Commit Fails with Reference to Invalid or Missing Object

• Commit fails with a validation or dependency error.

• Error message indicates a reference to a specific object is invalid or not found.

• Palo Alto Networks Firewall

• Panorama

• Security Policy, NAT, or Decryption rules

• Missing Object: The object referenced in the policy field was typed manually but never created in the Objects tab.

• Renaming Mismatch: An object was renamed, but the policy is still pointing to the old name.

• Panorama Scope Issue: The policy is defined in a Parent Device Group, but the referenced object resides in a Child Device Group. A Parent Device Group cannot access objects defined lower in the hierarchy (Child Device Group).

• Order of Operations: The object was created in the candidate configuration but has not been committed to the running configuration yet, causing the policy validation to fail during a simultaneous commit.

• Ghost Reference: An object was deleted, but a reference remains in a disabled rule, PBF rule, or Zone Protection profile.

Method 1: Verify and Create Object

1. Identify the specific object name causing the error from the commit log.

2. Navigate to the Objects tab (Addresses, Services, or Applications).

3. Search for the exact name appearing in the error log.

4. If the object is missing, create the object with the exact name referenced.

5. If the object exists, check for trailing spaces in the name (e.g., "Server-A " vs "Server-A").

Method 2: Fix Panorama Scope

1. Ensure the policy and the object are in the same Device Group.

2. If the policy is in a Parent Device Group, move the object from the Child Device Group to the Parent Device Group or Shared.

Method 3: Re-apply Changes Incrementally (Order of Operations) If the object exists in the candidate configuration but the commit fails, the firewall may require the object to be committed before the policy referencing it.

1. Revert to the running configuration to discard the failed candidate changes.

   1. Go to the Device tab.

   2. Select Revert to running config.

   3. Confirm the action.

2. Create the new Address, Service, or Application objects.

3. Commit the configuration. (This ensures the objects exist in the running configuration).

4. Configure the Security Policy rules referencing the new objects.

5. Commit the configuration again.

Method 4: Clean Up Ghost References

1. Use the Global Find feature (search icon in the top right corner).

2. Search for the name of the object causing the error.

3. Locate references to deleted objects in other configurations (like PBF or Zone Protection) and remove them.

How to View Configuration Differences To view the differences between the running and candidate configurations before reverting:

1. Go to the Device tab.

2. Click Config Audit.

3. Select Candidate Config on the right (to compare against Running Config).

4. Click Go.