Backup fails- Processing 'Servername'

[Fiskepudding]

Hi

First off I would like to mention that i got this error:
Error: File <unspecified filename> is larger than the maximum size supported by datastore '<unspecified datastore>

After some searching i found out it was elated to blocksize, so i:
-deletet the failed backup
- went to my windows server where the backup repository is located and reformated the drive with 64K allocation unit.

From Veeam B&R i also click properties on the windwos server where the backup repository is located and followed the steps so it did "Collectin disk and volume info"..
Dont know if it was needed or not.


Run the job again, and it then failed with this error "Processing 'Servername'" and with the VM status "Failed".

Did'nt work.
The other message was gone, so the reformat might have fixed the the "Maximum size supportet by datastore" problem.
But it is only on large VMs (2TB+) I have gotten this error. Smaller VMs back up just fine to the same repository. So I am not sure what this message means.

The configuration is like this.
Production ESXi 5 has a datastore of like 8,8 TB.
The VM i try to backup has one 2 TB virtualdisk(Thin provsion), and one 250 GB (Thin provision). (only 53,7 GB used on that VM)

The backup repository is located on a windwos 2008 R2 VM on another ESXi 5 host.
This VM has 12 virtual disks each of 2TB. Windows 2008 R2 then span them to 1 volume of 24 TB.
The 24 TB volume is was first formated with NTFs and default allocation unit.
This is the volume that I reformated with 64K size.

Have looked in the logs, but did not find much. Any ideas?

[foggy]

Espen, please remember to include your support case ID when posting about any technical issue. Thanks!

In the 2nd screenshot above, what error is shown in the right pane when you click the VM name in the list to the left?

[Fiskepudding]

Hi, I have now created a ticket:5178739

When i click the VM i se the same error.
I was not awear that the messgae changed depending on witch VM was selected to the left


So i guess formating the windows volume with 64k did not help.

Also the error shows up the HOST that has the VM that I am trying to back up.

The datastore on this host has plenty of free space..
After reading that veems lets ESX create a snapshot, witch then seems to require what ever the size is provisioned to the VM.
Provides me with some challanges..
2TB is still the max filesize for ESX5i?


So this basicly means that Veeam can't backup of VM's with more then 2 TB total disk space, regardless of thin provison or disks usage..

As you can se form the first image the total spcace provsioned is about 2,2 TB but only 56,7 GB is used.
And the backup still fails.. witch seems to be because of the snapshot...?

[dellock6]

Hi,
even in VMFS 5 the single vmdk file can be at max 2TB minus 512 bytes. The 2.2 Tb value you are seeing means however the sum of the files to be backed up is that value. But there can be more than 1 disk. Don't you know how you configured your own VM? How many disks and which size?

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Espen,

So i guess formating the windows volume with 64k did not help.

Yes, your original error message has nothing in common with windows volume block size, see this topic for info: Error after vSphere update

And the backup still fails.. witch seems to be because of the snapshot...?

Can you create the snapshot manually via vSphere Client on the VM in question?

How many disks and which size?

If you have multiple disks located on different datastores, could you please tell us what is the VMFS version and block size for the datastore where VMs configuration files are located?

Thanks!

[Fiskepudding]

Hi,
even in VMFS 5 the single vmdk file can be at max 2TB minus 512 bytes. The 2.2 Tb value you are seeing means however the sum of the files to be backed up is that value. But there can be more than 1 disk. Don't you know how you configured your own VM? How many disks and which size?

Seriously?...

The VM in question has two disks....:
1 VD 250 GB (Thin provision)
1 VD 2 TB (Thin provision)

An as you can se from the Veeam picure, veeam totals that to 2,2 TB'ish... where 56,7 GB is used.

As you can se from the other pictures, the datastore where this VM is located there has plenty of space and the max file size is 2 TB on this datastore.

Thas why I wonder, (Is there an ISSUE with having more then 2TB provision space to the _entiere_ VM)?
No VD is offcause above 2 TB.

Did that help?

[Fiskepudding]

Hi Espen,
Yes, your original error message has nothing in common with windows volume block size, see this topic for info: Error after vSphere update Can you create the snapshot manually via vSphere Client on the VM in question? If you have multiple disks located on different datastores, could you please tell us what is the VMFS version and block size for the datastore where VMs configuration files are located?

Thanks!

Cant create snapshot of the VM, same error message. (So since Veeam relies on snapshots, I have to troubelshoot the VMware)..
There are only two disks on this VM on the SAME datatore (picture above)
1 VD 250 GB (Thin provision)
1 VD 2 TB (Thin provision)
The datastore has over 7 TB free space, but that shold not matter since this probably is related to maximum file size (2 TB)
Witch I understand is the MAX you can have, even on ESXi / VMFS 5.54.

Since no disk on the VM is more then 2 TB. It seems to be the TOTAL VM's provisoned size that dictates the size of the snapshot.
In this case 2,2 TB.. witch makes the snapshot fail, because it is more then 2 TB.... right?

[Fiskepudding]

Thanx for putting me on the right track here! This has offcause to do with 2TB - 512bytes.

I did some testing with a new VM.. Crated 2 VD at 2 TB. each= FAIL
2 VD at 1,99TB each= OK snapshot.

Thanx a lot, I now just have to make my VD's 0,01 TB smaller

If somone could thake their time to explain why it might make som sense considdering this:
When I create a 2 TB VD, that VD actullay has to be 2TB - 512 bytes, because fo the filesytem max file size?

So if i now have a 2TB-512bytes VD, the snapshot of this should be able to fit on the same datastore???
Thats what i dont get..

I also tested with 1,999TB for the VD.. Then it would not create the snapshot.
0,001 TB is pritty much more then 512bytes...

1,99 TB on multiple VD, no problem creating snapshots

[Fiskepudding]

Found this article:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/micros ... Id=1012384


"For ESXi 5.0, this error occurs when any individual flat .vmdk file exceeds 2,181,972,430,848 bytes. This is the size generated when Adding a virtual disk with size of 1.984492366201720 TB is specified."


This basicly means that you can not take snapshots of disk above 1.984492366201720 TB. Regardless of datastore (since the max filesize supported in ESX5 is 2TB.)?

[Vitaliy S.]

This basicly means that you can not take snapshots of disk above 1.984492366201720 TB. Regardless of datastore (since the max filesize supported in ESX5 is 2TB.)?

Looks like you're right, thanks for posting VMware KB on that!

[Fiskepudding]

This issue is now resolved!

Making nes disks that are 1,9TB works fine.
Then I used Acronis to clone the 2TB VD to the new 1,9TB.

Since my backups are now running my bigger servers, I have som performance isues, if anyone wants to take look
Is my backup speed as expected?