Avamar: How to Perform Command-Line Backups or Restores

Summary: This article that provides common errors and solutions for command-line jobs.

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.

Instructions

Unable to perform command-line backups or restores due to incorrect inputs.

1> Login error 66: User not found in Avamar database; 
2> Login error 69: Authentication failure  (Invalid password?  User disabled?); 
3> Login error 74: Account not found in the Avamar database

This article lists common errors that are seen when performing Avamar backups or restores using the command line and their typical causes and solutions.

  • To perform backups, use the following command:
avtar -c --server=AVAMAR_SERVER --id=MCUser --ap=PASSWORD_OF_MCUSER --path=/clients/NAME_OF_CLIENT --logfile=c:\PATH_TO_LOG_FILE.log c:\DATA_TO_BACKUP --verbose=1
  • To perform restores, use the following command:
avtar --extract "c:\DATA_TO_RESTORE" --labelnum=17 --target="C:\TARGET_OF_RESTORE" --server=AVAMAR_SERVER --id=MCUser --password=MCUser1 --logfile="C:\PATH_OF _LOGS" --path="/CLIENT/NAME_OF_CLIENT" --verbose=1


Common errors observed during command-line backups and restores:

  • Error 1:

avtar Info <5557>: No connections available
avtar FATAL <8604>: Fatal server connection problem, aborting initialization. Verify correct server address and login credentials.
avtar FATAL <5308>: Failed to initiate session with server
avtar Info <6149>: Error summary: 2 errors: 5308, 8604
avtar Info <5314>: Command failed (2 errors, exit code 10008: cannot establish connection with server (possible network or DNS failure))

Resolution:
This indicates that the value entered for the flag "server" is incorrect or the server cannot be reached. Test this by trying a telnet to the Avamar server or a basic ping test.

  • Error 2:
avtar Error <5126>: Login error 66: User not found in Avamar database
avtar FATAL <5308>: Failed to initiate session with server
avtar Info <6149>: Error summary: 2 errors: 5308, 5126
avtar Info <5314>: Command failed (2 errors, exit code 10008: cannot establish connection with server (possible network or DNS failure))

Resolution:
This indicates that the username entered for the flag "id" is incorrect, or that the "user" entered is not in the Avamar domain entered.
If the "user" is in a subdomain, enter or follow by the Avamar Subdomain Name and the Avamar Username:

--id=/TestDomain/Avamar_Username
  • Error 3:
avtar Error <5126>: Login error 69: Authentication failure  (Invalid password?  User disabled?)
avtar FATAL <5308>: Failed to initiate session with server
avtar Info <6149>: Error summary: 2 errors: 5308, 5126
avtar Info <5314>: Command failed (2 errors, exit code 10008: cannot establish connection with server (possible network or DNS failure))

Resolution:
This indicates that the "password" entered for the flag "--ap" is incorrect.

  • Error 4:
avtar Error <5126>: Login error 74: Account not found in the Avamar database
avtar FATAL <5308>: Failed to initiate session with server
avtar Info <6149>: Error summary: 2 errors: 5308, 5126
avtar Info <5314>: Command failed (2 errors, exit code 10008: cannot establish connection with server (possible network or DNS failure))

Resolution:
This indicates that the "client name" entered in the flag "path" is incorrect. Client names and domains are case-sensitive. You must enter them exactly as shown in the Avamar Administrator console.

"/TestDomain/WrongServerName" is not the same as "/testdomain/wrongservername"

You can also verify the client path by using mccli commands:

mccli client show  recursive | grep -i <clientname>
  • Error 5:
avtar Info <5582>: Avamar Server login successful
[avtar]  ERROR: <0001> servercontext::getdcindexmap INDEX_DATACENTER_MAP command returned MSG_ERR_PRIV_FAIL
avtar FATAL <5308>: Failed to initiate session with server
avtar Info <6149>: Error summary: 2 errors: 5308, 1
avtar Info <5314>: Command failed (2 errors, exit code 10008: cannot establish connection with server (possible network or DNS failure))

Resolution:
This indicates that the server login was successful, but that the specified user does not have the correct privileges to do a backup or restore. Try using the MCUser account to do a backup or restore.

Affected Products

Avamar, Avamar Client, Avamar Plug-in
Article Properties
Article Number: 000012250
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 31 Oct 2025
Version:  7
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