Camunda 8.7 exporter state UNRECOGNIZED

Camunda 8 Topics
1

I’m trying to install Camunda 8.7 in Kubernetes using helm version 12.5.0
We want to use our external elasticsearch so I’ve added to our values file according to the documentation

global:
  elasticsearch:
    enabled: true
    external: true
    auth:
      username: elastic
      password: pass
    url:
      protocol: http
      host: elastic.example.com
      port: 443

elasticsearch:
  enabled: false

(using our own host etc ofc)
But when the zeebe pod starts up, in the logs, I first get

  • echo ‘No exporters available.’

then after the applikation starts I get a stacktrace with
io.camunda.zeebe.broker.system - Aborting startup process due to exception during step Cluster Topology Manager
java.lang.IllegalStateException: Unknown exporter state UNRECOGNIZED

Is there something else I need to add to the values file?

2

Hi there! :wave:

I can see you’re encountering an issue with Camunda 8.7 and external Elasticsearch configuration. The “Unknown exporter state UNRECOGNIZED” error combined with “No exporters available” suggests there’s a configuration issue with the exporter setup.

Classification: Problem :wrench:

Based on your configuration and the error messages, here are the most likely causes and solutions:

1. Password Propagation Issue

There’s a known issue where passwords aren’t always correctly propagated from Helm values to the Zeebe exporter configuration. Try using a Kubernetes secret instead:

global:
  elasticsearch:
    enabled: true
    external: true
    auth:
      username: elastic
      existingSecret: elasticsearch-credentials
      existingSecretKey: password
    url:
      protocol: http
      host: elastic.example.com
      port: 443

elasticsearch:
  enabled: false

Create the secret:

kubectl create secret generic elasticsearch-credentials --from-literal=password=your-actual-password

2. Protocol Configuration

I notice you’re using protocol: http with port: 443. Port 443 is typically used for HTTPS. Make sure your protocol matches your actual Elasticsearch setup:

  • If using HTTPS: protocol: https with port: 443
  • If using HTTP: protocol: http with port: 80 or 9200

3. Verify Generated Configuration

Check if the exporter configuration is properly generated in the Zeebe ConfigMap:

kubectl get configmap <zeebe-configmap-name> -o yaml

Look for the exporters section - it should contain the Elasticsearch exporter configuration with your credentials.

4. TLS Configuration

If your Elasticsearch uses TLS, you may need to add TLS configuration:

global:
  elasticsearch:
    enabled: true
    external: true
    tls:
      enabled: true
      existingSecret: <your-tls-secret>  # if using custom certificates
    auth:
      username: elastic
      existingSecret: elasticsearch-credentials
      existingSecretKey: password
    url:
      protocol: https
      host: elastic.example.com
      port: 443

Next Steps:

  1. Try the Kubernetes secret approach first
  2. Verify your protocol/port combination matches your Elasticsearch setup
  3. Check the generated Zeebe ConfigMap for the exporter configuration
  4. Review Zeebe logs for any additional error details

Could you please share:

  • The exact Elasticsearch setup you’re using (HTTP vs HTTPS, port configuration)
  • The generated Zeebe ConfigMap content (you can redact sensitive information)
  • Any additional error logs from the Zeebe pod

This will help us pinpoint the exact cause of the issue.

References: