Remove all snapshots failed : vim-cmd vmsvc/snapshot.removeall

[bboyguile]

hello,

i hope you can help me please

i used veeam backup & replication for backup a exchange server 2010 virtual machine

i don't known why and how but since last week, i have got error when try to remove snapshot : another task is already in progress

i try a lot of tips/KB but whithout success (restart managemennt services, remove snapshot in vsphere client)

when a start a ssh's connection to the esxi and i launch "vim-cmd vmsvc/snapshot.remveall" i have got this error : "remove all asnapshots failed"

can you help please?

the snapshots continue to grow up since last week !

thanks

(i'm french, sorry for my English)

[dhanarajramesh]

this is the issue always exist in VADP based backup. i have seen in my environment this snapshots files always locked by host. I have logged the case with vmware as well backup tool vendor and waiting for the reply. alternative solution:  just take a look in to the vm data store thru ssh and go to the vm folder check is there any .lck files. if it is there delete all of these and try to remove from another host.but make sure ur vm pointed to the base disk

[bboyguile]

hello

there ara a lot of .ctk.vmdk files, do i try to remove them? possible to do it with VM power on ?

[dhanarajramesh]

these .ctk.vmdk files are Changed Block Tracking (CBT) files which are enabled by VMware to function as incremental backup.  if u delete this the backup will take longer time due to it will start copy from beginning. that's all.  but i have mentioned about .lck files. 1) do storage vmotion to another LUN and create manual snapshot with quiesce option and delete all snapshots there. after that make sure virtual hard disk are pointing to base disk 2) e if all the snapshots are not deleted then  find .lck files in old data store and delete it and do manual snapshots deletion.

[john23]

If you power-off the vm and try to remove snapshot, is it working??

[bboyguile]

i can not power off the vm because it is a exchange server

at the moment i try again to restart management agent and it seems now i can delete the snapshots.

i have start it and at this time it is at 95%

i will back to you when if it works

[john23]

Are you running lot of i/o during deletion of snapshot, check vmwae.log What it is showing to you...

If lot of i/o runs, committing to base disk takes lot of time. That is one of the reason it will hang on 95%.

-A

[bboyguile]

it's ok !! the snapshot has been deleted !

thanks to all !

[dhanarajramesh]

how did you delete? please share with us.

[bboyguile]

i have start this command on the esxi

/etc/opt/init.d/VMware-vpxa restart

/etc/init.d/hostd restart

then i have the possibility to commit the snapshot

[dhanarajramesh · Accepted solution]

which means the snapshot file ware used by your VPXA worker and it's get logged by your VADP.