Avamar: SQL AG not recognizing flag --sqlserver

Summary: Avamar SQL backups for SQL Server Availability Groups (Always On AG) fail to recognize the --sqlserver flag during UI‑initiated browse or dataset operations. Command‑line backups work as expected, but UI browse operations fail because the SQL Server name is not correctly resolved when passed in lowercase. ...

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Symptoms

  • SQL Server Availability Group (Always On AG) backups run successfully when performed from the command line.
  • Browse and backup operations initiated from the Avamar Administrator UI fail.
  • The SQL AG or cluster does not properly recognize the --sqlserver parameter when provided through the UI or dataset.
  • The following parameters are required for SQL AG environments but are not honored correctly: 
    --sqlserver=awdprdag
--hostname-sql=awdprdag
  • CLI browse operation succeeds using the following command:  
    avsql --operation=browse --sqlserver=awdprdag --hostname-sql=awdprdag
 

Cause

Avamar reads SQL parameters from the avsql.cmd file located under the var directory. The file is parsed correctly, but the SQL Server name is evaluated as lowercase, which causes the SQL AG cluster detection to fail.

The following log entries confirm that the flags are read, but the cluster is not opened successfully: 

2019-05-15 12:19:51 avsql Info <5174>: - Reading \\S-AWDSQL01-PRD\AvamarCluster\Var\avsql.cmd
2019/05/15-16:19:51.97499 [avsql_assist]  uflags::parsefile  Printing flags from \\S-AWDSQL01-PRD\AvamarCluster\Var\avsql.cmd:
.cmd flag --sqlserver=awdprdag
.cmd flag --hostname-sql=awdprdag

2019/05/15-16:19:53.25600 [avsql_assist]  Connect to awdprdag server, because sqlserver flag is defined.

Cluster detection fails with the following errors: 

2019/05/15-16:19:51.95900 [avsql_assist]  Is always on test for 'awdprdag' server.
2019/05/15-16:19:51.95900 [avsql_assist]  Open Cluster error 5, try with NULL parameter...
2019/05/15-16:19:51.95900 [avsql_assist]  Open Cluster error 5
2019-05-15 12:19:51 avsql Info <17376>: Working on stand alone environment.

 As a result, Avamar treats the environment as a standalone SQL Server instead of an Availability Group.

 

Resolution

Update the SQL Server name in the avsql.cmd file to use uppercase characters.

Steps

  1. Navigate to the Avamar SQL client Var directory.
  2. Open the avsql.cmd file.
  3. Modify the parameters to use uppercase SQL AG names: 
    --sqlserver=AWDPRDAG
--hostname-sql=AWDPRDAG
  4. Save the file.
  5. Retry the SQL browse or backup operation from the Avamar Administrator UI.

After this change, the SQL AG is correctly detected, and UI‑based browse and dataset operations function as expected.

 

Additional Information

  • The requirement to use uppercase SQL Server names indicates a dependency on environmental naming or cluster resolution behavior.
  • Command‑line backups may continue to work even when UI operations fail, because the CLI explicitly passes parameters at runtime.
  • This behavior is environment‑specific and is not typically required in standard SQL Server deployments.

Affected Products

Avamar

Products

Avamar, Avamar Client, Avamar Plug-in for SQL
Article Properties
Article Number: 000044561
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 02 Apr 2026
Version:  4
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