Jenkins crashes on restart when config as code (using job dsl) creates a job or folder under a top level folder but does not create the top level folder via config as code

[aah9]

Jenkins and plugins versions report

Environment

Jenkins: 2.541.1 (LTS) - Installed via rpm
OS: Linux - 6.12.63-84.121.amzn2023.x86_64
Java: 21.0.9 - Amazon.com Inc. (OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM)
Run Command: /usr/share/java/jenkins.war --webroot=/var/cache/jenkins/war --logfile=/var/lib/jenkins/logs/jenkins.log --httpPort=8080 --sessionTimeout=480 --accessLoggerClassName=winstone.accesslog.SimpleAccessLogger --simpleAccessLogger.format=combined --simpleAccessLogger.file=/var/log/jenkins/access_log

---

Note: Below is the full list of plugins, but most of these are dependencies.

I am installing just the following plugins using jenkins' plugin manager:

job-dsl:latest
configuration-as-code:latest
cloudbees-folder:latest
matrix-auth:latest

antisamy-markup-formatter:173.v680e3a_b_69ff3
asm-api:9.9.1-189.vb_5ef2964da_91
bootstrap5-api:5.3.8-895.v4d0d8e47fea_d
branch-api:2.1280.v0d4e5b_b_460ef
caffeine-api:3.2.3-194.v31a_b_f7a_b_5a_81
cloudbees-folder:6.1079.vc0975c2de294
commons-lang3-api:3.20.0-109.ve43756e2d2b_4
commons-text-api:1.15.0-210.v7480a_da_70b_9e
configuration-as-code:2037.v8e5349845172
font-awesome-api:7.1.0-882.v1dfb_771e3278
ionicons-api:94.vcc3065403257
job-dsl:1.93
json-api:20251224-185.v0cc18490c62c
matrix-auth:3.2.9
plugin-util-api:6.1192.v30fe6e2837ff
prism-api:1.30.0-703.v116fb_3b_5b_b_a_a_
scm-api:728.vc30dcf7a_0df5
script-security:1399.ve6a_66547f6e1
snakeyaml-api:2.5-149.v72471e9c6371
structs:362.va_b_695ef4fdf9
workflow-api:1398.v67030756d3fb_
workflow-step-api:710.v3e456cc85233
workflow-support:1015.v785e5a_b_b_8b_22

What Operating System are you using (both controller, and any agents involved in the problem)?

Linux - 6.12.63-84.121.amzn2023.x86_64

Reproduction steps

1. Create a folder at the top level (e.g. parent-folder)

2. Apply configuration as code that creates a child job or folder under the top level folder (e.g. parent-folder/child-folder)

3. Verify the item is created under the top level folder

4. Restart jenkins /restart endpoint or systemctl restart

I have attached a couple yaml that reproduces the issue.

example-parent-folder-child-folder.yaml
example-parent-folder-job.yaml
example-parent-folder-child-folder-job.yaml

Expected Results

Jenkins should come up without errors

Actual Results

Jenkins does not come up and logs the following message:

javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.DslException: Could not create item, unknown parent path in "parent-folder/job"

