topic Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled in ArcGIS Utility Network Questions

ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

PierreloupDucroix — Wed, 28 May 2025 00:37:32 GMT

Hello,

I'm getting this error when trying to export a subnetwork from the ArcGIS API for Python.

A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled.

It only occurs for one specific subnetwork that behaves normally in ArcGIS Pro (not dirty, can be modified and validated...)

Exporting this subnetwork is working as expected when done in ArcGIS Pro with the toolbox, with arcpy.un.ExportSubnetwork and even in the REST API.

Any idea ?

Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

RobertKrisher — Wed, 28 May 2025 14:59:55 GMT

Can you include a snippet of your export from the ArcGIS API for Python, along with a screenshot of the same export using a GP tool.

Bonus point if you can include a screenshot of the corresponding rows from the subnetworks table that show the values of the Subnetwork Name, Status (ISDIRTY), and "Is deleted" columns for the subnetwork in question.

Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

PierreloupDucroix — Wed, 28 May 2025 21:36:40 GMT

So, after several tests, it appears that the error only occurs when the export_acknowledged parameter is True. I have been able to reproduce with arcpy and GPTool :

arcpy.un.ExportSubnetwork( in_utility_network="EEC Utility Network", domain_network="Electric", tier="Réseau HTA", subnetwork_name="GDN-837-07", export_acknowledged="ACKNOWLEDGE", out_json_file=r"C:\Temp\GDN-837-07.json", condition_barriers=None, function_barriers=None, include_barriers="INCLUDE_BARRIERS", traversability_scope="BOTH_JUNCTIONS_AND_EDGES", propagators=None, include_geometry="INCLUDE_GEOMETRY", result_types="CONTAINMENT_AND_ATTACHMENT_ASSOCIATIONS;CONNECTIVITY;FEATURES", result_network_attributes=None, result_fields=None, include_domain_descriptions="INCLUDE_DOMAIN_DESCRIPTIONS" )

Error : https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/3.3/tool-reference/tool-errors-and-warnings/160001-170000/tool-errors-and-warnings-160526-160550-160528.htm

When setting export_acknowledged="NO_ACKNOWLEDGE" it works.

Once again this is the only subnetwork over 2000 that behave like this.

Here is the bonus subnet table where you can see there have been several subnetworks with the same name and controller, but only one is now active and clean :

Will you give me two kudos for that 😆

Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

RobertKrisher — Thu, 29 May 2025 19:01:50 GMT

Strange question, what happens if you turn on export w/acknowledgement but don't include the geometry? I gave you one Kudo, so someone else from the community will have to give you the second 🙂

Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

PierreloupDucroix — Thu, 29 May 2025 23:32:46 GMT

Same error.

Here is the simplest code sample that gives me the error :

arcpy.un.ExportSubnetwork( in_utility_network="EEC Utility Network", domain_network="Electric", tier="Réseau HTA", subnetwork_name="GDN-837-07", export_acknowledged="ACKNOWLEDGE", out_json_file=r"C:\Temp\GDN-837-07.json", condition_barriers=None, function_barriers=None, include_barriers="INCLUDE_BARRIERS", traversability_scope="BOTH_JUNCTIONS_AND_EDGES", propagators=None, include_geometry="EXCLUDE_GEOMETRY", result_types=None, result_network_attributes=None, result_fields=None, include_domain_descriptions="EXCLUDE_DOMAIN_DESCRIPTIONS" )

Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

RobertKrisher — Fri, 30 May 2025 03:13:23 GMT

If you haven't already, please log an issue for this. I've been unable to reproduce it on my end, but I suspect I know what is causing it and it may be a bug. What's happening is the utility network is seeing the active controller before the deleted controller and it thinks something has gone wrong. The only way I could do this was through some creative versioned editing.

The only workaround I can think of is to delete and purge the currently active subnetwork controller then recreating it.

Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

PierreloupDucroix — Fri, 30 May 2025 05:27:45 GMT

Thanks, Robert

I just logged a case and added you as a contact.

We will try to delete the subnetwork and recreate it.

When you say "purge", what do you mean ?

My process to recreate a subnetwork is:

- remove the device's subnetwork controller state

- update the subnetwork so that it is marked as deleted

- export it with acknowledgement

- re-enable the subnetwork controller with the same subnetwork name

- finally update the new subnetwork

Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

RobertKrisher — Fri, 30 May 2025 19:11:15 GMT

Purge isn't an officially recognized word in this context, so you won't find it in any of the online help. When I use this word I'm referring to the final export subnetwork with acknowledgement that removes all references to a subnetwork from the subnetworks table.

It can be confusing to talk about deleting a subnetwork, since it must first be marked as deleted and processed before it can be truly deleted.

Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

PierreloupDucroix — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 05:56:01 GMT

After deleting and recreating the subnetwork, I only have one row in the subnet table, and I was able to successfully export it with acknowledgment.

The case is still open with Esri France support, hopefully you will find the root cause and solve it.

Thanks, Robert

Re: ExportSubnetwork error : A subnetwork controller cannot be purged before disabled

lshorrock — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 19:56:53 GMT

From the future: I had this problem on two of my subnetworks. The controllers that had Is deleted = True were not being purged from the Subnetworks table (I think this was the issue). I could use Update Subnetwork when Manage isdirty was turned on (not turned off). I could not use Export Subnetwork when Set export acknowledged was turned on.

The solution I found was to completely delete the subnetworks and rebuild them, aka delete all the controllers, update subnetwork, export subnetwork, readd controllers, update subnetwork, export subnetwork. Not sure if all those steps are necessary but they worked. Deleting/re-adding only the problem controllers did not work.