NetWorker: client backups fail when peer mismatch between client and storage node

Summary: NetWorker client backups fail. "Could not get session key from CLIENT for GSS authentication with STORAGE NODE"

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.
Check out other resources

Symptoms

A NetWorker file system client's backups are failing with the following errors observed in the session logs:

181407:save: Step (1 of 7) for PID-87339: Save has been started on the client 'NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME'.
174412:save: Step (2 of 7) for PID-87339: Running the backup on the client 'NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME' for the save set 'SAVESET_NAME'.
180569:save: Identified a save for the backup with PID-87339 on the client 'NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME'. Updating the total number of steps from 7 to 6.
174920:save: Step (3 of 6) for PID-87339: Contacting the NetWorker server through the nsrd process to obtain a handle to the target media device through the nsrmmd process for the save set 'SAVESET_NAME'.
174908:save:Saving the backup data in the pool 'POOL_NAME'.
206529:save: Unable to set up the direct save with server 'NETWORKER_SERVER_NAME'. Be sure network connectivity exists between client 'NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME' and storage node '?' in both directions. Error: Could not get session key from NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME for GSS authentication with STORAGE_NODE_NAME: Authentication error; why = Server rejected credential
98520:save: Falling back to agent-assisted indirect save 
208834:save: Step (4 of 6) for PID-87339: Successfully connected to the target media device through the nsrmmd process on the host 'NETWORKER_SERVER_NAME' for the save set 'SAVESET_NAME' (ssid SSID#)
174422:save: Step (5 of 6) for PID-87339: Reading the save sets and writing to the target device.
100690:save: SAVESET_NAME/: File index could not be obtained due to <Unable to do Index lookup of path 'SAVESET_NAME'. The Index session is invalid.
>.  Contents of this directory may not be properly backed up.  See save man page (Command Reference Guide) for more information.

174918:save: Step (6 of 6) for PID-87339: Unable to complete the backup. See the savegrp log to track the closure steps of the backup.
76677:save: Can't encode arguments
90019:save: save of 'SAVESET_NAME' to server 'NETWORKER_SERVER_NAME' failed.

The device used for backups is configured through a standalone NetWorker storage node. The device is not using the NetWorker server's embedded storage node.

The NetWorker storage node's daemon.raw reports peer mismatch issues for the same client:

Linux: /nsr/logs/daemon.raw
Windows: [Install Drive]:\Program Files\EMC NetWorker\nsr\logs\daemon.raw

NetWorker: How to use nsr_render_log to render .raw log files

89879 MM/DD/YYYY HH:mm:SS  nsrexecd GSS critical An authentication request from NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME was denied. The 'NSR peer information' provided did not match the one stored by STORAGE_NODE_NAME. To accept this request, delete the 'NSR peer information' resource with the following attributes from STORAGE_NODE_NAME's NSRLA database: name: NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME; NW instance ID: 6042beae-00000004-270237f6-67057d43-00015000-2317bb56; peer hostname: NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME
89879 MM/DD/YYYY HH:mm:SS  nsrexecd GSS critical An authentication request from NETWORKER_CLIENT_IP was denied. The 'NSR peer information' provided did not match the one stored by STORAGE_NODE_NAME. To accept this request, delete the 'NSR peer information' resource with the following attributes from STORAGE_NODE_NAME's NSRLA database: name: NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME; NW instance ID: 6042beae-00000004-270237f6-67057d43-00015000-2317bb56; peer hostname: NETWORKER_CLIENT_IP

Cause

There is a peer certificate issue between the NetWorker client and the NetWorker storage node.

Resolution

Clear the `NSR peer information` for the NetWorker storage node and client on both hosts.

On the NetWorker client: 
nsradmin -p nsrexeced
print type: nsr peer information; name: STORAGE_NODE_NAME
delete
yes
quit
Example: 
[root@lnx-srvr01 ~]# nsradmin -p nsrexecd
NetWorker administration program.
Use the "help" command for help, "visual" for full-screen mode.
nsradmin> p type: nsr peer information; name: storage.networker.lan
                        type: NSR peer information;
               administrator: root,
                              "user=nsrnmc,host=lnx-srvr01.networker.lan",
                              "user=root,host=lnx-srvr01.networker.lan";
                        name: storage.networker.lan;
               peer hostname: storage.networker.lan;
          Change certificate: ;
    certificate file to load: ;
nsradmin> d
                        type: NSR peer information;
               administrator: root,
                              "user=nsrnmc,host=lnx-srvr01.networker.lan",
                              "user=root,host=lnx-srvr01.networker.lan";
                        name: storage.networker.lan;
               peer hostname: storage.networker.lan;
          Change certificate: ;
    certificate file to load: ;
Delete? y
deleted resource id 1.0.4.4.48.4.0.0.187.151.35.103.192.168.0.6(1)
nsradmin> q
[root@lnx-srvr01 ~]#
Ensure that the NetWorker client can reach the nsrexecd process on the storage node: 
nsradmin -p nsrexecd -s STORAGE_NODE_NAME
Example: 
[root@lnx-srvr01 ~]# nsradmin -p nsrexecd -s storage.networker.lan
NetWorker administration program.
Use the "help" command for help, "visual" for full-screen mode.
nsradmin> quit
[root@lnx-srvr01 ~]#

On the NetWorker Storage Node: 
nsradmin -p nsrexeced
print type: nsr peer information; name: NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME
delete
yes
quit
Example: 
[root@storage ~]# nsradmin -p nsrexecd
NetWorker administration program.
Use the "help" command for help, "visual" for full-screen mode.
nsradmin> p type: nsr peer information; name: lnx-srvr01.networker.lan
                        type: NSR peer information;
               administrator: root, "user=nsrnmc,host=storage.networker.lan",
                              "user=root,host=storage.networker.lan";
                        name: lnx-srvr01.networker.lan;
               peer hostname: lnx-srvr01.networker.lan;
          Change certificate: ;
    certificate file to load: ;
nsradmin> d
                        type: NSR peer information;
               administrator: root, "user=nsrnmc,host=storage.networker.lan",
                              "user=root,host=storage.networker.lan";
                        name: lnx-srvr01.networker.lan;
               peer hostname: lnx-srvr01.networker.lan;
          Change certificate: ;
    certificate file to load: ;
Delete? y
deleted resource id 1.0.6.182.118.0.0.0.128.3.252.102.192.168.0.3(1)
nsradmin> q
[root@storage ~]#
Ensure that the NetWorker storage node can reach the nsrexecd process on the client: 
nsradmin -p nsrexecd -s NETWORKER_CLIENT_NAME
Example: 
[root@storage ~]# nsradmin -p nsrexecd -s lnx-srvr01.networker.lan
NetWorker administration program.
Use the "help" command for help, "visual" for full-screen mode.
nsradmin> quit
[root@storage ~]#

Additional Information

NetWorker: How to clear NSR peer information mismatches automatically using nsradmin -C

Affected Products

NetWorker

Products

NetWorker Family
Article Properties
Article Number: 000243005
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 02 Oct 2025
Version:  2
Find answers to your questions from other Dell users
Support Services
Check if your device is covered by Support Services.