This article focuses on Avamar 6.1 backup common issue and troubleshooting steps.

When users use Avamar Administrator to check the status of a backup, users may find that the backup did not complete. This article focuses on Avamar 6.1 backup common issue and troubleshooting steps.

Common issue and troubleshooting

1.     Waiting – Queued

The Waiting-Queued is waiting due to a resource constraint, there are two possible reasons:

1)     Server Resource Constraint

A.    GSAN in Read-Only status – The Avamar Server will be in read-only status in the following situations, at which point a backup may be in Waiting-Queued status due to limited server resources.

a)     Checkpoint

b)    Garbage Collection

c)     Server has been suspended

B.    Server is too busy

When Avamar Server runs a HFScheck, it can be backed up simultaneously. But because most of the system resources need to be reserved for HFSCHECK, this will reduce the number of running backups. So each Data Node can only support two simultaneous backups. In this case, the maximum numbers of backups for each Avamar Server are: 2 * Num_of_DataNode - 1.

2)     Client Resource Constraint

The common reason of the client resource constraints is that it already has a backup running on the client. The Avamar client can only run one backup at a time, so if starts a new backup, the new backup will displayed as Waiting-Queued. When the first backup has finished, the new backup will start. In that time, the Waiting-Queued status will change to Running.

2.     Waiting-Client

This fault status indicates that the Avamar Server has initiated a WorkOrderof backup, but the client has not yet to receive this WorkOrderdue to some client exception. The possible exceptions are:

1)     Client’s Backup Agent service stopped running. You need to restart the Backup Agent Service on the client.

2)     Client is not properly registered on the Avamar server. You need to check the registration status of the client, or re-register the client to the Avamar server.

3.     Dropped-Session

The activity was successfully initiated, but because MCS could not detect any progress, the activity was forcefully canceled. The following diagram describes the situation of Dropped-Session:

Cause:

1)      The MCS of Avamar server cannot detect the backup running status messages after the backup was running for some time.

2)     Due to the failure of the hardware, software or network on the client-led avtar process cannot communicate with the Avamar server.

Resolution:

Check whether the Avamar Server is very busy during this period and whether there are network problems.

4.     Timeout-Response

The client checked in and was sent a backup activity but it did not acknowledge.

Cause:

When initiating a backup, the avagent service of client will send a “backup has initiated” related messages to MCS. But due to the number of backup initiated at the same time, the Avamar server MCS could not respond to the messages.

Resolution:

Adjust the backup policy that let multiple backups perform on different time periods to avoid a lot of backup initiating at the same time.

5.     Time Out-Start

Timeout before starting

Cause:

Due to some fault, backup has not initiated properly, and the backup window has ended. Generally, it is caused by waiting client / waiting-queued.

Resolution:

Check previous solution for waiting client / waiting-queued.

6.     Time Out-End

The client did not complete the activity in the allotted time.

Cause:

Backup has been running, but did not finish before the end of the prescribed time backup policy, so the backup will be reported as a Timeout-End fault.

Resolution:

1)     Adjust the backup start time let the backup start early, in order to be able to completed within the time of the backup window;

2)     Adjust the start time of the backup window, increase the length of the backup window, so that there is sufficient time to complete the backup;

3)     Check the detailed backup log, analyze whether the backup performance is too slow which may have resulted in this fault.

7.     Canceled

The activity was canceled, either by the client or from the Avamar Administrator.

Cause:

1)     Backup did not finished before the end of Backup Window, so the backup has been canceled due to Blackout Window started;

2)     The backup was manually canceled from the client or the AvamarAdministrator.

8.     No-proxy

The system failed to initiate a backup or restore from a virtual machine because no proxy was found to service the virtual machine.

Cause:

When performing a VMware VM backup or restore, there is no available Proxy to back up the specified VM.

The solution:

1)     Edit Proxy Client, check the selected Datastore for this Proxy;

Avamar Administrator – Policy – Client – Edit Proxy Client – VMware – Datastores:

2)     Check if the Proxy Client was registered successfully or not. We can browse the Linux file system of the Proxy from the Backup and Restore window. If you cannot browse, you will need to re-register the Proxy.

Avamar Administrator – Backup and Restore – Select for Backup - Select Proxy Client – Browse Linux File system

9.     No VM

The activity failed because the virtual machine client does not exist in vCenter.

Cause:

VM does not exist on vCenter

Resolution:

Login to vCenter vSphere and check whether this VM exists or not, or is the status normal or not. Re-Import this VM.

Avamar Administrator - Administration - Account Management - Select vCenter Domain-right-select Import Multiple Clients

Author: Bridget Jiang

             

iEMC APJ

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