bug: Global tables fail deployment when using cloudformation #12811
Description
Is there an existing issue for this?
- I have searched the existing issues
Current Behavior
The cloudformation stack failes deploying when multiple regions are specified. It seems that the it tries to create a table in the default region, then if there's a replica specified in that default region it will just fail because it already exists.
Here is the error:
{
"StackId": "arn:aws:cloudformation:eu-west-1:000000000000:stack/TEST-Table-Stack/64963906",
"EventId": "ab614b18-81cc-4470-b288-613a2bfcf0c8",
"StackName": "TEST-Table-Stack",
"LogicalResourceId": "TEST-Table-Stack",
"PhysicalResourceId": "arn:aws:cloudformation:eu-west-1:000000000000:stack/TEST-Table-Stack/64963906",
"ResourceType": "AWS::CloudFormation::Stack",
"Timestamp": "2025-06-27T15:33:39.308000+00:00",
"ResourceStatus": "CREATE_FAILED",
"ResourceStatusReason": "An error occurred (ValidationException) when calling the UpdateTable operation: Failed to create a the new replica of table with name: 'Mohsen.Dev1.Table.NotificationsSubscriptions' because one or more replicas already existed as tables."
},
{
"StackId": "arn:aws:cloudformation:eu-west-1:000000000000:stack/TEST-Table-Stack/64963906",
"EventId": "474644dd-e0ba-4bfb-9119-e634d9e424d5",
"StackName": "TEST-Table-Stack",
"LogicalResourceId": "NotificationsSubscriptionsTable",
"PhysicalResourceId": "arn:aws:cloudformation:eu-west-1:000000000000:stack/TEST-Table-Stack/64963906",
"ResourceType": "AWS::DynamoDB::GlobalTable",
"Timestamp": "2025-06-27T15:33:39.306000+00:00",
"ResourceStatus": "CREATE_FAILED",
"ResourceStatusReason": "An error occurred (ValidationException) when calling the UpdateTable operation: Failed to create a the new replica of table with name: 'Mohsen.Dev1.Table.NotificationsSubscriptions' because one or more replicas already existed as tables."
},In order to make it work in locastack you need to remove the replica in the main region which will make it fail in the real AWS.
Expected Behavior
In the real AWS you should both specify all the replicas regardless of the region where it is being deployed from. If you don't specify the active region, the deployment will fail.
How are you starting LocalStack?
With a docker-compose file
Steps To Reproduce
docker-compose -f .\docker-compose.testing.yml up -dname: "test"
services:
localstack:
image: localstack/localstack:4.5
container_name: localstack
ports:
- "4566:4566"
environment:
- SERVICES=dynamodb,sns,sqs,lambda,cloudformation,kms,cloudwatch,s3,iam,logs,ssm
- DEBUG=1
- ENFORCE_IAM=1
- DEFAULT_REGION=eu-west-1
- LAMBDA_EXECUTOR=docker
- LAMBDA_REMOTE_DOCKER=true
- LAMBDA_REMOVE_CONTAINERS=true
- DATA_DIR=/tmp/localstack/data
- DOCKER_HOST=unix:///var/run/docker.sock
volumes:
- "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock"
dynamodb-admin:
image: aaronshaf/dynamodb-admin
depends_on:
- localstack
environment:
- DYNAMO_ENDPOINT=http://localstack:4566
- AWS_REGION=eu-west-1
ports:
- "8001:8001"
Cloudformation stack for the one that doesn't work in localstack but works in the real AWS
AWSTemplateFormatVersion: 2010-09-09
Description: This stack deploys does work on AWS but doesn't in localstack
Resources:
NotificationsSubscriptionsTable:
Type: AWS::DynamoDB::GlobalTable
Properties:
AttributeDefinitions:
- AttributeName: EndpointUrl
AttributeType: S
BillingMode: PAY_PER_REQUEST
KeySchema:
- AttributeName: EndpointUrl
KeyType: HASH
SSESpecification:
SSEEnabled: true
StreamSpecification:
StreamViewType: NEW_AND_OLD_IMAGES
