Resolve errors for job size exceeded

This article describes how to resolve the JobSizeExceededException and DeploymentJobSizeExceededException errors. The job size exceeded errors can occur when you deploy a Bicep file or Azure Resource Manager template (ARM template).

Symptom

When deploying a template, you receive an error stating the deployment has exceeded limits.

Cause

You get this error when the deployment exceeds an allowed limit. Typically, you see this error when either your template or the job that runs the deployment is too large.

The deployment job can't exceed 1 MB and that includes metadata about the request. For large templates, the metadata combined with the template might exceed a job's allowed size.

The template can't exceed 4 MB, and each resource definition can't exceed 1 MB. The limits apply to the final state of the template after it has been expanded for resource definitions that use loops to create many instances. The final state also includes the resolved values for variables and parameters.

Other template limits are:

• 256 parameters
• 256 variables
• 800 resources (including copy count)
• 64 output values
• 24,576 characters in a template expression

Solution 1: Use dependencies carefully

Bicep

Use an implicit dependency that's created when a resource references another resource by its symbolic name. For most deployments, it's not necessary to use dependsOn and create an explicit dependency.

JSON

When using copy loops to deploy resources, don't use the loop name as a dependency:

dependsOn: [ "nicLoop" ]

Instead, use the instance of the resource from the loop that you need to depend on. For example:

dependsOn: [
    "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', concat('nic-', copyIndex()))]"
]

Solution 2: Simplify template

Bicep

When your file deploys lots of different resource types, consider dividing it into modules. Divide your resource types into logical groups and add a module for each group. For example, if you need to deploy lots of networking resources, you can move those resources to a module.

You can set other resources as implicit dependencies, and get values from the output of modules.

JSON

When your template deploys lots of different resource types, consider dividing it into linked templates. Divide your resource types into logical groups and add a linked template for each group. For example, if you need to deploy lots of networking resources, you can move those resources to a linked template.

You can set other resources as dependent on the linked template, and get values from the output of the linked template.

Solution 3: Reduce name size

Bicep

Try to shorten the length of the names you use for parameters, variables, and outputs. When these values are repeated in loops, a long name gets multiplied many times.

JSON

Try to shorten the length of the names you use for parameters, variables, and outputs. When these values are repeated through copy loops, a long name gets multiplied many times.