Full stack trace

javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.DslException: Could not create item, unknown parent path in "parent-folder/job"
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.JenkinsJobManagement.createNewItem(JenkinsJobManagement.java:528)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.JenkinsJobManagement.createOrUpdateConfig(JenkinsJobManagement.java:149)
        at javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.JobManagement$createOrUpdateConfig$0.call(Unknown Source)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.CallSiteArray.defaultCall(CallSiteArray.java:47)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.call(AbstractCallSite.java:116)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.call(AbstractCallSite.java:136)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.AbstractDslScriptLoader$_extractGeneratedJobs_closure4.doCall(AbstractDslScriptLoader.groovy:204)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke(DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:103)
        at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:580)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.reflection.CachedMethod.invoke(CachedMethod.java:98)
        at groovy.lang.MetaMethod.doMethodInvoke(MetaMethod.java:325)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.metaclass.ClosureMetaClass.invokeMethod(ClosureMetaClass.java:264)
        at groovy.lang.MetaClassImpl.invokeMethod(MetaClassImpl.java:1034)
        at groovy.lang.Closure.call(Closure.java:420)
        at groovy.lang.Closure.call(Closure.java:436)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.DefaultGroovyMethods.each(DefaultGroovyMethods.java:2125)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.DefaultGroovyMethods.each(DefaultGroovyMethods.java:2110)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.DefaultGroovyMethods.each(DefaultGroovyMethods.java:2151)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.dgm$163.invoke(Unknown Source)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.PojoMetaMethodSite$PojoMetaMethodSiteNoUnwrapNoCoerce.invoke(PojoMetaMethodSite.java:274)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.PojoMetaMethodSite.call(PojoMetaMethodSite.java:56)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.CallSiteArray.defaultCall(CallSiteArray.java:47)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.call(AbstractCallSite.java:116)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.call(AbstractCallSite.java:128)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.AbstractDslScriptLoader.extractGeneratedJobs(AbstractDslScriptLoader.groovy:197)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke(DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:103)
        at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:580)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.PogoMetaMethodSite$PogoCachedMethodSiteNoUnwrapNoCoerce.invoke(PogoMetaMethodSite.java:210)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.PogoMetaMethodSite.callCurrent(PogoMetaMethodSite.java:59)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.CallSiteArray.defaultCallCurrent(CallSiteArray.java:51)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.callCurrent(AbstractCallSite.java:157)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.callCurrent(AbstractCallSite.java:177)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.AbstractDslScriptLoader.extractGeneratedItems(AbstractDslScriptLoader.groovy:184)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.JenkinsDslScriptLoader.extractGeneratedItems(JenkinsDslScriptLoader.java:23)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke(DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:103)
        at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:580)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.reflection.CachedMethod.invoke(CachedMethod.java:98)
        at groovy.lang.MetaMethod.doMethodInvoke(MetaMethod.java:325)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.metaclass.ClosureMetaClass.invokeMethod(ClosureMetaClass.java:352)
        at groovy.lang.MetaClassImpl.invokeMethod(MetaClassImpl.java:1034)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.PogoMetaClassSite.callCurrent(PogoMetaClassSite.java:68)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.CallSiteArray.defaultCallCurrent(CallSiteArray.java:51)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.callCurrent(AbstractCallSite.java:157)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.callCurrent(AbstractCallSite.java:185)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.AbstractDslScriptLoader$_runScripts_closure1.doCall(AbstractDslScriptLoader.groovy:63)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke(DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:103)
        at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:580)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.reflection.CachedMethod.invoke(CachedMethod.java:98)
        at groovy.lang.MetaMethod.doMethodInvoke(MetaMethod.java:325)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.metaclass.ClosureMetaClass.invokeMethod(ClosureMetaClass.java:264)
        at groovy.lang.MetaClassImpl.invokeMethod(MetaClassImpl.java:1034)
        at groovy.lang.Closure.call(Closure.java:420)
        at groovy.lang.Closure.call(Closure.java:436)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.DefaultGroovyMethods.each(DefaultGroovyMethods.java:2125)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.DefaultGroovyMethods.each(DefaultGroovyMethods.java:2110)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.DefaultGroovyMethods.each(DefaultGroovyMethods.java:2151)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.dgm$163.invoke(Unknown Source)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.PojoMetaMethodSite$PojoMetaMethodSiteNoUnwrapNoCoerce.invoke(PojoMetaMethodSite.java:274)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.PojoMetaMethodSite.call(PojoMetaMethodSite.java:56)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.CallSiteArray.defaultCall(CallSiteArray.java:47)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.call(AbstractCallSite.java:116)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.call(AbstractCallSite.java:128)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.AbstractDslScriptLoader.runScripts(AbstractDslScriptLoader.groovy:46)
