System Error: HttpError: <HttpError 503 when requesting https://www.googleapis.com/tasks/v1/users/@me/lists?alt=json returned "Backend Error">

[GoogleCodeExporter]

What steps will reproduce the problem?
1. After File upload processing fails with the error message:

"System Error: HttpError: <HttpError 503 when requesting 
https://www.googleapis.com/tasks/v1/users/@me/lists?alt=json returned "Backend 
Error">"

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?
Expected a full task import, but processing fails.

What version of the product are you using? (Version is shown on the bottom
of most web pages.)

Which browser and operating system? (for problems with the system)
Which application? (for problems reading/importing backup file)
Chrome on Windows 7 Enterprise (SP1)

Please provide any additional information below.
N/A

Original issue reported on code.google.com by Legradi...@gmail.com on 1 Dec 2014 at 9:10

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Unfortunately, there is nothing that I can do about a 503 error, as it 
indicates a problem with the Google Tasks server.

This error is thankfully very rare, and Google usually fixes the problem within 
a few hours. The logs show that this error has occurred several times today, 
but there have been no other 503 errors in the last 90 days. 

I have just imported some tasks into my account, and it worked for me, however 
it may be that the 503 errors are only occurring on some data centres (e.g., 
the problem may not affect me in Australia, but could affect only people using 
a data centre in the UK).

The only thing that I can suggest is to wait a few hours and try again.

If the problem is still occurring tomorrow, please let me know.

Original comment by Julie.Sm...@gmail.com on 1 Dec 2014 at 12:01

• Changed state: Being-Investigated
• Added labels: Component-Server

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I have raised this issue and it has been repeatedly occurring. Multiple 
processing failures prevent a successful task import. I have been trying for 
the 3rd consecutive day.

Original comment by Legradi...@gmail.com on 3 Dec 2014 at 7:35

[GoogleCodeExporter]

The issue persists. I am unable to update my task lists. Can anyone please help?
Attila

Original comment by Legradi...@gmail.com on 4 Dec 2014 at 9:11

Attachments:

• Upload20141201a.csv

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Hello Attila,

I'm sorry that you are still unable to import your tasks. Thank you for 
supplying that file. I am now able to reproduce the fault with that file, so it 
seems that there is something about that file that the Google Tasks Server does 
not like. Have you been able to import that file (or a similar one) at any time 
in the past? If so, it may be that Google has changed something on the server 
recently.

The logs for the past several days show that only a single user has been 
experiencing these 503 errors. I wonder if it is related to the number of 
tasklists being imported, as the Tasks Server seems to generate this error 
after trying to create 81 tasklists, or just after deleting the existing 81 
tasklists. Note that the logs do not show me the actual tasks or tasklists, 
just the number of tasks or tasklists that had been processed when the error 
occurred.

Google Tasks is optimised for many tasks in a few tasklists, whereas the file 
you provide has many tasklists with only a few tasks in each tasklist. Also, I 
notice that there are many tasklists with the same name, which may also be 
contributing to Google's server error.

If you need to import these tasks urgently, as a possible workaround, you could 
try breaking up the file and importing the first file with "Delete all 
tasklists before import", then importing subsequent files with "Create new 
tasklists". Since the Tasks Server seems to balk at 81 tasklists, you could try 
splitting the original file such that each new file contains less than 80 
tasklists. Based on your source file, where some tasklists contain only 2 
tasks, some files would be as little as 160 lines long. I realise that is a lot 
of work and would require about 40 separate files, but that is all that I can 
offer at the moment.

I will continue to investigate to see if I can gain a clearer picture, but 
given that the problem is with the Google Tasks Server and not GTI, it may take 
me some time to find a more permanent solution.

Regards,

Julie Smith
Developer of GTB and GTI

Original comment by Julie.Sm...@gmail.com on 4 Dec 2014 at 11:27

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Since this is a problem with the Google Tasks Server, I cannot give a 
definitive answer as to if this can even be fixed, or whether I may be able to 
create a workaround within GTI. 

Even if there is a workaround, I cannot say how long it may take to find, test 
and implement a workaround. It could be many months, given that this project is 
just a sideline for me, and I am also battling some health issues. Sorry that I 
can't provide a more optimistic answer.

I would also like to point out, that whilst the problem is serious for those 
affected, it potentially affects less than 0.18% of all possible import jobs. 
This figure is based on the number of exports completed by GTB, where just 7 of 
4,830 exports over the past 2.5 years have more than 80 tasklists.

The last successful import of more than 80 tasklists was 20 October (137 
tasklists), so it would appear that Google may have made a change to their 
server after that date. Google does not provide public support for their Google 
Tasks Server, so there is nothing that I can do to force Google to change. A 
workaround in GTI (if that is even possible) would be the only possible 
solution.

The only other possible workaround would be what I proposed in the previous 
message (#4) above.

Original comment by Julie.Sm...@gmail.com on 14 Dec 2014 at 1:28