Errors when creating VMs

If you can't create a VM instance, it might be due to one of theissues that's described in this section.

Insufficient quota

A quota error occurs when a resource request exceeds your quota.

Error messages:

RESOURCE_NAME creation failed:QuotaQUOTA_NAME exceeded. Limit:QUOTA_LIMIT in regionREGION

RESOURCE_NAME creation failed:QuotaQUOTA_NAME exceeded. Limit:QUOTA_LIMIT in zoneZONE

Resource exhausted (HTTP 429): QUOTA_EXCEEDED

Resolution: Request a higher quota limit. For more information, seeRequesting an increase in quota.

Simultaneous resource mutation or creation operations

If you update morethan one resource at a time, for example, modifying secondary ranges in asubnetwork and creating a VM at the same time, you might see anot readyerror.

Error message:

The resource 'projects/PROJECT/regions/REGION/subnetworks/default' is not ready

Resolution: To resolve this issue, try the following:

• Wait for operations to be donebefore creating new requests.
• Retry operations with exponential backoff.
• Poll operationsto check their completion status.

Resource availability

The following are examples of common resource errors that you might encounterwhen you request new Compute Engine resources or create new reservations:

ZONE_RESOURCE_POOL_EXHAUSTED

ZONE_RESOURCE_POOL_EXHAUSTED_WITH_DETAILS

The zone 'projects/PROJECT_ID/zones/ZONE' does not have enough resources available to fulfill the request.Try a different zone, or try again later.

AVM_TYPE_AND_SIZE VM instance withRESOURCE_ATTACHMENT is currently unavailable in theZONE zone.Capacity changes frequently, so try your request in a different zone, with a different VM hardwareconfiguration, or at a later time. For more options, see troubleshooting documentation.

AVM_TYPE_AND_SIZE VM instance withRESOURCE_ATTACHMENT is currently unavailable in theZONE zone, because ofREASON.Consider trying your request in theZONE zone(s), which currently has capacity to accommodate your request.If you cannot move your VM toZONE, review theREASON failure resolution instructions available in troubleshooting documentation, then try your request again.If your workload can't accommodate the suggested resolution, try your request with a different VM hardware configuration or at a later time.

To learn how to resolve resource errors, seeTroubleshooting resource availability errors.

Zone availability

If you receive anotFound ordoes not exist in zone error whenrequesting new resources, it means that the zone you are requesting the resourcein does not offer the resource or machine type that you have requested.

Error messages:

notFound

does not exist in zone

Resolution: SeeRegions and zones to findout which features are available in each zone.

Rate exceeded for resource type

The following error occurs when you create more than one disk or VM froma snapshot in a ten minute period.

Error message:

"code": "RESOURCE_OPERATION_RATE_EXCEEDED","message": "Operation rate exceeded for resource 'projects/project-id/zones/zone-id/disks/disk-name'.Too frequent operations from the source resource."

Resolution:

To resolve this issue, do one of the following:

• Create VMs in bulk.

  For instructions, seeCreate VMs in bulkand use the following flag or parameter to create VMs from a snapshot:

  • If using gcloud CLI, use the--source-snapshot flag.

  • If using REST, use theinstanceProperties.disks[].initializeParams.sourceSnapshot parameter.

• Use images to create disks.

  To create multiple disks from a snapshot, use the snapshot to create an imagethen create your disks from the image:

  1. Create an image from the snapshot.
  2. Create disks from the image.

  For non-boot disks, follow the instructions tocreate persistent disks from the image and use the following steps:

  • In the Google Cloud console, selectImage as the diskSource type.
  • With the gcloud CLI, use theimage flag.
  • If using REST, use thesourceImage parameter.

  For more information about backing up and replicating your persistent disk data,seeData protection options.

Insufficient permissions

If you receive apermission error when you try to create a VM, you don't havethe necessary IAM permissions to create a VM.

Error message:

Error: googleapi: Error 403: Google Compute Engine: Required 'compute.regions.get' permission for 'projects/PROJECT_ID/regions/REGION'., forbidden

Resolution: Ask your organization administrator to grant you access tocreate VMs. For more information, seeGranting access to Compute Engine resources.

Resource names

If you receive aresource already exists error when you try to create aresource, your creation request failed because you specified a non-uniquename for the resource for the specified location and project.

Error messages:

The resource 'projects/PROJECT_NAME/zones/ZONE/RESOURCE_TYPE/RESOURCE_NAME' already exists"

The resource 'projects/PROJECT_NAME/regions/REGION/RESOURCE_TYPE/RESOURCE_NAME' already exists"

Resolution: Retry your creation request with aunique resource name.

Network interfaces

The following are examples of network interface errors that you might encounterwhile creating an instance.

Too many network interfaces

If you receive aToo many network interfaces error when creating a VM, yourrequest exceeded the network interface limit for the VM's machine type.

