Nginx on Plesk server fails to start: 99: Cannot assign requested address

Symptoms

• When opening a website in a web browser, either Webserver Default page or the following error is shown:

  PLESK_INFO: Unable to connect
  Firefox can’t establish a connection to the server at example.com.

• The following error is shown on the Home page in Plesk:

  PLESK_ERROR: New configuration files for the Apache web server were not created due to the errors in configuration templates: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 203.0.113.2:443 failed (99: Cannot assign requested address) nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test failed. Detailed error descriptions were sent to you by email. Please resolve the issues and click here to generate broken configuration files once again or here to generate all configuration files. See the details in Configuration Troubleshooter

   

• nginx fails to start with the following error:

  CONFIG_TEXT: Cannot assign requested address

• Execution of plesk repair web command finishes with a warning:

  # plesk repair web
  ...
  One or more IP addresses registered in Plesk (203.0.113.2) are missing from the server's network interfaces. Domains assigned these IP addresses (example.com) are unreachable. Assign valid IP addresses to these domains and rebuild the server configuration files........................... [WARNING]

• The IP address 203.0.113.2 from the warning message is marked as broken in Plesk at Tools & Settings > IP Addresses.

• This IP address does not exist on the system in Plesk: the following command does not list it:

  # ip a | grep 'inet '

Cause

Unsynced IP address between Plesk and OS or IP address was removed/changed manually directly on the server.

The IP address configured in Plesk is not configured on the server.

Resolution

Apply one of the following solutions:

Solution I:

Assign the IP addresses 203.0.113.2 again to the server.

Solution II:

If the address should not be used anymore change it using the instructions below:

1. Switch the IP addresses for the domains using the article How to switch IP address for domain in Plesk?

2. Go to Plesk > Tools & Settings > IP Adresses and click Reread.

3. In Tools & Settings > IP Adresses, select the unused IP address 203.0.113.2 and click Remove.

4. Repair web server configuration:

   # plesk repair web -y