Avamar 6.

1 backup common issue and troubleshooting

Introduction This article focuses on Avamar 6.1 backup common issue and troubleshooting steps.
When users use Avamar Administrator to check the status of backup, users may find that the backup did
not complete.

Detailed Information

Common issue and troubleshooting

1. Waiting Queued

The Waiting-Queued is waiting due to a resource constraint, there are two possible reasons:
1) Server Resource Constraint
A. GSAN in Read-Only status The Avamar Server will be in read-only status in
the following situations, at which point a backup may be in Waiting-Queued
status due to limited server resources.
a) Checkpoint
b) Garbage Collection
c) Server has been suspended
B. Server is too busy
When Avamar Server runs a HFScheck, it can be backed up simultaneously. But
because most of the system resources need to be reserved for HFSCHECK, this
will reduce the number of running backups. So each Data Node can only support
two simultaneous backups. In this case, the maximum numbers of backups for
each Avamar Server are: 2 * Num_of_DataNode - 1.
2) Client Resource Constraint
The common reason of the client resource constraints is that it already has a backup
running on the client. The Avamar client can only run one backup at a time, so if starts a
new backup, the new backup will displayed as Waiting-Queued. When the first backup
has finished, the new backup will start. In that time, the Waiting-Queued status will
change to Running.
2. Waiting-Client

This fault status indicates that the Avamar Server has initiated a WorkOrderof backup, but the client has
not yet to receive this WorkOrderdue to some client exception. The possible exceptions are:
1) Clients Backup Agent service stopped running. You need to restart the Backup Agent
Service on the client.
2) Client is not properly registered on the Avamar server. You need to check the registration
status of the client, or re-register the client to the Avamar server.
3. Dropped-Session

The activity was successfully initiated, but because MCS could not detect any progress, the activity was
forcefully canceled. The following diagram describes the situation of Dropped-Session:

Cause:

1) The MCS of Avamar server cannot detect the backup running status messages after the
backup was running for some time.
2) Due to the failure of the hardware, software or network on the client-led avtar process
cannot communicate with the Avamar server.

Resolution:
Check whether the Avamar Server is very busy during this period and whether there are network
problems.
4. Timeout-Response
The client checked in and was sent a backup activity but it did not acknowledge.
Cause:
When initiating a backup, the avagent service of client will send a backup has initiated related messages
to MCS. But due to the number of backup initiated at the same time, the Avamar server MCS could not
respond to the messages.
Resolution:
Adjust the backup policy that let multiple backups perform on different time periods to avoid a lot of
backup initiating at the same time.
5. Time Out-Start
Timeout before starting
Cause:
Due to some fault, backup has not initiated properly, and the backup window has ended. Generally, it is
caused by waiting client / waiting-queued.
Resolution:
Check previous solution for waiting client / waiting-queued.
6. Time Out-End
The client did not complete the activity in the allotted time.
Cause:
Backup has been running, but did not finish before the end of the prescribed time backup policy, so the
backup will be reported as a Timeout-End fault.
Resolution:

1) Adjust the backup start time let the backup start early, in order to be able to completed
within the time of the backup window;
2) Adjust the start time of the backup window, increase the length of the backup window, so
that there is sufficient time to complete the backup;
3) Check the detailed backup log, analyze whether the backup performance is too slow
which may have resulted in this fault.
7. Canceled
The activity was canceled, either by the client or from the Avamar Administrator.
Cause:
1) Backup did not finished before the end of Backup Window, so the backup has been
canceled due to Blackout Window started;
2) The backup was manually canceled from the client or the AvamarAdministrator.
8. No-proxy
The system failed to initiate a backup or restore from a virtual machine because no proxy was found to
service the virtual machine.
Cause:
When performing a VMware VM backup or restore, there is no available Proxy to back up the specified
VM.
The solution:
1) Edit Proxy Client, check the selected Datastore for this Proxy;
Avamar Administrator Policy Client Edit Proxy Client VMware Datastores:

2) Check if the Proxy Client was registered successfully or not. We can browse the Linux file
system of the Proxy from the Backup and Restore window. If you cannot browse, you will
need to re-register the Proxy.
Avamar Administrator Backup and Restore Select for Backup - Select Proxy Client
Browse Linux File system
9. No VM
The activity failed because the virtual machine client does not exist in vCenter.
Cause:
VM does not exist on vCenter
Resolution:
Login to vCenter vSphere and check whether this VM exists or not, or is the status normal or not. ReImport this VM.
Avamar Administrator - Administration - Account Management - Select vCenter Domain-right-select
Import Multiple Clients