AEM as a Cloud Service: WARN log for Elastic Cloud connection check with HTTP 403 on Author instances
This article explains why recurring WARN-level log entries about failed Elastic Cloud connectivity checks with HTTP 403 responses appear on AEM as a Cloud Service Author instances and clarifies when customer action is required.
Description description
Environment
Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service (AEMaaCS) (all environments: Development, Stage, Production)
Issue/Symptoms
On startup of AEM as a Cloud Service Author instances, WARN-level log entries may appear similar to the following:
org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.plugins.index.elastic.ElasticConnection Error checking connection for [ Elastic Cloud endpoint] , message: node: [ Elastic Cloud endpoint] , status: 403, [ es/ping] Expecting a response body, but none was sent
- The error occurs on all Author instances at container startup.
- The referenced endpoint is managed by Adobe as part of the Elastic Cloud backend.
- No customer-side Elasticsearch configuration exists in OSGi or Oak index definitions.
- The error signature is identical across all environments: HTTP status 403 with an empty response body on the es/ping endpoint.
Cause
These WARN log entries typically result from intermittent connectivity or health-check failures between AEM as a Cloud Service Author instances and the Adobe-managed Elastic Cloud backend. These failures are usually transient and do not require customer action unless search functionality is affected.
Resolution resolution
Follow these steps to evaluate the issue:
- Confirm that the WARN-level log entry matches the following startup pattern:
status: 403, [ es/ping] Expecting a response body, but none was sent. - Ensure that the endpoint is a generic Elastic Cloud endpoint managed by Adobe.
- Review OSGi and Oak index definitions to confirm that no custom Elasticsearch configuration is present.
- Validate that DAM asset search and other Elastic-backed queries function as expected. If search functionality is degraded or the errors persist, collect the timestamp, endpoint, and error message for further investigation.
- If the error is limited to the described WARN log entry and there is no impact on search or indexing, no customer-side remediation is required. Adobe manages the Elastic Cloud backend and monitors its health. These log entries do not necessarily indicate a persistent issue.
- Contact Adobe Support if errors persist or functionality is affected. Provide log samples and details about the observed impact for further investigation.