[Starcluster] can't start cluster

[Dean Snyder]

I am unable to start up an 8-node m1.large cluster this morning due to
an "InsufficientInstanceCapacity" error. (See appended log.)

I assume this is an Amazon resources problem. Even when I do not specify
an AVAILABILITY_ZONE in the StarCluster config file the fact that my EBS
volume is in us-east-1a is forcing EC2 to try to start the cluster in
the over-subscribed us-east-1a zone.

For you information, when I ran "starcluster listclusters" command right
after receiving the "InsufficientInstanceCapacity" error I got the
following error message:

dean 11:13:37 ~ : starcluster listclusters
StarCluster - (http://web.mit.edu/starcluster)
Software Tools for Academics and Researchers (STAR)
Please submit bug reports to starcluster at mit.edu
---------------------------------------------
cidrcluster (security group: @sc-cidrcluster)
---------------------------------------------
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/cli.py", line
1075, in main
    sc.execute(args)
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/cli.py", line
432, in execute
    cluster.list_clusters(cfg)
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/cluster.py",
line 148, in list_clusters
    print 'Launch time: %s' % master.launch_time
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'launch_time'



**********************************************************


dean 11:10:44 ~ : starcluster start cidrcluster
StarCluster - (http://web.mit.edu/starcluster)
Software Tools for Academics and Researchers (STAR)
Please submit bug reports to starcluster at mit.edu

>>> Using default cluster template: largecluster
>>> Validating cluster template settings...
>>> Cluster template settings are valid
>>> Starting cluster...
>>> Launching a 8-node cluster...
>>> Launching master node...
>>> Master AMI: ami-88967ee1
>>> Creating security group @sc-cidrcluster...
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/cli.py", line
1075, in main
    sc.execute(args)
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/cli.py", line
239, in execute
    scluster.start(create=not self.opts.no_create)
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/utils.py",
line 27, in wrapper
    res = func(*arg, **kargs)
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/cluster.py",
line 679, in start
    self.create_cluster()
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/cluster.py",
line 596, in create_cluster
    placement=zone)
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/cluster.py",
line 575, in run_instances
    placement=placement)
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/starcluster/awsutils.py",
line 161, in run_instances
    placement=placement)
  File "/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/boto-1.9b-py2.6.egg/boto/ec2/
connection.py", line 463, in run_instances
    return self.get_object('RunInstances', params, Reservation, verb='POST')
  File "/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/boto-1.9b-py2.6.egg/boto/
connection.py", line 620, in get_object
    response = self.make_request(action, params, path, verb)
  File "/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/boto-1.9b-py2.6.egg/boto/
connection.py", line 591, in make_request
    headers=headers)
  File "/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/boto-1.9b-py2.6.egg/boto/
connection.py", line 459, in make_request
    return self._mexe(method, path, data, headers, host, sender)
  File "/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/boto-1.9b-py2.6.egg/boto/
connection.py", line 435, in _mexe
    raise BotoServerError(response.status, response.reason, body)
BotoServerError: BotoServerError: 500 Internal Server Error
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Response><Errors><Error><Code>InsufficientInstanceCapacity</
Code><Message>We currently do not have sufficient m1.large capacity in
the Availability Zone you requested (us-east-1a). Our system will be
working on provisioning additional capacity. You can currently get
m1.large capacity by not specifying an Availability Zone in your request
or choosing us-east-1d.</Message></Error></
Errors><RequestID>48be0131-84aa-40c7-a054-fb227c6fa183</RequestID></Response>

Thanks,

Dean A. Snyder
Senior Programmer/Analyst
Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR)
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Bayview Research Campus
333 Cassell Dr, Triad Bldg, Suite 2000
Baltimore, MD 21224
cell:717 668-3048 office:410-550-4629
www.cidr.jhmi.edu