PowerProtect Backup Services: Prebackup and Postbackup scripts do not run

Summary: This KB article describes an issue in which prebackup and postbackup scripts fail to run during backup.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.

Symptoms

Prebackup and postbackup scripts are in place. However, the execution does not run. 

The following error displays in the job log:

level=info ts=2023-05-11T13:19:54.933937279+10:00 filename=prepost_script.go:114 message="Running Script : /<path>/pre_script.sh for request_id : 46"
level=error ts=2023-05-11T13:19:54.934454653+10:00 filename=prepost_script.go:130 message="Exception encountered in executing the script"
level=error ts=2023-05-11T13:19:54.934499706+10:00 stack="fork/exec /<path>/pre_script.sh: exec format error\\ngoroutine 1 [running]:\nruntime/debug.Stack()\n\t/usr/local/go/src/runtime/debug/stack.go:24 +0x65\nphoenix/pkg/client/logutil.Error({0xcee3c0, 0xc0002643f0}, {0xc3e9b6, 0x1}, {0x0, 0x8, 0x8})\n\t/bld/src/phoenix/pkg/client/logutil/logger.go:86 +0x211\nphoenix/fileserver/client/agent/backupagent.(*BackupAgent).scriptRunner(0xc0000cb560, {0xc00026a138, 0x18}, 0x258, 0x1, {0xc2504c, 0xa})\n\t/bld/src/phoenix/fileserver/client/agent/backupagent/prepost_script.go:130 +0x815\nphoenix/fileserver/client/agent/backupagent.(*BackupAgent).runScript(0xc0000cb560, {0xc2504c, 0xa})\n\t/bld/src/phoenix/fileserver/client/agent/backupagent/prepost_script.go:89 +0x212\nphoenix/fileserver/client/agent/backupagent.(*BackupAgent).runPreScript(0xc0000cb560)\n\t/bld/src/phoenix/fileserver/client/agent/backupagent/prepost_script.go:23 +0x98\nphoenix/fileserver/client/agent/backupagent.(*BackupAgent).DoBackup(0xc0000cb560, 0x20)\n\t/bld/src/phoenix/fileserver/client/agent/backupagent/backup_agent.go:158 +0x352\nmain.backupMain({0xc0000a2160, 0x2, 0x1}, 0x0)\n\t/bld/src/phoenix/fileserver/client/cmd/PhoenixFSBackupAgent/main.go:174 +0x9b7\nmain.main()\n\t/bld/src/phoenix/fileserver/client/cmd/PhoenixFSBackupAgent/main.go:203 +0xa8\n"
level=info ts=2023-05-11T13:19:54.934512521+10:00 filename=backup_agent.go:966 message="Sending log to Phoenix server with message: Pre-Script error encountered : fork/exec /<path>/pre_script.sh: exec format error"
level=info ts=2023-05-11T13:19:55.180236915+10:00 filename=prepost_script.go:90 message="Script execution done with status : Failed"

Cause

The product is working as designed.

Resolution

In one instance where this issue is observed, #!/bin/bash is not in the pre_script.sh and post_script.sh. 
It works fine after adding #!/bin/bash to the first line of pre_script.sh and post_script.sh.
 

Affected Products

PowerProtect Backup Services
Article Properties
Article Number: 000213826
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 22 Aug 2025
Version:  3
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