Creating an API Management instance in a tenant which name was previously used in another tenant

Question

I've created an API Management instance in one tenant. After deleting this instance and after purging it I'm unable to create the API Management instance in another tenant with the same name. I've tried creating the instance after I've purged the instance a week ago from the other tenant. The message I get is:

xxx is already in use. Please select a different name.

When I want to create the instance in the first tenant I can do it and don't get the error.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

Johan Nederpel Thanks for posting your question in Microsoft Q&A. Based on your description, you had deleted APIM instance in one tenant and I assume you purged it using Deleted Services - Purge Rest API. When creating it in another tenant, you faced the above error.

This is as per design. The limitation was added in APIM (as well as other services such as App Service) to prevent Dangling Domain Takeover by integrating with Azure Name Reservation service which ties the service name to the customer's subscription (for a certain period). Refer doc: Prevent dangling DNS entries and avoid subdomain takeover for more info about this feature and check out Identify dangling DNS entries doc to get all DNS entries for a subscription/tenant.

The cool off period (to release the name) varies based on the subscription type, and for example, Enterprise subscription - 180 days, non-enterprise subscription in general - 7 days (some: 30 days). So, the recommendation is to wait for the cool off period for using the same name or use a different APIM name in the new tenant. However, if you have a specific business scenario, and needs immediate help (can verify both subscriptions belong to same o), reach out to azure support team and they can assist you further.

I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.

---

If you found the answer to your question helpful, please take a moment to mark it as "Yes" for others to benefit from your experience. Or simply add a comment tagging me and would be happy to answer your questions.