kubernetes/kops · error

unexpected target type for deletion: %T

Error message

unexpected target type for deletion: %T

What it means

deleteNLB.Delete type-asserts the fi.CloudupTarget to *awsup.AWSAPITarget and returns this error when the assertion fails. It is a programming/assembly error: the delete delegator was invoked with a target type other than the AWS API target. The %T verb prints the actual dynamic type received.

Source

Thrown at upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awstasks/network_load_balancer.go:725

// FindDeletions schedules deletion of load balancer revisions that are no longer in use.
func (e *NetworkLoadBalancer) FindDeletions(context *fi.CloudupContext) ([]fi.CloudupDeletion, error) {
	return e.deletions, nil
}

// deleteNLB tracks a NLB that we're going to delete
// It implements fi.CloudupDeletion
type deleteNLB struct {
	obj *awsup.LoadBalancerInfo
}

var _ fi.CloudupDeletion = (*deleteNLB)(nil)

func (d *deleteNLB) Delete(t fi.CloudupTarget) error {
	ctx := context.TODO()

	awsTarget, ok := t.(*awsup.AWSAPITarget)
	if !ok {
		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected target type for deletion: %T", t)
	}

	arn := d.obj.ARN()
	klog.V(2).Infof("deleting load balancer %q", arn)
	if _, err := awsTarget.Cloud.ELBV2().DeleteLoadBalancer(ctx, &elbv2.DeleteLoadBalancerInput{
		LoadBalancerArn: &arn,
	}); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error deleting ELB LoadBalancer %q: %w", arn, err)
	}

	return nil
}

// String returns a string representation of the task
func (d *deleteNLB) String() string {
	return d.TaskName() + "-" + d.Item()
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 4c8573c808)

Solutions

1. Ensure NLB deletion is invoked with an *awsup.AWSAPITarget created for the cluster's cloud
2. Check how the delete delegator is registered/assembled in the task map
3. If writing tests, pass awsup.NewAWSAPITarget(cloud) rather than a mock target

Example fix

// before
target := myMockTarget // not AWSAPITarget
delegator.Delete(target)
// after
awsTarget := awsup.NewAWSAPITarget(cloud)
delegator.Delete(awsTarget)

if _, ok := target.(*awsup.AWSAPITarget); !ok {
  return fmt.Errorf("deleteNLB requires *awsup.AWSAPITarget, got %T", target)
}

func asAWSAPITarget(t fi.CloudupTarget) (*awsup.AWSAPITarget, bool) {
  at, ok := t.(*awsup.AWSAPITarget)
  return at, ok
}

awsTarget, ok := t.(*awsup.AWSAPITarget)
if !ok { return fmt.Errorf("unexpected target type for deletion: %T", t) }

When it happens

Trigger: Invoking deleteNLB.Delete with any fi.CloudupTarget that is not *awsup.AWSAPITarget — e.g. a dry-run/target passed into the deletion path, or a custom target type.

Common situations: Running deletion through a non-AWS target (e.g. a target built for a different cloud or a testing stub); code changes in kOps target wiring that route NLB deletion through the wrong target.

Related errors

• unexpected target type for deletion: %T
• unexpected target type for deletion: %T
• expected an AWS cloud, got %T
• DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN is required
• the image for the hook exec action not set

AI-assisted analysis of kubernetes/kops@4c8573c808 (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cc8c0f74094fd4d8. Report an issue: GitHub.