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Troubleshooting Deployment Errors

Deploying Appsmith is typically a smooth process, but sometimes you may encounter errors that prevent you from successfully setting up your instance. This guide walks through common deployment-related errors and provides strategies for troubleshooting them.

Pre-deployment checklist​

Before delving into specific errors, it's essential to ensure that the pre-deployment conditions are met:

  • Confirm that the target server meets the minimum hardware requirements.
  • Verify that you have the necessary permissions to install and configure Appsmith on the server.
  • Ensure that all required ports (for example, 80 and 443 for web traffic) are open and not blocked by a firewall.

Port conflicts​

After installation, Appsmith services might fail to start due to port not being available.

Error message​

Ports `80` and `443` aren't open.

Cause​

The error occurs when the required ports 80 and 443 are not available for Appsmith to use due to other processes using them.

Solution​

To address this issue, you have the following options:

  • Stop all processes on ports 80 and 443 and start again. This ensures that the processes using the ports may free the ports and Appsmith can use it. This only helps if there were processes which were using ports but are no longer running on those ports.
  • If stopping processes on these ports is not viable, or there are other processes which continue to run on these ports then edit the docker-compose.yml file to assign different ports to Appsmith and restart the instance.

Configuration problems​

After installation, Appsmith services might fail to start due to some configuration problems.

Error message​

`org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'mongockInitializingBeanRunner' defined in class path resource [com/appsmith/server/configurations/MongoConfig.class]: Error in method[Migration020TransferToDatasourceStorage.executeMigration] : Unable to invoke Cipher due to bad padding`

Cause​

The error occurs when the Appsmith instance cannot access MongoDB data due to an encryption mismatch. This can happen under two circumstances:

  • Installing Appsmith in a directory with an existing Appsmith installation, causing issues due to mismatch in encryption settings.
  • Restoring an Appsmith database backup with encryption parameters different from those configured in the Appsmith instance.

Solution​

To resolve the error, you may choose one of the below options:

  • If you want to overwrite the previous Appsmith installation, delete the /stacks folder from the installation directory, and re-run the Docker command.
  • If you want to keep the previous Appsmith installation, create a new installation directory and follow the installation instructions.
  • If you want to use the Appsmith installation after restoring the data, go to the docker.env file and update the encryption password (APPSMITH_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD)and encryption salt (APPSMITH_ENCRYPTION_SALT) with the values you copied during the backup process. For more information, see Backup Database.

SSL/TLS certification errors​

When opting for an automatic SSL setup with Let's Encrypt, you may encounter certification errors.

Cause​

SSL/TLS certification errors occur due to issues with domain configuration, Let's Encrypt rate limiting, or specific error messages in the Let's Encrypt logs.

Solution​

Follow the below steps to troubleshoot the error:

  • Ensure that the domain name is properly configured and pointing to the server's IP address.
  • Be aware of Let's Encrypt rate limits and wait if you've hit the limit before trying again.
  • Check Let's Encrypt logs for specific Error messages related to SSL/TLS certification.

Database connection failures​

Appsmith requires a connection to its internal database. If it fails to connect, the deployment will not be successful.

Cause​

Database connection failures can occur due to issues with database service logs, incorrect environment variables related to database configuration, or network accessibility problems.

Solution​

Follow the below steps to resolve the error:

  • Look for any errors in the database service logs that might indicate connection issues.
  • Verify that environment variables related to the database configuration are set correctly, such as APPSMITH_MONGODB_URI.
  • Ensure that the database is reachable from the Appsmith server if you're using an external database.

Environment-specific problems​

Deployment errors can also be specific to the environment in which Appsmith is being installed, such as certain cloud providers or operating systems.

Cause​

Environment-specific problems arise due to quirks or additional steps required for successful deployment on certain cloud providers or operating systems.

Solution​

Follow the below steps to troubleshoot the error:

  • Consult the documentation of the specific environment for any quirks or additional steps required for a successful deployment.
  • Check any security groups or firewall rules to ensure they aren't blocking the necessary traffic for Appsmith.

Issue with Disk Space​

Unable to update Appsmith due to full disk space.

Cause​

When manually updating Appsmith without using the auto-update system, old and unused Docker images and logs are not automatically cleaned up, leading to a full disk.

Solution​

After each manual update, run docker system prune -a to clean up unused Docker images, containers, volumes, and networks. This will free up disk space and prevent similar issues in the future.

Unable to connect to Azure PostgreSQL database​

Appsmith, hosted on Azure Web App, cannot connect to a PostgreSQL database (Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server).

Error message​

Test failed, couldn't establish a connection

Cause​

The Appsmith instance is not integrated into the same Azure virtual network (vnet) as the PostgreSQL database. As a result, the two services are unable to communicate because they are on different networks.

Solution​

  • Verify that your Appsmith instance is part of the same Azure virtual network as your PostgreSQL database.

  • Add a private endpoint for your PostgreSQL server within the same vnet and verify that the Appsmith instance can connect to the database through private network routing.

  • Test the connection after making these changes.

See also​

Once you have the logs from your container, you can verify whether the error you are facing matches a common error with a resolution guide.

Getting help​

If you are unable to resolve your error, please reach out to support via the chat widget on the page.