Unable to use XComObjectStorageBackend with apache-airflow-providers-common-io==1.6.2 #55803
Description
Apache Airflow Provider(s)
common-io
Versions of Apache Airflow Providers
apache-airflow-providers-common-io==1.6.2
Apache Airflow version
2.11.0
Operating System
debian
Deployment
Astronomer
Deployment details
Fresh deployment running Runtime 13.2.0. This version uses Airflow 2.11.0 with apache-airflow-providers-common-io==1.6.2.
What happened
Configured a custom XCom backend.
AIRFLOW__CORE__XCOM_BACKEND=airflow.providers.common.io.xcom.backend.XComObjectStorageBackend
The scheduler and triggerer are failing to star. The errors seem to be originating from importing BaseOperator that is triggered by a custom plugin. This happens to other plugins too.
[2025-09-17T18:32:13.715+0000] {plugins_manager.py:267} ERROR - Failed to import plugin openlineage
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/configuration.py", line 1346, in getimport
return import_string(full_qualified_path)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/utils/module_loading.py", line 39, in import_string
module = import_module(module_path)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/importlib/__init__.py", line 90, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1387, in _gcd_import
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1360, in _find_and_load
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1331, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 935, in _load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 999, in exec_module
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 488, in _call_with_frames_removed
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/providers/common/io/xcom/backend.py", line 30, in <module>
from airflow.providers.common.io.version_compat import AIRFLOW_V_3_0_PLUS
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/providers/common/io/version_compat.py", line 40, in <module>
from airflow.models import BaseOperator
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/models/__init__.py", line 79, in __getattr__
val = import_string(f"{path}.{name}")
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/utils/module_loading.py", line 39, in import_string
module = import_module(module_path)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/importlib/__init__.py", line 90, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/models/baseoperator.py", line 83, in <module>
from airflow.models.mappedoperator import OperatorPartial, validate_mapping_kwargs
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/models/mappedoperator.py", line 54, in <module>
from airflow.triggers.base import StartTriggerArgs
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/triggers/base.py", line 27, in <module>
from airflow.models.taskinstance import SimpleTaskInstance
ImportError: cannot import name 'SimpleTaskInstance' from partially initialized module 'airflow.models.taskinstance' (most likely due to a circular import) (/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/models/taskinstance.py)
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/plugins_manager.py", line 259, in load_entrypoint_plugins
plugin_class = entry_point.load()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/importlib/metadata/__init__.py", line 205, in load
module = import_module(match.group('module'))
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/importlib/__init__.py", line 90, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1387, in _gcd_import
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1360, in _find_and_load
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1331, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 935, in _load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 999, in exec_module
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 488, in _call_with_frames_removed
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/providers/openlineage/plugins/openlineage.py", line 21, in <module>
from airflow.providers.openlineage.plugins.listener import get_openlineage_listener
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/providers/openlineage/plugins/listener.py", line 31, in <module>
from airflow.models import DagRun, TaskInstance
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1412, in _handle_fromlist
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/models/__init__.py", line 79, in __getattr__
val = import_string(f"{path}.{name}")
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/utils/module_loading.py", line 39, in import_string
module = import_module(module_path)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/importlib/__init__.py", line 90, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/models/dagrun.py", line 60, in <module>
from airflow.models.taskinstance import TaskInstance as TI
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/models/taskinstance.py", line 104, in <module>
from airflow.models.xcom import LazyXComSelectSequence, XCom
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/models/xcom.py", line 815, in <module>
XCom = resolve_xcom_backend()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/models/xcom.py", line 798, in resolve_xcom_backend
clazz = conf.getimport("core", "xcom_backend", fallback=f"airflow.models.xcom.{BaseXCom.__name__}")
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/airflow/configuration.py", line 1349, in getimport
raise AirflowConfigException(
airflow.exceptions.AirflowConfigException: The object could not be loaded. Please check "xcom_backend" key in "core" section. Current value: "airflow.providers.common.io.xcom.backend.XComObjectStorageBackend".
What you think should happen instead
The scheduler and triggerer should start up without issue with a custom XCom backend.
How to reproduce
- Start a deployment with Runtime 13.2.0 (Airflow 2.11.0)
- Configure the custom XCom backend to
airflow.providers.common.io.xcom.backend.XComObjectStorageBackend. - Start the deployment.
FROM quay.io/astronomer/astro-runtime:13.2.0
ENV AIRFLOW__CORE__XCOM_BACKEND=airflow.providers.common.io.xcom.backend.XComObjectStorageBackend
Anything else
This behaviour can be mitigated when apache-airflow-providers-common-io version is pinned to 1.6.0.
I suspect the issue is because of #52443 as that is where BaseOperator was replaced in the common provider. The change was introduced in 1.6.1
.
Are you willing to submit PR?
- Yes I am willing to submit a PR!
Code of Conduct
- I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct