Avamar: Isilon NDMP backup fails with "NDMP: Failed to create snapshot" and "Operation not permitted"

Summary: Isilon NDMP backups fail with the error “Failed to create snapshot: Operation not permitted” because the Snapshot service is disabled in OneFS. Enabling the Snapshot service and related settings resolves the issue. ...

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Symptoms

  • NDMP backup jobs fail and do not complete successfully.
  • Snapshot creation for the specified directory fails with “Operation not permitted.”
  • NDMP context cannot be created, causing an internal NDMP error halt.
  • Backup data stream stops; no data is transferred (read and written byte counts are zero).

Example Log Entries

2020-12-07 03:59:35 avndmp Error <0000>: [snapup- /ifs/FOLDER1/] NDMP: Failed to create snapshot for /ifs/FOLDER1/: Operation not permitted
2020-12-07 03:59:35 avndmp Error <0000>: [snapup- /ifs/FOLDER1/] NDMP: Failed to create context
2020-12-07 03:59:35 avndmp Warning <9655>: [snapup- /ifs/FOLDER1/] NDMP Data Halted, reason : NDMP_DATA_HALT_INTERNAL_ERROR
2020-12-07 03:59:35 avndmp Info <18443>: [ndmp2avtar- /ifs/FOLDER1/] NDMP stream bytes read = 0, bytes written = 0 

Cause

The Snapshot service in OneFS is disabled. NDMP requires snapshots to capture a consistent data state during backup. When the service is not active, snapshot creation fails, and NDMP operations cannot proceed.

Key Indicators:

  • Error: “Failed to create snapshot for <directory path>: Operation not permitted.”
  • NDMP context creation fails, followed by an internal error halt.

 Underlying Conditions

  • The Snapshot service in OneFS is turned off, preventing any snapshot operations.
  • NDMP relies on snapshot creation to capture a consistent data state; without it, the backup cannot proceed.
  • No additional environmental factors (such as, network issues) are indicated in the logs.

Resolution

Resolution Steps - Using the OneFS Web UI

Log in to the OneFS web interface as the root user.
Navigate to Data Protection > SnapshotIQ > Settings.
Check the box labeled Enable snapshot service.

  • Under the newly enabled section, also check:
    • Auto‑create snapshots
    • Auto‑delete snapshots
  • Scroll to the Global visibility and access area and enable it.
  • For each protocol (NFS, SMB, Local), enable the corresponding visibility and access options.
  • Click the Save changes button to apply the new configuration.

 

Alternative Resolution - Using the Command-Line Interface (CLI)

If the web UI is unavailable, the snapshot service can be enabled using SSH:

# Log in as root
ssh root@[ISILON_CLUSTER_IP]

# Enable the snapshot service
isi snapshot service enable

# Enable auto‑creation and auto‑deletion of snapshots
isi snapshot policy modify --auto-create true --auto-delete true

# Enable global visibility for NFS, SMB, and local access
isi snapshot visibility modify --global true --protocol nfs, smb, local

# Verify the changes
isi snapshot service list

Verification

  • Run an NDMP backup job and confirm the error no longer appears in avndmp logs.
  • Check SnapshotIQ UI to ensure snapshots are created for protected directories.
  • Review cluster storage usage to confirm expected snapshot space consumption.

Note: After enabling the snapshot service, it may take a few minutes for the changes to propagate across all nodes.
Warning: Incorrect snapshot settings can impact data protection policies. If you are unsure about the configuration, contact Dell Support before proceeding.
Caution: Enabling snapshots will increase storage consumption. Verify that the cluster has adequate free space to avoid out‑of‑space conditions.

Affected Products

Avamar
Article Properties
Article Number: 000180692
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 10 Dec 2025
Version:  6
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