aws-cdk: aws-cdk: direct deploy return error when there are no stack updates

Describe the bug

Using cdk deploy --method=direct when there are no stack updates:

• On a stack that resolves SSM parameters (during deployment).

It return ❌ Deployment failed and exit code 1.

Compared to cdk deploy that return ✅ HelloCdkStack (no changes) and exit code 0.

Expected Behavior

cdk deploy --method=direct

• Message: ✅ HelloCdkStack (no changes)
• Exit code: 0

When there are no updates.

Current Behavior

cdk deploy --method=direct

Debug output:

HelloCdkStack: some parameters come from SSM so we have to assume they may have changed
HelloCdkStack: deploying...
HelloCdkStack: updating stack...
Call failed: updateStack({"StackName":"HelloCdkStack", ...}) => No updates are to be performed. (code=ValidationError)

Result:

 ❌  HelloCdkStack failed: Error [ValidationError]: No updates are to be performed.
    at Request.extractError (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/protocol/query.js:50:29)
    at Request.callListeners (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/sequential_executor.js:106:20)
    at Request.emit (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/sequential_executor.js:78:10)
    at Request.emit (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/request.js:686:14)
    at Request.transition (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/request.js:22:10)
    at AcceptorStateMachine.runTo (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/state_machine.js:14:12)
    at /hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/state_machine.js:26:10
    at Request.<anonymous> (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/request.js:38:9)
    at Request.<anonymous> (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/request.js:688:12)
    at Request.callListeners (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-sdk/lib/sequential_executor.js:116:18) {
  code: 'ValidationError',
  time: 2022-11-29T12:11:36.798Z,
  requestId: 'f2b0b91f-c7a9-4707-a71b-d015f4283d55',
  statusCode: 400,
  retryable: false,
  retryDelay: 843.8278571993974
}

 ❌ Deployment failed: Error: Stack Deployments Failed: ValidationError: No updates are to be performed.
    at deployStacks (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-cdk/lib/deploy.ts:61:11)
    at processTicksAndRejections (internal/process/task_queues.js:95:5)
    at CdkToolkit.deploy (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-cdk/lib/cdk-toolkit.ts:338:7)
    at initCommandLine (/hello-cdk/node_modules/aws-cdk/lib/cli.ts:364:12)

Stack Deployments Failed: ValidationError: No updates are to be performed.

Exit code: 1

Reproduction Steps

Modified sample app:

mkdir hello-cdk
cd hello-cdk
npx aws-cdk@2.x init sample-app --language typescript

Modify stack:

import { Stack, StackProps } from "aws-cdk-lib";
import { Construct } from "constructs";
import * as ssm from "aws-cdk-lib/aws-ssm";

export class HelloCdkStack extends Stack {
  constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, props?: StackProps) {
    super(scope, id, props);

    ssm.StringParameter.valueForStringParameter(this, "/foo/bar");
  }
}

aws ssm put-parameter --name /foo/bar --value hello

Deploy first time:

cdk deploy --method=direct

Second time (no updates):

cdk deploy --method=direct

Possible Solution

Check if this.cfn.updateStack in directDeployment() return “no updates to be performed”-ValidationError then return noOp: true.

Additional Information/Context

It works as expected on stacks that doesn’t resolve SSM parameters.

CDK CLI Version

2.53.0 (build 7690f43)

Framework Version

2.53.0

Node.js Version

v16.18.1

OS

Mac OS

Language

Typescript

Language Version

No response

Other information

We would like to use this nice new direct deploy feature #22079 👏 in our CI/CD process, and it would therefor be nice if it doesn’t return error when there are no updates.