Backup job fails with create snapshot error

[mack3457]

After updating our backup repository to Ubuntu 18.04, we have an issue with one backup job not being able to create a snapshot for its backup.

Maybe, a backup of this job was started sometimes during the OS update - I somehow missed, it could happen at that time.

The error is:

Failed to create VM snapshot. Error: CreateSnapshot failed, vmRef vm-49665, timeout 1800000, snName VEEAM BACKUP TEMPORARY SNAPSHOT, snDescription Please do not delete this snapshot. It is being used by Veeam Backup., memory False, quiesce False

When trying to run this backup job, we loose all internet connection to the machine to be backup up and everything works fine again, when Veeam stops with above error.

I tested with a new backup job for the same machine, but we got the same error.

What can we do about this?

Thomas Mack

[foggy]

Hi Thomas, could you please elaborate - you've upgraded backup repository server OS and now one of the jobs is not able to snapshot one of the backed up VMs? Backup repository server OS upgrade cannot be the reason for this (unless you're backing up your repository server, which is... at least strange). So this is most likely unrelated. Are you able to create a snapshot for this VM manually, using vSphere Client?

[mack3457]

Yes, that is what happened.

Indeed, I don't understand it enough, but probably the backup was running and was probably forcibly interrupted by some reboot or some libraries being updated and older ones removed or else, so I thought, this may have created the problem.

I just tried to create a snapshot directly in vSphere Client and it ended with a general system failure without any additional information after processing up to 100%.

In vSphere Web Client I cannot create a snapshot - it's greyed out.

Thomas

PS: No, I didn't backup the repository server

[mack3457]

Ok, on the disk I see 73 snapshots by now but in vSphere (Web) Client, no snapshots are listed.

Will have a look into this now.

Thomas

[foggy]

Looks like something is wrong with the VM itself from vSphere side of things.

[mack3457]

Yes, probably.

I migrated it to a new virtual machine, so all the snapshots where consolidated, but the problem persists. Will switch over to VMWare support.

Thomas

[mack3457]

So, the problem is finally resolved by creating a new virtual machine and replaying a backup created beforehand.

VMWare support suggested this, as any other solution looked MUCH more time consuming after we did many tests: something was inconsistent and there was no clear hint on what might have gone wrong.

Thanks,
Thomas