"Service does not exist" in App Engine dispatch.yaml file

Question

I have recently gotten into GCP, and am now trying to deploy an angular frontend with a python backend, same AppEngine application but different services. The problem is that when I run gcloud app deploy dispatch.yaml

I get

Updating config [dispatch]...failed.
ERROR: (gcloud.app.deploy) INVALID_ARGUMENT: The request contained an invalid argument.
- '@type': type.googleapis.com/google.rpc.BadRequest
  fieldViolations:
  - description: Service 'server' does not exist.
    field: dispatch_rules

Seems like it should be an easy fix, as I can't find any resources about it, but I just don't see it

Folder structure

-- appname/
---- display.yaml
---- client/
------ app.yaml (default - this one works)
------ dist/
---- server/
------ app.yaml (the troublemaker)
------ appname_backend/

app.yaml (the working one):

runtime: nodejs16

instance_class: F2

env_variables:
  BUCKET_NAME: "appname-bucket"

handlers:
  - url: /
    static_files: dist/index.html
    upload: dist/index.html

  - url: /
    static_dir: dist

app.yaml (the one it can't find):

runtime: python310

env_variables:
  BUCKET_NAME: 'appname-bucket-backend'

service: server

dispatch:

dispatch:
  - url: "*/favicon.ico"
    service: default

  - url: "*/api/*"
    service: server

Documentation I have read

https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/standard/configuration-files https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/legacy/standard/python/reference/dispatch-yaml https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/legacy/standard/python/how-requests-are-routed https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/standard/communicating-between-services https://cloud.google.com/appengine/docs/standard/reference/app-yaml?tab=python

(and lots more, but these felt the most relevant)

Google reference project on Github https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/issuetracker/tree/c783a93af2c9214c13b3777a4b2da366ce65f248/services

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 28 '22 at 13:15

It is already mentioned in one of the document you shared, i.e:

Before you deploy your dispatch file, you must ensure that all the services defined in that file have already been deployed to App Engine.

Seems like you have not created service named “server” yet in App Engine

Your frontend service seems to be your default so it’s not generating any errors. But the service mentioned in the backend is not yet created. Hence you are getting the error

Updating config [dispatch]...failed.
ERROR: (gcloud.app.deploy) INVALID_ARGUMENT: The request contained an invalid argument.
- '@type': type.googleapis.com/google.rpc.BadRequest
  fieldViolations:
  - description: Service 'server' does not exist.
    field: dispatch_rules

Deploy app using below comment which also helps to create Service for your backend.

gcloud app deploy dispatch.yaml <path_to_backend.yaml>

I.e

gcloud app deploy dispatch.yaml backend/app.yaml

With reference to github code you shared

Also check these thread1 & thread2 for more details

"Service does not exist" in App Engine dispatch.yaml file

1 Answers1