Avamar: Failed to initiate backup - Duplicate VM targets
Summary: This article explains how to resolve the issue when Virtual Machine (VM) image backup fails with the error "Duplicate VM targets"
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Symptoms
When a VMware image backup starts, it immediately fails with:
Group backup request initiating... Failed to initiate backup. Duplicate VM targets. Client /vcenterLab/VirtualMachines/VM-ABC02
Error Code: 31008 - There are duplicate targets in the target list.
Right after the backup fails, the /usr/local/avamar/var/var/mc/server_log/mcserver.log.0 shows:
05/29-17:20:55.00639 [RMI TCP Connection(207834)-192.168.1.120#5452321] com.avamar.mc.grp.dynamic.VmRuleEngine.evaluate FINE: Evaluating vm : (folder = /vm/LAB-PRIVATE-CLOUD/vXRAIL-MANAGEMENT/PRODUCTION,name = VM-ABC02,uuid = 502a18cf-0b7d-5d64-b211-7ef0a2a5489e) ... ... ... 05/29-17:21:00.00490 [RMI TCP Connection(207839)-192.168.1.120#5451733] com.avamar.mc.datatap.ConnectionPool.getConnection FINE: mcdbPool: Getting 960347804 caller = com.avamar.mc.datatap.MCDataAccessObject.getSnapupHistory#6685 05/29-17:21:00.00490 [RMI TCP Connection(207839)-192.168.1.120#5451733] com.avamar.mc.datatap.MCDataAccessObject.getSnapupHistory FINE: getSnapupHistory:select cid, gid, pid_number,last_weekly,last_monthly,last_yearly, contained_cid from snapup_history where gid='1598167177348' and cid='29e3cf78356a471bc6d30716f3459b22ef818de9' and pid_number=3016 ... ... ... 05/29-17:21:00.00570 [RMI TCP Connection(207839)-192.168.1.120#5451733] com.avamar.mc.vmware.VmwareService.setupWorkorderOptions WARNING: There are duplicate targets in the targetlist. 05/29-17:21:00.00571 [RMI TCP Connection(207839)-192.168.1.120#5451733] com.avamar.mc.cr.ClientRegistryService.doAdhocGroupBackup WARNING: Encountered duplicate vm targets ... ... ... 05/29-17:21:00.00571 [RMI TCP Connection(207839)-192.168.1.120#5451733] com.avamar.mc.wo.JobScheduler.addWork FINE: vlm 4260 JobScheduler:Workorder added: <WorkOrder cid="29e3cf78356a471bc6d30716f3459b22ef818de9" pid="vmimagew" wid="SCHED_OPEN_PROD_01-1717014060489" targetCid="29e3cf78356a471bc6d30716f3459b22ef818de9" snapset="ID: 1598167532577 type: backup description: /DS-ABC-GLOBAL-VMWARE-FULL-DD-S10 ALLDATA: true pathOverride: false num targetList:15 Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] d2af2a5f-00fc-c127-71e1-e4434bb2e4c0/VM-ABC02_2.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] d2af2a5f-00fc-c127-71e1-e4434bb2e4c0/VM-ABC02.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_1.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_2.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_5.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_6.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_4.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_3.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_7.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_8.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_9.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_10.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_11.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: Target = 3016 - [vSAN-POOL-01] f6d84c66-4606-6e6a-3f87-e4434bb2c000/VM-PRD0242_3.vmdk recordid: null saveas: N/A canBackup: true skipped: false xmlAttributes: num includeList:0 num excludeList:0 num flagList:31
Cause
The Virtual Machine (VM) client has incorrect disks attached.
Resolution
Request to VMware administrator to evaluate the affected VM (VM-ABC02) and detach the incorrect disks (VM-PRD0242).
The next backup must run correctly.
Affected Products
Avamar, Avamar Client for VMwareArticle Properties
Article Number: 000226046
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 16 Dec 2025
Version: 3
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