Avamar: Backup Fails with "Client Backup Disabled"
Summary: This article explains how to re-enable multiple clients on the Avamar server after an upgrade or other issues using the Administrator console or mcdb.
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Not all product versions are identified in this article.
Symptoms
A backup is started and immediately fails with "Client Backup Disabled"

Access Avamar User Interface (AUI) > Asset Management > select the Domain > select the Client > click VIEW MORE > click Information tab.
The Enabled field shows as "No".

Cause
This behavior can be seen for some or all clients after a code upgrade or server reboot with a rollback. The root cause is unknown at this moment.
Resolution
There are three methods to enable the clients:
- Using AUI: Best for enabling a few clients.
- Using the Avamar Administrator Console: Ideal for enabling multiple clients across different domains.
- Updating the Management Console Database (mcdb): For enabling all clients at once.
- Access Avamar User Interface (AUI)
- Go to Asset Management
- Select the Domain
- Select the Client
- Click the three dots in MORE ACTIONS
- Click Edit Client
- Click the Enabled checkbox
- Click UPDATE
- The Enabled column shows the client as "true"

- Launch the Avamar Administrator console
- Go to Policy
- In the Policy Management tab, select the domain to enable the clients. In the following example, Lab_Clients is selected.
- There are five clients in this domain. The "Backups Disabled" column shows as "Yes", it means that the clients are disabled.

- Select one client and Ctrl + A to select all clients.
- To select more than one client (not all), select one client and with the Ctrl key pressed, select the other clients
- Click the Edit button
- The following warning appears:

- Click OK to continue:
The "Edit Multiple Clients" window appears. Change the value of "Disable all backups" from Yes to No. Change the drop-down menu from "Don't change" to "Apply change":
- Click OK
- Click the refresh button in the upper right corner
- The "Backups Disabled" column shows as "No", it means that the clients are enabled.

- This procedure requires a stop and start of Management Console Service (MCS). Ensure that there is a valid MCS flush and a recent checkpoint. The Avamar server must be idle.
- Stop the MCS service and keep the mcdb online:
mcserver.sh --stop && dbmaint.sh --db=on mcdb
- Connect to mcdb:
psql -d mcdb -p 5555
- Run the following command. The command enables all clients except the clients under MC_RETIRED and MC_SYSTEM domain:
update clients set enabled='t' where descr not like '%MC_SYSTEM%' and descr not like '%MC_RETIRED%';
- Exit the mcdb
\q
Start the MCS and Backup Scheduler services.
mcserver.sh --start && dpnctl start sched
- Confirm if the clients are enabled.
Affected Products
Avamar Client, Avamar ServerArticle Properties
Article Number: 000243306
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 06 أبريل 2026
Version: 3
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