elastic/elasticsearch · error · RuntimeException

Missing upper bound {} for release version {}

Error message

Missing upper bound {} for release version {}

What it means

RuntimeException from GenerateInitialTransportVersionTask.run() when both the initial_<version> definition and the base upper bound for the current stack version are absent from git base. The task bootstraps transport versions for a new release branch and expects an existing upper bound to anchor the new ids.

Source

Thrown at build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/transport/GenerateInitialTransportVersionTask.java:48

    public abstract Property<String> getStackVersion();

    @Input
    abstract Property<Version> getCurrentVersion();

    @TaskAction
    public void run() throws IOException {
        Version stackVersion = Version.fromString(getStackVersion().get());
        String upperBoundName = getUpperBoundName(stackVersion);
        TransportVersionResourcesService resources = getResourceService().get();
        TransportVersionUpperBound baseUpperBound = resources.getUpperBoundFromGitBase(upperBoundName);
        String initialDefinitionName = "initial_" + stackVersion;
        TransportVersionDefinition existingDefinition = resources.getUnreferableDefinitionFromGitBase(initialDefinitionName);

        // This task runs on main and release branches. In release branches we will generate the exact same
        // upper bound result because we always look at the base branch (ie upstream/main).
        if (existingDefinition == null) {
            if (baseUpperBound == null) {
                throw new RuntimeException("Missing upper bound " + upperBoundName + " for release version " + stackVersion);
            }

            // minors increment by 1000 to create a unique base, patches increment by 1 as other patches do
            int increment = stackVersion.getRevision() == 0 ? 1000 : 1;
            var id = TransportVersionId.fromInt(baseUpperBound.definitionId().complete() + increment);
            var definition = new TransportVersionDefinition(initialDefinitionName, List.of(id), false);
            resources.writeDefinition(definition);
            var newUpperBound = new TransportVersionUpperBound(upperBoundName, initialDefinitionName, id);
            resources.writeUpperBound(newUpperBound);

            Version currentVersion = getCurrentVersion().get();
            String currentUpperBoundName = getUpperBoundName(currentVersion);
            if (stackVersion.getRevision() == 0) {
                // a minor creates a new base, which the current branch must also point at
                resources.writeUpperBound(new TransportVersionUpperBound(currentUpperBoundName, initialDefinitionName, id));
            } else if (currentUpperBoundName.equals(upperBoundName) == false) {
                // A patch adds an id to an existing base. If the current branch's upper bound still points into that
                // same base, that patch id is now the latest id for the base, which the current branch cannot adopt:

View on GitHub (pinned to db6a809a66)

Solutions

1. Confirm the upper-bound file for the target branch name exists on the base branch (upstream/main).
2. Run on a branch that is up to date with the base so getUpperBoundFromGitBase can find the file.
3. If bootstrapping a brand-new release line, create the seed upper-bound file first per the documented workflow.

String upperBoundName = getUpperBoundName(stackVersion);
TransportVersionUpperBound baseUpperBound = resources.getUpperBoundFromGitBase(upperBoundName);
if (baseUpperBound == null) {
    throw new IllegalStateException("No upper bound '" + upperBoundName + "' on base branch. Run on main / sync resources first.");
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running the initial-version task for a stack version whose upper-bound CSV (named after getUpperBoundName(stackVersion)) does not exist in the upstream/base git revision of the transport-resources directory.

Common situations: Creating a new minor/major release without first establishing its upper-bound file on main; pointing the task at the wrong base branch; the resources submodule/directory is out of sync with upstream.

Related errors

• Missing upper bound {} for stack version {}
• Transport version generation cannot run on release branches
• git command failed with exit code {} command: {} output: {}
• Invalid increment {}, must be a positive integer
• Invalid increment {}, must be no larger than 1000

AI-assisted analysis of elastic/elasticsearch@db6a809a66 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9564c86df7e248db. Report an issue: GitHub.