--- title: "Troubleshooting node actions and lifecycle" description: "Why a create-form option or a node's Start, Stop, Delete, Move To Another Project, or other actions are greyed out, blocked, or fail, and what fixes it." content_type: "troubleshooting" product: "node" platform: "MyAccount" url: "/myaccount/node/troubleshooting/actions-and-lifecycle/" relationships: {"troubleshooting-for":["/myaccount/node/how-to/create-a-node/","/myaccount/node/how-to/delete-a-node/","/myaccount/node/how-to/stop-a-node/","/myaccount/node/how-to/power-off-and-start-a-node/","/myaccount/node/how-to/reboot-a-node/","/myaccount/node/how-to/reinstall-a-node/","/myaccount/node/how-to/upgrade-node-plan/","/myaccount/node/how-to/lock-a-node/","/myaccount/node/how-to/move-a-node-to-another-project/"]} --- # Troubleshooting node actions and lifecycle An option on the create form, or an action in a node's **Actions** menu, can be greyed out, missing, or fail once you confirm it. The usual causes are a locked node or a power state that action does not support. Start by checking the node's current state: most blocked actions trace back to one of those. ## What each node action needs | Action | Needs | Also blocked by | | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Start | **Powered off**, or **Stopped** (E1-series only) | A current operation still finishing | | Power off | **Running** | Lock, recovery mode | | Stop | E1-series only, in a valid state | Any other series (not offered at all) | | Reboot | **Running** | Lock, recovery mode | | Reinstall | A supported node type | Accidental Protection on, lock | | Delete | Finished creating, not already deleting | Accidental Protection, lock, flagged for abuse | | Upgrade or Update node plan | **Powered off** | An existing snapshot, scaler-node role, under 500 MB free disk space | | Attach VPC | A valid node state | Lock, already at 3 private network connections in total | | Activate CDP Backup | Backup available in the node's location | The security group not allowing inbound TCP port 1167 | | Move To Another Project | Not E1 or E1WC | Lock, a transitional state, a VPC attached, more than one security group, or file storage attached | | Save Image | A supported node type | An MS-SQL license installed on the node | | Increase root storage | E1 or E1WC | Lock, recovery mode, a snapshot of the root disk, a plan upgrade in progress, under 500 MB free | | Delete a snapshot | The snapshot is not locked | | The table is a quick guide. The sections after it take one action each, with what to do when it stays greyed out. ## An option is greyed out while creating a node Some choices on the **Add New Node** form depend on the rest of your request, such as how many nodes you are creating, and turn grey until they fit. A message at launch works the same way. Find what you see in the first column: | What you see | Why | What to do | | --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Enable Reserve IPv4** is greyed out | A reserved IP can be attached only when you create a single node, and it cannot be combined with the VPC section's option to assign a static public IPv4. | Create this node on its own, or create them all and attach reserved IPs afterward; see [Attach a reserved IP](/myaccount/node/how-to/attach-a-reserved-ip/). If you ticked the VPC public IPv4 option, untick it to use a reserved IP instead. | | An address in the reserved IP list is greyed out | It reads **(This IP is already attached)** because it is in use elsewhere, or **(This IP is a Floating IP)**, which cannot be attached this way. | Pick another address, or click **Create New** beside the list to reserve one now. | | **Choose a volume** is greyed out | A volume can be attached only when you create a single node. | Create this node on its own, or attach volumes after the nodes are created. | | A volume in the list shows a spinner and cannot be picked | The volume is still being created. | Wait until it is ready, then pick it, or attach it after the node is created. | | A VPC in the list is greyed out and reads **Creating** | The VPC is still being created. | Wait. The list checks again every 5 seconds, and the VPC can be picked once it reads **Active**. | | A subnet in the list is greyed out | Every IP address in that subnet is in use; the count beside it, such as (16/16), shows used against total. | Pick another subnet, or click **Create New** beside the list to add one. The subnet is optional, so you can also leave it empty. | | No subnet list appears after you pick a VPC | A VPC with a /28 CIDR cannot be split into subnets, and a **Default** VPC, one with an E2E provided range, has no subnets. | Nothing is wrong. The subnet is optional, and the node joins the VPC without one. | | A VPC you expect is not in the list | The VPC is in the other region. A VPC can be attached only to a node in the same region. The region you are working in shows in the MyAccount header as **Delhi-NCR** or **Chennai**. | Pick the VPC's region from that header menu and open **Add New Node** again, or click **Create New** to make a VPC in this region. | | A low-balance message appears when you click **Launch** | Your account does not have enough credit for the node. | Add credit to your account, then click **Launch** again. | | A message asks you to contact E2E for more quota | An account can have up to 10 running resources, or 30 for an organization account, and this launch would go over. | Delete a resource you no longer need, or contact E2E to raise the limit. Creating fewer nodes at once can also bring the launch under it. | Two more cases are covered where they happen. **Enable Backup** needs the security group to allow TCP port 1167, and stays greyed out in a region where backup is not offered yet; see [Enable backups on a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/enable-backups-on-a-node/). A plan that is temporarily unavailable shows **Request** instead of **Launch**; see [Create a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/create-a-node/#choose-a-family-and-plan). ## Stopped node only allows Start **Stop** exists only for E1-series nodes, so this state is specific to that family. Once an E1-series node is **Stopped**, **Start** is the only action it offers. Click **Start** to bring the node back to **Running**, where the rest of the **Actions** menu opens up again. If you meant to power off a node from another series, use **Power Off** instead. **Stop** is not offered there, and trying it shows **Not allowed to stop node.