VPLEX: Metadata backup rotation failed due to being scheduled simultaneously on both clusters in a Metro setup.

Summary: Metadata backup fails on VPLEX Metro when scheduled simultaneously on both clusters. Scheduled time must be changed to resolve this issue.

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Symptoms

Metadata backup rotation failed on VPLEX GeoSynchrony 6.0 to 6.0 SP1 P6 due to scheduled time being the same for both clusters in a Metro setup.

VPlexcli:/> ll /clusters/cluster-*/system-volumes/
 
/clusters/cluster-1/system-volumes:
Name                              Volume Type     Operational  Health  Active  Ready  Geometry  Component  Block     Block  Capacity  Slots
--------------------------------  --------------  Status       State   ------  -----  --------  Count      Count     Size   --------  -----
--------------------------------  --------------  -----------  ------  ------  -----  --------  ---------  --------  -----  --------  -----
c1_meta                          meta-volume     ok           ok      true    true   raid-1    2          20446976  4K     78G       64000
c1_meta_backup_2018May09_020009  meta-volume     ok           ok      false   true   raid-1    1          20446976  4K     78G       64000
c1_meta_backup_2018May11_020013  meta-volume     ok           ok      false   true   raid-1    1          20446976  4K     78G       64000
 
 /clusters/cluster-2/system-volumes:
Name                              Volume Type     Operational  Health  Active  Ready  Geometry  Component  Block     Block  Capacity  Slots
--------------------------------  --------------  Status       State   ------  -----  --------  Count      Count     Size   --------  -----
--------------------------------  --------------  -----------  ------  ------  -----  --------  ---------  --------  -----  --------  -----
c2_meta                          meta-volume     ok           ok      true    true   raid-1    2          20446976  4K     78G       64000
c2_meta_backup_2018May10_020012  meta-volume     ok           ok      false   true   raid-1    1          20446976  4K     78G       64000


In the output above, you can notice that backups rotate alternatively on both the clusters.

 

Metadata backup is configured simultaneously on both clusters:

  • Schedule list on cluster-1:
VPlexcli:/> schedule list
[0] 25 16 * * 0 syrcollect
[1] 00 02 * * * metadatabackup local  <<<Same schedule time as cluster-2>>>
 
  • Schedule list on cluster-2:
VPlexcli:/> schedule list
[0] 25 16 * * 0 syrcollect
[1] 00 02 * * * metadatabackup local  <<<Same schedule time as cluster-1>>>
 

The metadata backup on one of the clusters must be reconfigured and scheduled at a different time.

Cause

VPLEX is unable to identify the different cluster and does not rotate the backup volumes on both clusters simultaneously.

 
Scheduled job "metadatabackup local" should not be scheduled simultaneously on both clusters. A difference of at least a few minutes is required.

Resolution

Affected Products

VPLEX GeoSynchrony

Products

VPLEX VS2, VPLEX VS6
Article Properties
Article Number: 000050124
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 22 Aug 2025
Version:  3
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