Avamar: Linux backup fails with no fstype and not traversing messages

Linux Backup Failure Messages

Some Linux file system backups are failing with specific error messages.

The following messages display during the backup process:

[avtar] file_system_info::do_mount_point(/legacy/1) = no fstype
avtar Warning <5652>: Not traversing into /legacy/1 () - Not listed in mount table (possible automount directory)
[avtar] nbackdir::init - Backup path /legacy/1 has no fstype. Using --x15=131072 to continue traversing into the path

Flags Used During Backup

The backup process uses the following flags:

cat avtar.cmd
--force   

cat avagent.cmd
--forcefs=nfs

The issue is related to the autofs service, which is used to automount file systems, on demand. In this case, a script mounted the NFS file system before the backup. The file system is set up as autofs, and it is mounted as needed.

However, this confused the Avamar backup process, and it was unable to get the file system information and ended with the mentioned failure.

The warning message indicates that the issue is related to the autofs service. The specific error messages that help understand the cause are:

[avtar] file_system_info::do_mount_point(/legacy/1) = no fstype 
avtar Warning <5652>: Not traversing into /legacy/1 () - Not listed in mount table (possible automount directory) 
[avtar] nbackdir::init - Backup path /legacy/1 has no fstype. Using --x15=131072 to continue traversing into the path

The flags used during the backup are:

cat avtar.cmd 
--force   

cat avagent.cmd 
--forcefs=nfs

Disabling Autofs and Mounting file system at Startup

To resolve the issue, disable autofs and ensure that the file system is mounted at startup. This can be achieved by modifying the system configuration.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to disable autofs and mount the file system at startup:

First, ensure that the file system is mounted at startup by adding an entry to the /etc/fstab file.

Then, disable autofs to prevent automatic mounting of the file system.

1. Edit the /etc/fstab file to add an entry for the file system: 

   $ nano /etc/fstab

2. Add the following line to:  

   UUID=[ID] /legacy/1 nfs defaults 0 0

3. Restart the system to apply the changes: 

   $ reboot

4. Disable autofs: 

   $ systemctl disable autofs

Verifying the Resolution

After applying the changes, verify that the issue has been resolved by checking the backup logs for any errors related to autofs or file system mounting.

CAUTION: Modifying system configurations or disabling autofs should be approached with caution. Contact Dell Support at for assistance.

NOTE: Replace [ID] with the assigned universally unique identifier (UUID) of the file system..