** See [Stop a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/stop-a-node/) for how the two differ. ## Delete Node is greyed out **Delete Node** is greyed out while the node is [locked or in recovery mode](/myaccount/node/concepts/node-states/#locked-or-in-recovery-mode). It is also greyed out while another change is running, such as creating, powering on or off, reinstalling, upgrading, or saving an image. A node that is already powered off or stopped can be deleted. Wait for the change to finish, remove the lock, or turn off recovery mode, and **Delete Node** comes back. With accidental protection on, **Delete Node** opens and reads **This action cannot be performed while the accidental protection mode is enabled.** Turn it off from the **Actions** menu, then [delete the node](/myaccount/node/how-to/delete-a-node/). If you see **Invalid node state to perform 'Delete' action.** after you confirm, the node is between states, for example while a volume is being attached. Try again in a moment. A node flagged for abuse cannot be deleted until support clears the flag. ## Actions menu is greyed out but the node is not Stopped Every action checks first whether the node is locked or in recovery mode. Either of those greys out most of the **Actions** menu. If the node is locked, remove the lock first, as described in [Lock a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/lock-a-node/). SSH, VNC, and published services keep working while the node is locked. If it is still greyed out, contact support with the node's name, IP address, and your customer reference number (CRN). Being flagged for abuse or the node's underlying hardware can each block a different set of actions. ## Upgrade Node Plan (or Update Node Plan) is greyed out The plan-change item (**Upgrade Node Plan** on most series, **Update Node Plan** on E1-series) needs the node **Powered off** first, and is not offered for a node running Windows. If the node has a snapshot, delete it first; the plan change is offered once the node has none. It is also unavailable for a scaler node, and needs at least 500 MB of free disk space on the node. A scaler node is one that a scale group grows or shrinks with demand. Power the node off, remove any snapshot, free up disk space, or wait until the node's scaler role clears, and the option reopens. See [Upgrade a node's plan](/myaccount/node/how-to/upgrade-node-plan/) for the full flow. ## Move To Another Project is greyed out **Move To Another Project** is blocked while the node is locked or still being created or upgraded. Remove a lock with **Unlock Node** in the node's **Actions** menu, or wait for **Creating** or **Upgrading** to finish. A **Terminating** or **Failed** node cannot move. It is also blocked while the node has a VPC attached, more than one security group, or file storage (SFS) associated with it: detach the VPC and file storage, and get down to one security group, before you retry. To end a node's access to an SFS, see [Configure per-node access to an SFS](/myaccount/sfs/how-to/configure-per-node-access-to-an-sfs/). A reserved IP, backup, volume, or saved image attached to the node moves with it, so you do not need to detach those. For every step of the move, see [Move a node to another project](/myaccount/node/how-to/move-a-node-to-another-project/). To move a node through the API instead of the portal, see the [transfer-node-to-project operation](/api/myaccount/operations/transfer-node-to-project/) in the API reference. ## Move To Another Project is missing The **Actions** menu of a node, or of another resource you want to move, has no **Move To Another Project**. Check these causes in order: - Your role. Only the account owner, an **Admin**, or a **Project Lead** in the resource's project sees the item. With any other role, ask the account owner to move the resource or to change your role; see [Choose a role for a user](/myaccount/account/how-to/choose-a-role-for-a-user/) and [Who can move a node to another project?](/myaccount/node/faq/#who-can-move-a-node-to-another-project) - The kind of node. The Nodes list does not offer the item for an E1 or E1WC node. - The kind of resource. Only nodes, saved images, volumes, reserved IPs, DBaaS instances, and parameter groups can move, and everything else stays in its project. See [Can I move a node to another project?](/myaccount/node/faq/#can-i-move-a-node-to-another-project) ## No other projects are available. Your account has only one project, so there is nowhere to move the node or any other resource. Create a second project, then choose **Move To Another Project** again. See [Create a project](/myaccount/account/how-to/create-a-project/). ## Transfer is not available **Transfer** stays unavailable until you choose a project in **Select Project** and turn on the checkbox. The checkbox names the resource and the project you chose. The project the resource is in now is listed, but you cannot choose it. ## Please remove tag from the resource before transferring. The resource you are moving carries a tag. Remove every tag from it and try the move again. See [Tag a resource](/myaccount/account/how-to/tag-a-resource/#remove-a-tag). ## A node move asks you to remove a tag from a related resource One of the resources that move with the node has a tag. MyAccount names that resource in one of these messages: - **Please remove the tag from attached reserve Ip.