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:How to handle the "The IP is already in use" error when an ECS instance is bound to a public IP address through an API

Last Updated:Apr 27, 2022

Issue

This topic describes how to handle the error that is reported when an ECS instance is bound to a public IP address by using APIs. The error message is "The IP is already in use".

Cause

This may be caused by repeatedly binding a public IP address to the instance. Check whether the corresponding ECS instance has been bound to a public IP address. If so, unbind the instance based on the public IP address.

Solution

Take note of the following items:

  • Before you perform high-risk operations such as modifying the specifications or data of an Alibaba Cloud instance, we recommend that you check the disaster recovery and fault tolerance capabilities of the instance to ensure data security.
  • Before you modify the specifications or data of an Alibaba Cloud instance, such as an Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance or an ApsaraDB RDS instance, we recommend that you create snapshots or enable backups for the instance. For example, you can enable log backups for an ApsaraDB RDS instance.
  • If you have granted specific users the permissions on sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords, or submitted sensitive information in the Alibaba Cloud Management Console, we recommend that you modify the sensitive information at the earliest opportunity.

To unbind a public IP address, perform the following steps.

  1. Log on to the ECS console.
  2. Click Network and Security > Elastic IP Address.
  3. Select the public IP address that you want to unbind and click Unbind > OK.

Applicable scope

  • Elastic Compute Service (ECS)