NetWorker: Backup to Data Domain backup pool is unavailable

Summary: Data Domain backup or clone is unavailable with the message: "waiting for 1 writable volume"

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Symptoms

The NetWorker backup workflow execution is unavailable and does not progress to save data to the Data Domain backup pool. The NetWorker Management Console (NMC) alerts shows a message indicating it is waiting for a volume for the target backup pool:
 

Media Waiting event: Waiting for 1 writable volume(s) to backup pool <Pool_name>
disk(s) or tape(s) on <Networker_server_name> for client(s) <storage_node_name>

The NetWorker Server daemon.raw shows:
 

MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS 2 5 170 7656 7652 0 <Networker_server_name> nsrd NSR warning Operation on device <device_name> failed: Setting file access times for 
'/Oracle/xxxx/volhdr'failed [5005] ([ 3600] [5600] Sat Mar 23 03:00:59 2019	ddp_utime() 
failed, Path //Oracle/xxxx/volhdr, Err: 5005-nfs setattr failed (nfs: No space left on device)).

Cause

The Data Domain ddboost device volhdr header file was not accessible, so the volume was unmounted on the NetWorker Storage Node.

The volhdr header file contains metadata that is required for the NetWorker Storage node to read the volume.

Resolution

  • Open the NetWorker Management Console (NMC) and select the Media tab.
  • From the Media tab, select Disk volumes in the left navigation pane. 
  • In the right details pane, validate if the target volumes are "appendable" and not "Blank". Example screenshot:
In the right details pane, validate if the target volumes are "appendable" and not "Blank"
  • Check if the devices are mounted that are using the volumes.
  • Unmount the devices using the volumes and change the Volume mode from "Blank" to "appendable".
  • Mount the devices that are using the volumes.
  • Perform backup to the target backup pool.

Affected Products

NetWorker
Article Properties
Article Number: 000168603
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 11 Dec 2025
Version:  5
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