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Understanding AcceleratorNotDisabledException in AWS Global Accelerator: A Comprehensive Guide

Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a plethora of cloud-based services to enhance application performance and availability. One such service is AWS Global Accelerator, which optimizes the path to your applications, improving global performance and availability through AWS’s global network. However, while using AWS Global Accelerator, developers may encounter exceptions, notably the AcceleratorNotDisabledException. In this article, we will explore this exception in detail, its causes, and how to handle it effectively.

What is AcceleratorNotDisabledException?

The AcceleratorNotDisabledException is an error that occurs when an attempt is made to change the state of an AWS Global Accelerator that is neither disabled nor in the process of being disabled. This often happens when developers try to delete or modify an accelerator that is actively routing traffic.

Why Does it Occur?

The AcceleratorNotDisabledException may arise in the following scenarios:

  1. Attempting to Delete an Active Accelerator: If you try to delete an accelerator that is still enabled and serving traffic, the API call will result in this exception.

  2. Modifying Settings without Disabling: If you attempt to modify settings or attributes of an active accelerator without disabling it first, this exception will be thrown.

Error Handling with AWS SDK

To effectively work with AWS services, incorporating exception handling is crucial. Below is a basic example using Java with the AWS SDK to handle the AcceleratorNotDisabledException:

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import com.amazonaws.services.globalaccelerator.AWSGlobalAccelerator;
import com.amazonaws.services.globalaccelerator.AWSGlobalAcceleratorClientBuilder;
import com.amazonaws.services.globalaccelerator.model.DeleteAcceleratorRequest;
import com.amazonaws.services.globalaccelerator.model.AcceleratorNotDisabledException;

public class GlobalAcceleratorManager {

    private final AWSGlobalAccelerator globalAcceleratorClient;

    public GlobalAcceleratorManager() {
        this.globalAcceleratorClient = AWSGlobalAcceleratorClientBuilder.defaultClient();
    }

    public void deleteAccelerator(String acceleratorArn) {
        try {
            DeleteAcceleratorRequest request = new DeleteAcceleratorRequest()
                    .withAcceleratorArn(acceleratorArn);
            globalAcceleratorClient.deleteAccelerator(request);
            System.out.println("Accelerator deleted successfully.");
        } catch (AcceleratorNotDisabledException e) {
            System.err.println("Error: The accelerator is not disabled.");
            // Additional logic to handle the exception
        }
    }
}

How to Manage AWS Global Accelerator States

Starting and Stopping an Accelerator

Before you can delete an accelerator, it must be disabled. You can use the following commands to manage the state of your accelerator.

Disabling an Accelerator

To disable an accelerator, use the following code snippet:

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import com.amazonaws.services.globalaccelerator.model.UpdateAcceleratorRequest;
import com.amazonaws.services.globalaccelerator.model.UpdateAcceleratorResult;

public UpdateAcceleratorResult disableAccelerator(String acceleratorArn) {
    UpdateAcceleratorRequest request = new UpdateAcceleratorRequest()
            .withAcceleratorArn(acceleratorArn)
            .withEnabled(false);
    
    return globalAcceleratorClient.updateAccelerator(request);
}

Deleting an Accelerator

After disabling an accelerator, you can proceed with the deletion:

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public void deleteDisabledAccelerator(String acceleratorArn) {
    disableAccelerator(acceleratorArn);
    deleteAccelerator(acceleratorArn);
}

Analyzing and Logging Errors

While working with global services, it’s essential to log exceptions. Here’s how you can improve the error handling by logging the details of an exception:

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import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;

public class GlobalAcceleratorManager {
    
    private static final Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger(GlobalAcceleratorManager.class);
    
    //... other methods
    
    public void deleteAccelerator(String acceleratorArn) {
        try {
            deleteDisabledAccelerator(acceleratorArn);
            System.out.println("Accelerator deleted successfully.");
        } catch (AcceleratorNotDisabledException e) {
            logger.error("Failed to delete accelerator: " + e.getMessage(), e);
            System.err.println("Error: The accelerator is not disabled.");
        }
    }
}

Common Best Practices

  1. Always Check the State: Before performing any operation, always check if the accelerator is in the right state for your intended actions.

  2. Implement Graceful Error Handling: Using try-catch blocks can help in gracefully managing exceptions and keeping the application running smoothly.

  3. Use AWS SDK Effectively: Familiarize yourself with the AWS SDK documentation to leverage all available functions, avoiding unnecessary exceptions.

  4. Monitor Your Accelerators: Utilize Amazon CloudWatch for monitoring accelerator states, performance metrics, and logs, enabling you to respond proactively to exceptions and downtimes.

Conclusion

The AcceleratorNotDisabledException is a common hurdle while working with AWS Global Accelerator. Understanding why it occurs and how to handle it efficiently can save developers valuable time and resources. By implementing best practices and learning to manage accelerator states properly, you can ensure a smoother experience when deploying and managing your applications globally.

For further reading and references, check out:

Feel free to leave your questions or insights in the comments below!


By optimizing the handling of exceptions like AcceleratorNotDisabledException, you not only enhance your application’s reliability but also ensure a more stable interaction with AWS services overall. Happy coding!

This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.