Error messages:

Invalid value for field 'resource': ".Too many network interfaces. The maximum number of network interfaces allowed for this machine type isNUMBER.

Invalid value for field 'resource.networkInterfaces': ".Too many network interfaces. The maximum number of network interfaces allowed for this machine type isNUMBER.

Resolution: To learn about how the maximum number of network interfacesis calculated for different machine types, seeMaximum number of network interfaces.

Invalid network interface card (NIC) configuration

If you receive an error about network interface cards (NICs) when creating anA3 Ultra or A4 instance, which have uniqueNIC arrangements,then your request had an invalid networking configuration.

Error message:

OnMACHINE_SERIES, the first NIC and the second NIC (if present) must be of type GVNIC. These must be followed by 0 or 8 MRDMA NICs.

Resolution: To learn how to configure the VPC networks and networkinterfaces for A3 Ultra or A4 instances, seeCreate an A3 Ultra or A4 instance.

Constraint violated

If you receive aConstraint violated error when creating a VM, your requestviolated one or moreorganization policy constraints.

Error message:

For example, if your organization restricts Shared VPC subnetworks, youmight get the following error:

Constraint constraints/compute.CONSTRAINT violated for projects/PROJECT_ID.Using thePARAMETER projects/PROJECT_ID/regions/REGION/CONSTRAINTPROJECT_ID is not allowed.

Resolution: Contact your organization administrator.

Required CPU platform

If you receive arequired CPU platform error, the CPU platform you specified in thecreation request isn't supported by the specified machine type.

Error message:

Could not fetch resource:- The selected machine type (MACHINE_TYPE) has a required CPU platform ofREQUIRED_CPU_PLATFORM.The minimum CPU platform must match this, but wasSPECIFIED_CPU_PLATFORM.

Resolution:

1. To learn about which CPU platform your machine type supports, reviewCPU platforms.
2. Retry your request with a supported CPU platform.

Mismatched reservation properties

If you receive aNo available resources in specified reservations error whencreating a VM, the properties of the VM and thespecific reservationthat the VM is targeting for consumption aren't matching.

Error message:

Invalid value for field 'resource.reservationAffinity':- No available resources in specified reservations [RESERVATION_NAME].

Resolution: Try one of the following:

• If the VM doesn't match the reservation's properties, modify the VM until itsproperties match the reservation's properties. Then, try creating the VMagain.

• If the VM has the right properties, but doesn't match the reservation'sproperties, you can't change the reservation. Instead, do one of thefollowing:

  • When creating the VM, target a different specific reservation.

    You can create a new specific reservation with matching properties if youdon't already have one with the correct properties. If you no longer needthe previous specific reservation, then you candelete it so you are nolonger paying for those reserved resources.

  • When creating the VM, target any matching reservation.

    If there is a reservation configured for automatic consumption that hasproperties that match the VM, then the new VM consumes that reservation.Otherwise, the VM is still created, but without consuming any of yourreserved resources.

  For more information, seeTest that VM properties match a reservation.

Service account access denied

The following error might appear in Cloud Audit Logs when you create VMs usinga service account:

Error message:

SERVICE_ACCOUNT_ACCESS_DENIED

Resolution:This error appears when the service account that is used to create a VMdoesn't have the Identity and Access Management role to access the new VM's service account.

Grant theroles/iam.serviceAccountUser role to the service account that is creating the VM. You can either grant this role at theproject-level, which would give the service account that is creating VMs access to all service accounts created in the project, or you can grant this roleonly on the service account for the new VM.

Missing required permissions

The following error might occur when you try to create a VM from existing VM

Required 'compute.images.useReadOnly' permission for 'projects/PROJECT_ID/global/images/IMAGE_NAME

This error can occur for several reasons. The following is a common cause ofthis error:

• You tried tocreate a new VM from an existing VMbut you don't have read-access to the existing VM's boot disk image.

  To resolve this issue, contact the owner of the boot disk, and ask them toshare the existing VM's image with you.

Free Trial

If you try to create a Windows VM during aFree Trial of Google Cloud,then you receive an error.

Error message:

Windows VM instances are not included with free trial. To use them,first enable billing on your account.

Resolution:Windows Server images aren't included in the Free Trial.Upgrade to a paid Cloud Billing account.

VM doesn't start

If a Linux VM that uses a startup script doesn't start after it was created, itmight be related to an issue connecting to the metadata server.

This issue can last for up to seven minutes due to a transient network issuethat resolves on its own. If the issue does not resolve itself afterseven minutes, recreate the VM.

Errors when updating VMs

If you can't update a VM instance, it might be due to the following issue.

Error when changing the machine type

The following error might occur when you try to change the machine type of a VM:

Invalid value for field 'resource.sourceMachineImage': Updating 'sourceMachineImage' is not supported

Resolution:

• Make sure that your VM supports the processor of the new machine type. Formore information about the processors supported by different machine types, seeMachine family comparison.

• Try tochange the machine type by using the Google Cloud CLI.