New To Bluemix, getting error “The host is taken”

Question

I am new to Bluemix as part creating an app following the steps below:

• Log in to Bluemix with your Bluemix account.
• Open the Catalog menu.
• From the Runtimes section, click Liberty for Java.
• In the App field, specify the name of your app [entered name]
• Click the Create button

I am getting the error below:

BXNUI2032E: An error occurred when contacting Cloud Foundry to create a resource. Resource: routes. Cloud Foundry message: "The host is taken: vTest." See the Troubleshooting topics in the IBM Bluemix Documentation to check service status, review troubleshooting information, or for information about getting help.

Thanks in Advance

Answer 1

Bluemix will auto create the hostname for your app based on what you type into the name of the app. The above error means someone else has that hostname for their app.

The error message will probably look like the following.

cf push watson-um-demo
Creating app watson-um-demo in org [e-mail] / space demos as [e-mail]...
OK

Creating route watson-um-demo.mybluemix.net...
FAILED
Server error, status code: 400, error code: 210003, message: The host is taken: watson-um-demo

To resolve the issue you can modify the hostname field.

Bluemix assigns your app with a domain of mybluemix.net if you are running in the US-South region. If you are running in the EU-GB region Bluemix will assign your app with a domain of eu-gb.mybluemix.net You can map your own domains to your app as well. See https://www.ng.bluemix.net/docs/#manageapps/index-gentopic3.html#domain.

Answer 2

Don't stress out :) The reality is you likely will not want to use mybluemix.net for a customer facing URL/Route. Simply replace the name that you initially used that is already used by someone else with a compliant one see Restrictions on Valid Hostnames. It really doesn't matter which one.

Then get yourself a DNS provider like Domainmaster.com register your own custom domain. Like: www.mygreatsite.com

Then modify Bluemix to use your own custom domain you created. Read the documentation on Creating and using a custom domain with Bluemix.

You may want to setup other settings in your DNS like Cname, AAAA records and A records. Work with the DNS provider to figure out which ones you want to change.

Answer 3

The host you input will be the part of your url before mybluemix.net (yours would be vTest.mybluemix.net), so it needs to be globally unique across all of Bluemix. Try adding some random characters to the end of your host.

Answer 4

The guys before me already gave you the answer you were looking for, I just want share some good practices, if you don't mind. While it might not work for you, it has worked like a charm for me over past months

What has worked best for me is to start every App Name with my initials and than the app name. Colleagues of mine are doing the same just adding their name at the end.

So whenever I create a new app I follow my little schema in head:

• Initials in front
• no spaces just underscores
• Descriptive and easy to remember so that I can quickly type it in the command line