        at javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.AbstractDslScriptLoader$runScripts.callCurrent(Unknown Source)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.CallSiteArray.defaultCallCurrent(CallSiteArray.java:51)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.callCurrent(AbstractCallSite.java:157)
        at org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.callsite.AbstractCallSite.callCurrent(AbstractCallSite.java:169)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.dsl.AbstractDslScriptLoader.runScript(AbstractDslScriptLoader.groovy:87)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.casc.SeedJobConfigurator.lambda$generateFromScript$2ca3044d$1(SeedJobConfigurator.java:120)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.vavr.control.Try.of(Try.java:78)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.vavr.API.Try(API.java:918)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.casc.SeedJobConfigurator.lambda$generateFromScript$2ca3044d$2(SeedJobConfigurator.java:120)
Caused: io.jenkins.plugins.casc.ConfiguratorException: jobs: Failed to execute script with hash -1874449244
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.casc.SeedJobConfigurator.lambda$generateFromScript$7(SeedJobConfigurator.java:122)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.vavr.control.Try.getOrElseThrow(Try.java:849)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.casc.SeedJobConfigurator.lambda$generateFromScript$2ca3044d$2(SeedJobConfigurator.java:121)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.vavr.CheckedFunction0.lambda$unchecked$52349c75$1(CheckedFunction0.java:247)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.casc.SeedJobConfigurator.generateFromScript(SeedJobConfigurator.java:123)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.casc.SeedJobConfigurator.lambda$configure$3(SeedJobConfigurator.java:69)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline$3$1.accept(ReferencePipeline.java:197)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline$3$1.accept(ReferencePipeline.java:197)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline$3$1.accept(ReferencePipeline.java:197)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.Streams$StreamBuilderImpl.forEachRemaining(Streams.java:411)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline$Head.forEach(ReferencePipeline.java:762)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline$7$1.accept(ReferencePipeline.java:276)
        at java.base/java.util.ArrayList$ArrayListSpliterator.forEachRemaining(ArrayList.java:1708)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.copyInto(AbstractPipeline.java:509)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.wrapAndCopyInto(AbstractPipeline.java:499)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.evaluate(AbstractPipeline.java:575)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.evaluateToArrayNode(AbstractPipeline.java:260)
        at java.base/java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline.toArray(ReferencePipeline.java:616)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.casc.SeedJobConfigurator.configure(SeedJobConfigurator.java:70)
        at PluginClassLoader for job-dsl//javaposse.jobdsl.plugin.casc.SeedJobConfigurator.configure(SeedJobConfigurator.java:30)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.jenkins.plugins.casc.ConfigurationAsCode.lambda$configureWith$6(ConfigurationAsCode.java:887)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.jenkins.plugins.casc.ConfigurationAsCode.invokeWith(ConfigurationAsCode.java:837)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.jenkins.plugins.casc.ConfigurationAsCode.configureWith(ConfigurationAsCode.java:887)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.jenkins.plugins.casc.ConfigurationAsCode.configureWith(ConfigurationAsCode.java:759)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.jenkins.plugins.casc.ConfigurationAsCode.configure(ConfigurationAsCode.java:369)
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.jenkins.plugins.casc.ConfigurationAsCode.init(ConfigurationAsCode.java:358)
Caused: io.jenkins.plugins.casc.ConfigurationAsCodeBootFailure
        at PluginClassLoader for configuration-as-code//io.jenkins.plugins.casc.ConfigurationAsCode.init(ConfigurationAsCode.java:360)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke(DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:103)
Caused: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
        at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke(DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:118)
        at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:580)
        at hudson.init.TaskMethodFinder.invoke(TaskMethodFinder.java:109)
Caused: java.lang.Error
        at hudson.init.TaskMethodFinder.invoke(TaskMethodFinder.java:115)
        at hudson.init.TaskMethodFinder$TaskImpl.run(TaskMethodFinder.java:185)
        at org.jvnet.hudson.reactor.Reactor.runTask(Reactor.java:304)
        at jenkins.model.Jenkins$5.runTask(Jenkins.java:1152)
        at org.jvnet.hudson.reactor.Reactor$2.run(Reactor.java:221)
        at org.jvnet.hudson.reactor.Reactor$Node.run(Reactor.java:120)
        at jenkins.security.ImpersonatingExecutorService$1.run(ImpersonatingExecutorService.java:68)
        at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1144)
        at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:642)
        at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1583)

Anything else?

No response

Are you interested in contributing a fix?

No response

[mawinter69]

Wrong place to report. Core knowns nothing about configuration as code, job dsl or folders.

[aah9]

@mawinter69 - where should it be reported? this bug occurred as a result of upgrading to the latest LTS, without any upgrades to the casc, dsl, or folder plugins

[aah9]

Before filing this bug, I was able to pinpoint that the bug was introduced in 2.535, which contains this change: jenkinsci/jenkins@0dd8222.

[mawinter69]

I mean the solution is easy. In your casc ensure that also the parent-folder is created (unverified):

jobs:
- script: |2

    folder('parent-folder') {
    }
    def folderName = 'parent-folder/child-folder'
    folder(folderName) {
    }

    def jobName = 'job'
    freeStyleJob(folderName + '/' + jobName) {
    }