How to fix Job not running in Kubernetes

KubernetesINTERMEDIATEMEDIUM

This error indicates that a job is in a suspended or failed state and is not executing. This typically happens when the job is explicitly suspended, has exceeded retry limits, or has persistent pod failures.

What this error means

The "Job not running" error means that a Job exists in your cluster but is not actively executing pods. Jobs can be in several non-running states: Suspended (paused), Failed (exceeded backoffLimit), or Completed (finished).

Typical symptoms

Job shows 0 active pods
kubectl describe job shows Suspended
Job completions stuck
Job age increasing but pods don't run

Common causes

Job suspended by policy
Job exceeded backoffLimit
Pod image doesn't exist
Pod container crashes immediately
Resource quotas preventing pod creation

How to fix "Job not running"

1Check job status

kubectl describe job <job-name>

2Check if suspended

kubectl get job <name> -o jsonpath='{.spec.suspend}'

3Check pod logs

kubectl logs <pod-name>

4Verify image

kubectl get job <name> -o yaml | grep -A5 containers

Increase backoffLimit

Advanced notes

The backoffLimit default is 6. After 6 failed attempts, the job marks as Failed.

Related errors

Official resources & further reading

📚Kubernetes Official Documentation
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Kubernetes Docs: Jobs(Official Docs)
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Kubernetes Docs: Job Completion Time(Official Docs)
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Stack Overflow: Kubernetes job issues(Stack Overflow)