** - **Please remove the tag from attached Volume.** - **Please remove the tag from Saved Image of Node.** - **Tag is attached to the node backup. Please remove the tag from backup to allow transfer.** Remove the tags from that reserved IP, volume, saved image, or CDP backup, then move the node again. See [Tag a resource](/myaccount/account/how-to/tag-a-resource/#remove-a-tag). ## Resource is attached with vpc. Please detach it before transferring. The node has a VPC attached, so detach the VPC before you start the move again. See [Attach a node to a VPC](/myaccount/node/how-to/attach-a-node-to-a-vpc/#detach-a-vpc). A DBaaS instance shows the same message; see [Troubleshooting DBaaS](/myaccount/database/troubleshooting/database/#resource-is-attached-with-vpc-please-detach-it-before-transferring). ## Detach additional security groups before transferring. A node can move only when it has one security group. Detach all but one of the node's security groups before you move it. After the move, the node gets the target project's default security group. See [Detach a security group from a node](/myaccount/security-group/how-to/detach-a-security-group-from-a-node/). ## Node is currently in use as backend server of load balancer. The node is a backend server of a load balancer in the same project. Remove the node from the load balancer's backend servers, then move it again. See [Manage backend groups and servers](/myaccount/load-balancer/how-to/manage-backend-groups/#add-or-change-servers). ## Node is in locked state, so it cannot be transfer. The node is locked. In its **Actions** menu, click **Unlock Node**, then move the node again. See [Lock a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/lock-a-node/#unlock-the-node). ## Node is in powering off state. So cannot be transfer. A node cannot move while an action is still in progress on it. The same message can name other states: powering on, saving an image, reinstalling, or undeploying. Wait until the action finishes before you try again. A suspended node cannot move either. To find out why it is suspended, [raise a support ticket](/myaccount/account/how-to/raise-a-support-ticket/) with the node's name. ## Auto-scaling is enabled for the saved image of this node, So the node cannot be transfer. A scale group uses a saved image taken from the node. MyAccount shows this only after you click **Transfer**. Delete the scale group, then move the node again. See [Delete a scale group](/myaccount/auto-scaling/how-to/delete-a-scale-group/). ## The node is missing after the move Each list in MyAccount shows only the project you are in. After a successful move, the Nodes list reloads without the node, because the node is now in the target project. To see and manage it, switch to that project from the header. See [Create a project](/myaccount/account/how-to/create-a-project/#switch-to-the-project). ## Error while transferring this resource. The move was refused without a reason, and the resource has not moved. Try the move again. ## Resource transfer failed. The move started but could not finish. The message is either **Resource transfer failed.** or one that names the kind of resource and the cause. For a node, the message begins **Error in trasferring Node**; for a volume, **Error in transferring Volume:**. Check which project the resource is in now, then try the move again. If a move keeps failing, or none of this helps, [raise a support ticket](/myaccount/account/how-to/raise-a-support-ticket/) with the resource's name, its project and region, the exact message, and when you tried the move. ## Action fails right after confirming it, even though it was not greyed out The **Actions** menu reflects the node's state when the page loaded. If something changed since then (another session locking the node, for example), the action can still fail once you confirm it. Reload the page and check the menu again. If you tried an action right after a previous one finished, you will instead see a message asking you to retry in a few seconds. Wait a moment and try again. ## A bulk action skips some of the nodes I selected The **Bulk Actions** confirmation lists every selected node the action will not run on, with the reason next to each: its status, a lock, or recovery mode. Clear that reason on the node, such as unlocking it or starting it, then run the action again, or run it on that node from its own **Actions** menu. See [Run an action on several nodes at once](/myaccount/node/how-to/run-an-action-on-several-nodes/). ## Reinstall blocks every other action **Reinstall Node** blocks every other action on that node until it finishes. Wait for the reinstall to complete: it replaces the node's operating system, so this is expected, not a stall. See [Reinstall a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/reinstall-a-node/) for what it changes. ## Snapshot in progress blocks other actions Reinstall, reboot, and lock are unavailable until the snapshot finishes. Let it finish, then try again. See [Create a snapshot](/myaccount/node/how-to/create-a-snapshot/). When an action still will not run, contact support with the node's name, IP address, and CRN, the action you tried, its exact error text, and when it happened.