Replicas:
-
Region: !Sub ${AWS::Region}
Tags:
- Key: Name
Value: !Sub Mohsen-Dev1-Table-NotificationsSubscriptions
- Key: ConfigurationContext
Value: !Sub Dev1
-
Region: eu-central-1
Tags:
- Key: Name
Value: !Sub Mohsen-Dev1-Table-NotificationsSubscriptions
- Key: ConfigurationContext
Value: !Sub Dev1
TableName:
Fn::Sub: Mohsen.Dev1.Table.NotificationsSubscriptions
To deploy it
set AWS_REGION=eu-west-1
set CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE=./not-work-localstack.yaml
set CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE_PROCESSED=./not-work-localstack-output.yaml
set TABLE_STACK_NAME=TEST-Table-Stack
echo Creating s3 bucket for stuff
aws s3api create-bucket --bucket test-bucket --endpoint-url http://localhost:4566 --create-bucket-configuration LocationConstraint=%AWS_REGION% --region %AWS_REGION%
echo removing existing table stack
aws cloudformation delete-stack --endpoint-url http://localhost:4566 --region %AWS_REGION% --stack-name %TABLE_STACK_NAME% --deletion-mode FORCE_DELETE_STACK
echo Deploying the table
aws cloudformation package --endpoint-url http://localhost:4566 --region %AWS_REGION% --template-file %CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE% --output-template-file %CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE_PROCESSED% --s3-bucket test-bucket
aws cloudformation deploy --endpoint-url http://localhost:4566 --region %AWS_REGION% --template-file %CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE_PROCESSED% --stack-name %TABLE_STACK_NAME% --capabilities CAPABILITY_NAMED_IAM
Cloudformation stack for the one that doesn't work in AWS but works in localstack
AWSTemplateFormatVersion: 2010-09-09
Description: This stack deploy does not work on AWS but does in localstack
Resources:
NotificationsSubscriptionsTable:
Type: AWS::DynamoDB::GlobalTable
Properties:
AttributeDefinitions:
- AttributeName: EndpointUrl
AttributeType: S
BillingMode: PAY_PER_REQUEST
KeySchema:
- AttributeName: EndpointUrl
KeyType: HASH
SSESpecification:
SSEEnabled: true
StreamSpecification:
StreamViewType: NEW_AND_OLD_IMAGES
Replicas:
-
Region: eu-central-1
Tags:
- Key: Name
Value: !Sub Mohsen-Dev1-Table-NotificationsSubscriptions
- Key: ConfigurationContext
Value: !Sub Dev1
TableName:
Fn::Sub: Mohsen.Dev1.Table.NotificationsSubscriptions
To deploy it
set AWS_REGION=eu-west-1
set CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE=./working-localstack.yaml
set CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE_PROCESSED=./working-localstack-output.yaml
set TABLE_STACK_NAME=TEST-Table-Stack
echo Creating s3 bucket for stuff
aws s3api create-bucket --bucket test-bucket --endpoint-url http://localhost:4566 --create-bucket-configuration LocationConstraint=%AWS_REGION% --region %AWS_REGION%
echo removing existing table stack
aws cloudformation delete-stack --endpoint-url http://localhost:4566 --region %AWS_REGION% --stack-name %TABLE_STACK_NAME% --deletion-mode FORCE_DELETE_STACK
echo Deploying the table
aws cloudformation package --endpoint-url http://localhost:4566 --region %AWS_REGION% --template-file %CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE% --output-template-file %CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE_PROCESSED% --s3-bucket test-bucket
aws cloudformation deploy --endpoint-url http://localhost:4566 --region %AWS_REGION% --template-file %CFN_TABLE_TEMPLATE_PROCESSED% --stack-name %TABLE_STACK_NAME% --capabilities CAPABILITY_NAMED_IAM
Environment
- OS: Windows / Docker (WSL2)
- LocalStack: 4.5Anything else?
No response