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Veeam errors, newbie here: Unable to apply retention policy. Failed to delete backup files


Userlevel 3

Hi, I have not been inside Veeam for a while. I am getting errors as in the snapshot below:

I understand it is complaining about storage space for backups but I am trying to zero in on what to attack first here. The one that interests me is “Unable to apply retention policy: failed to delete backup files error…...is locked by running session xxx-xxx [Instant recovery]. Is Veeam just too busy to start the backup because it could not apply retention policy? Not sure which item to investigate first.

..ar

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Best answer by coolsport00 17 March 2022, 20:59

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Userlevel 7
Badge +16

Hey @araczek - do you have an Instant Recovery session running in the VBR Console? If so, the files are locked. Click on the bold/highlighted “Running” in the Console and see if you have an IR session running.

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

Hey @araczek - do you have an Instant Recovery session running in the VBR Console? If so, the files are locked.

Yeah based on the error Shane’s suggestion should help. :point_up_2_tone2:

Userlevel 7
Badge +13

@coolsport00 is right; probably you have an Instant Recovery running in your environment. Be careful and double check before doing anthing; if you stop it, all changes will be lost. So if you did recover a system to production this way, the final step would have been to migrate it back to your production storage.

Userlevel 3

I could have bit me. Yes I see a FAILED instant recovery there that was started mid-January (I just started this job in January, still getting my sea legs so to speak). Opening up that console I get this in the screenshot:

It’s basically a failed IR even though the VM seems to be running. If I kill that IR will this free things up?

Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Hey @araczek - do you have an Instant Recovery session running in the VBR Console? If so, the files are locked. Click on the bold/highlighted “Running” in the Console and see if you have an IR session running.

But don't just stop this session.

Do a migrate to production first to preserve all changes.

Userlevel 3

I meant I just started working at the present position in January. Sorry. Don’t know why the recovery was done even though the VM seems to be running in vCenter. I did not initiate the recovery.

Userlevel 3

Migrate to production is grayed out since the IR failed. So no migration is possible. So if the IR failed it still is locking files? Seems like it.

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

Migrate to production is grayed out since the IR failed. So no migration is possible. So if the IR failed it still is locking files? Seems like it.

Yes it is so you need to cancel it to release them.

Userlevel 7
Badge +13

So the VM lgs-hasrv01 is running in your environment? And is it based on a VeeamBackup datastore? If so, chanceling the job will kill the VM and delete it's data. You could manually do a storage vMotion back to your production storage. And to be sure nothing happens, I would create a backup before touching the running job.

Userlevel 3

Well, I did cancel the job but the VM still seems to be running. I will remember your warning on cancelling the job. I have other issues to resolve, hence I will start another thread.

 

Thank you all!

Unable to apply retention policy: failed to delete backup files Error: The specified Catalyst Store allows maximum immutability period of 90 days, which is lower than the repository immutability period of 90.3965906893426 days.  how to resolve the error please update

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

Unable to apply retention policy: failed to delete backup files Error: The specified Catalyst Store allows maximum immutability period of 90 days, which is lower than the repository immutability period of 90.3965906893426 days.  how to resolve the error please update

Change the immutability period to lower than 90 days.

Unable to apply retention policy: failed to delete backup files Error: The wait operation timed out. any solution to this error please assist.  
 

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

Hi @Godfrey matshai -

Welcome to the Community. You should really create a new post with the question you have to get more visibility for assistance. Share as much details as you can. Are you using VBR? What kind of job is erroring out? Also, look at logs in:
C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Backup\<job-name>\###-Job.log file to see if there are any clues there.

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