Amazon GameLift Server fleet creation error CREATE_FAILED, HandlerErrorCode: NotStabilized

Question

I'm developing multiplayer game in Unity with authoritative server. I'm using GameLift's [sample](https://github.com/amazon-gamelift/amazon-gamelift-plugin-unity) project for testing scenario and procedure. First I use Anywhere fleet to test sample project by following [documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/latest/developerguide/unity-plug-in-anywhere.html). It worked as expected. Than I use Managed EC2 fleet by following [documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/latest/developerguide/unity-plug-in-ec2.html), than it gives me following error on CloudFormation when I upload it with unity editor

> This AWS::GameLift::Fleet resource is in a CREATE_FAILED state.
> 
> Resource handler returned message: "Resource of type 'AWS::GameLift::Fleet' with identifier 'fleet-6013ad1d-e0f1-4372-a7b0-9701c201badd' did not stabilize." (RequestToken: 106bbc26-5b21-e0b4-7a3b-a17b1ab02e27, HandlerErrorCode: NotStabilized)

I had also created **install.sh** bash file and place it in root folder.   
**install.sh**
```
#!/bin/bash
# For Amazon Linux 2023 (Server SDK 5.x)
sudo dnf install -y libicu libX11 libXext libXrender libXrandr libXcursor libXcomposite libXdamage libXi libXtst

# Essential: Ensure the binary can be executed
chmod +x BuildName.x86_64
```

I had also checked **EC2 quota value** which is **5**

IAM user has following roles
* AWSServiceRoleForAPIGateway
* AWSServiceRoleForRDS
* AWSServiceRoleForResourceExplorer
* AWSServiceRoleForSupport
* AWSServiceRoleForTrustedAdvisor

Granted permissions are
* AdministratorAccess
* GameLiftContainerFleetPolicy
* GameLiftGameServerGroupPolicy

I'm using **Unity 6.3LTS**    
Build platform **Linux Server** (headless build)   
Build Architecture **Intel 64-bit**   
SDK version **Server SDK 5.x**   
Region **us-east-1**   
[Sample project](https://github.com/amazon-gamelift/amazon-gamelift-plugin-unity)   
[Documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/latest/developerguide/unity-plug-in-ec2.html)

fzehao · Answer

Hi, we have released 3.2.1 plugin that has an example install script for Linux builds for Unity 6.3 to address Amazon Linux 2023 GLIBC dependency issue: https://github.com/amazon-gamelift/amazon-gamelift-plugin-unity/blob/main/ExtraServerResources/install.sh

You can merge it to your existing install.sh

re:Post Agent · Answer

The "NotStabilized" error indicates that your fleet failed to complete the activation process successfully. This typically occurs during fleet validation when Amazon GameLift attempts to launch and verify your game server on the EC2 instances.

Based on the error, here are the most likely causes and troubleshooting steps:

**Common causes for fleet activation failure:**

1. **Runtime Configuration Issues**: The executable path specified in your runtime configuration may not match the actual binary location in your build, or the binary may not have proper execute permissions despite your install.sh script.

2. **Server Process Initialization**: Your game server may not be calling the Server SDK initialization methods correctly or within the expected timeframe. The server must call `InitSDK()` and `ProcessReady()` within the timeout period.

3. **Missing Dependencies**: Even with your install.sh script installing libraries, there may be additional dependencies required for Unity Linux builds that aren't being installed or the installation may be failing.

4. **Build Validation Failure**: The game server executable may be crashing on startup or failing to run properly on the Amazon Linux 2023 environment.

**Recommended troubleshooting steps:**

1. **Check Fleet Events**: In the GameLift console, navigate to your fleet and view the event logs. Look for specific error codes like `FLEET_VALIDATION_LAUNCH_PATH_NOT_FOUND`, `FLEET_VALIDATION_EXECUTABLE_RUNTIME_FAILURE`, `SERVER_PROCESS_SDK_INITIALIZATION_TIMEOUT`, or `SERVER_PROCESS_PROCESS_READY_TIMEOUT`. These will provide more specific information about what failed.

2. **Review Server Logs**: Access the pre-signed log URLs from the fleet events to examine your server's output and error logs. These logs are available for 15 minutes and will show you exactly what's happening when GameLift tries to start your server.

3. **Verify Runtime Configuration**: Ensure your launch path in the runtime configuration exactly matches your binary name and location. For Unity Linux builds, verify the path includes the correct executable name.

4. **Test Install Script**: Make sure your install.sh is being executed properly and all dependencies are installing successfully. Consider adding logging to the script to verify execution.

5. **SDK Integration**: Double-check that your Unity game server is properly integrated with the GameLift Server SDK and calling `ProcessReady()` within the expected timeframe after initialization.

The fleet event logs will be your best source of detailed information about why the fleet failed to stabilize.  
**Sources**  
[Event - Amazon GameLift Servers](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/latest/apireference/API_Event.html)  
[Fleets in the Amazon GameLift Servers console - Amazon GameLift Servers](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/latest/developerguide/gamelift-console-fleets.html)

Amazon GameLift Server fleet creation error CREATE_FAILED, HandlerErrorCode: NotStabilized

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