Avamar: Browse Isilon Shows Only "/ifs" Directory When Password Issue and Verify Using Curl

Summary: Avamar UI browsing an Isilon NAS may only show "/ifs" if the browse user ("av‑browse‑admin") has a wrong or expired password. Test with "curl" check with "isi auth users" view and reset the password using "isi auth users" modify --set‑password '' --enabled true. Then subdirectories appear. ...

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Symptoms

Observed behavior when browsing Isilon using Avamar.

The following is observed when browsing an Isilon NAS from Admin UI:

  • Only the top‑level /ifs directory is displayed.
  • No subdirectories or files beneath /ifs are visible.
  • The browse user (commonly av-browse-admin) is accepted without error.

Cause

Underlying reasons for limited directory visibility in Avamar Browse

The Avamar UI relies on an HTTP‑based API call to the Isilon cluster to retrieve the namespace hierarchy. When the API request cannot be authenticated or the account is not in a valid state, the response contains only the top‑level /ifs entry with no subdirectories.

  • The browse user has an incorrect password, causing the API request to fail authentication (commonly av-browse-admin).
  • The browse user account is expired, locked, or disabled, which also prevents successful authentication.
  • Improper creation of the browse user (such as not following the NDMP user‑guide steps) results in insufficient permissions to list directories beneath /ifs. 
When any of these conditions exist, the Isilon API returns only the root namespace (/ifs) without any child entries, leading to the observed browsing limitation.

Resolution

Verify Browse User Access to Isilon.

Test connectivity with the root account

Use curl to request the directory listing of /ifs on the Isilon node. Replace [ISILON_IP] with the management IP of any node.

curl -vk -u "root" -X GET "https://[ISILON_IP]:8080/namespace/ifs"

Test connectivity with the Avamar browse user

If the root request succeeds, repeat the test with the browse user (default av-browse-admin).

curl -vk -u "av-browse-admin" -X GET "https://[ISILON_IP]:8080/namespace/ifs"

 

CAUTION: An empty response or only the /ifs entry indicates an issue with the browse user credentials or status.


Check the browse user status on Isilon.

Run the following command on the Isilon cluster to view the user’s attributes:

isi auth users view av-browse-admin

Look for fields such as expired, locked, or enabled - If the user is expired, locked, or disabled, go to the next steps.


Reset the browse user password.

Replace [NEW_PASSWORD] with the chosen password. Include the single quotes exactly as shown.

isi auth users modify av-browse-admin --set-password '[NEW_PASSWORD]'


Enable the browse user (if disabled)

isi auth users modify av-browse-admin --enabled true

 

NOTE: Changing the password may affect any other services that rely on the same credentials. Verify that no other processes use this account before modifying it.


Retest the curl request with the updated credentials

curl -vk -u "av-browse-admin" -X GET "https://[ISILON_IP]:8080/namespace/ifs"

A successful response lists the directories beneath /ifs. You can also query a deeper path, for example:

curl -vk -u "av-browse-admin" -X GET "https://[ISILON_IP]:8080/namespace/ifs/DIR"

 

Confirm that Avamar can browse the Isilon share.

In the Avamar Administrator UI, attempt to browse the Isilon NAS again. The full directory tree should now be visible.

 

CAUTION: If the issue persists after verifying credentials and user status, contact Dell Support. Incorrect modifications to authentication settings can prevent backups from running.

Affected Products

Avamar

Products

Avamar, Avamar Plug-in for NDMP
Article Properties
Article Number: 000063862
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 22 Oct 2025
Version:  4
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