kubernetes/kops · error

error creating backend service: %v

Error message

error creating backend service: %v

What it means

Wrapped error returned when the RegionBackendServices.Insert API call itself fails while creating a new backend service (a == nil). The request was rejected synchronously — common causes are invalid health-check links, missing permissions, quota, or a name collision.

Source

Thrown at upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/gcetasks/backend_service.go:131

	for _, igm := range e.InstanceGroupManagers {
		backends = append(backends, &compute.Backend{
			Group: fmt.Sprintf("https://compute.googleapis.com/compute/v1/projects/%s/zones/%s/instanceGroups/%s", cloud.Project(), *igm.Zone, *igm.Name),
		})
	}
	bs := &compute.BackendService{
		Name:                *e.Name,
		Protocol:            *e.Protocol,
		HealthChecks:        hcs,
		LoadBalancingScheme: *e.LoadBalancingScheme,
		Backends:            backends,
	}

	if a == nil {
		klog.V(2).Infof("Creating BackendService: %q", bs.Name)

		op, err := cloud.Compute().RegionBackendServices().Insert(cloud.Project(), cloud.Region(), bs)
		if err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("error creating backend service: %v", err)
		}

		if err := cloud.WaitForOp(op); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("error waiting for backend service: %v", err)
		}
	} else {
		return fmt.Errorf("cannot apply changes to backend service: %v", changes)
	}

	return nil
}

func (a *BackendService) URL(cloud gce.GCECloud) string {
	return fmt.Sprintf("https://www.googleapis.com/compute/v1/projects/%s/regions/%s/backendServices/%s",
		cloud.Project(),
		cloud.Region(),
		*a.Name)
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 4c8573c808)

Solutions

1. Read the wrapped API error to identify the rejected field (protocol, health checks, backends)
2. Verify referenced health checks and instance groups exist and are in the same region
3. Check backend-service quota and IAM permissions, then re-run apply

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/gcetasks/backend_service.go:131 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of kubernetes/kops@4c8573c808 (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b524278215775876. Report an issue: GitHub.