post-configuration set the client; migration where the Configure call was removed but the property assignment was not added.

Related errors

• No credentials specified. Use the {options.GetType().Name}.C
• Value cannot be null. (Parameter 'createClientCallback')
• Value cannot be null. (Parameter 'connectionString')
• Value cannot be null. (Parameter 'serviceUri')
• Value cannot be null. (Parameter 'tokenCredential')

AI-assisted analysis of dotnet/orleans@fca799fa70 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8c68dc368981c989. Report an issue: GitHub.