Snapshot failed with qemu_savevm_state_complete_precopy error -5 followed by savevm-start failed - VM snapshot already started

DolPhinSon

New Member
Jun 13, 2025
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Hi all,

I am encountering a persistent issue when trying to take a live snapshot (with RAM included) of a specific VM. The task fails initially, and subsequent attempts get blocked by a locked snapshot state.

Here is the error log from the first snapshot attempt:
Bash:
snapshot create failed: starting cleanup
TASK ERROR: unable to save VM state and RAM - qemu_savevm_state_complete_precopy error -5

When I try to run the snapshot task again immediately after the failure, it consistently rejects the command with the following error:
Bash:
snapshot create failed: starting cleanup
TASK ERROR: VM 12203 qmp command 'savevm-start' failed - VM snapshot already started

Full log in attachments.


I have attached the detailed log files regarding this issue to this post for reference.

Here is the pveversion -v output of the node:

Bash:
proxmox-ve: 9.1.0 (running kernel: 7.0.0-3-pve)
pve-manager: 9.1.9 (running version: 9.1.9/ee7bad0a3d1546c9)
proxmox-kernel-helper: 9.0.4
proxmox-kernel-7.0: 7.0.0-3
proxmox-kernel-7.0.0-3-pve-signed: 7.0.0-3
proxmox-kernel-6.17: 6.17.13-6
proxmox-kernel-6.17.13-6-pve-signed: 6.17.13-6
proxmox-kernel-6.17.2-1-pve-signed: 6.17.2-1
amd64-microcode: 3.20250311.1
ceph-fuse: 19.2.3-pve2
corosync: 3.1.10-pve2
criu: 4.1.1-1
frr-pythontools: 10.4.1-1+pve1
ifupdown2: 3.3.0-1+pmx12
ksm-control-daemon: 1.5-1
libjs-extjs: 7.0.0-5
libproxmox-acme-perl: 1.7.1
libproxmox-backup-qemu0: 2.0.2
libproxmox-rs-perl: 0.4.1
libpve-access-control: 9.0.7
libpve-apiclient-perl: 3.4.2
libpve-cluster-api-perl: 9.1.2
libpve-cluster-perl: 9.1.2
libpve-common-perl: 9.1.11
libpve-guest-common-perl: 6.0.2
libpve-http-server-perl: 6.0.5
libpve-network-perl: 1.3.0
libpve-notify-perl: 9.1.2
libpve-rs-perl: 0.13.0
libpve-storage-perl: 9.1.2
libspice-server1: 0.15.2-1+b1
lvm2: 2.03.31-2+pmx1
lxc-pve: 6.0.5-4
lxcfs: 6.0.4-pve1
novnc-pve: 1.6.0-4
proxmox-backup-client: 4.2.0-1
proxmox-backup-file-restore: 4.2.0-1
proxmox-backup-restore-image: 1.0.0
proxmox-firewall: 1.2.2
proxmox-kernel-helper: 9.0.4
proxmox-mail-forward: 1.0.3
proxmox-mini-journalreader: 1.6
proxmox-offline-mirror-helper: 0.7.3
proxmox-widget-toolkit: 5.1.9
pve-cluster: 9.1.2
pve-container: 6.1.5
pve-docs: 9.1.2
pve-edk2-firmware: 4.2025.05-2
pve-esxi-import-tools: 1.0.1
pve-firewall: 6.0.4
pve-firmware: 3.18-3
pve-ha-manager: 5.2.0
pve-i18n: 3.7.1
pve-qemu-kvm: 10.1.2-7
pve-xtermjs: 5.5.0-3
qemu-server: 9.1.9
smartmontools: 7.4-pve1
spiceterm: 3.4.2
swtpm: 0.8.0+pve3
vncterm: 1.9.2
zfsutils-linux: 2.3.4-pve1


Here is the configuration file of the target VM:
Bash:
agent: 1
boot: order=virtio0
cipassword:
ciupgrade: 0
ciuser: root
cores: 15
cpu: host
cpulimit: 15
ide0: none,media=cdrom
ipconfig0: ip=103.9.24.15/24,gw=103.9.24.1
kvm: 1
lock: backup
memory: 47104
name: vina
nameserver: 8.8.8.8
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:94:24:54,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1,queues=4,rate=51,tag=200
numa: 1
onboot: 1
ostype: other
scsihw: lsi
searchdomain: viet.vn
serial0: socket
smbios1: uuid=b509e2e9-56c5-43b8-bb0b-e86136cecf57
sockets: 1
tags:
vga: std
virtio0: vms:vm-12203-disk-0,cache=directsync,discard=on,format=raw,iops_rd=95000,iops_wr=35000,iothread=1,size=400G
vmgenid: 435982d1-0cc1-4601-98e6-d5251e277be7
 

Attachments

Hi,
please share your storage configuration /etc/pve/storage.cfg. Is there anything in the host's system logs/jorunal? As already asked in the bugzilla, where you never replied, is the issue also present with the current pve-qemu-kvm=11.0.2-1? You need to shutdown+start the VM fresh so that it actually uses the new binary after installing.
 
Last edited:
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Here is my /etc/pve/storage.cfg configuration:

Code:
zfspool: vms
    pool rpool/vms
    blocksize 16k
    content images,rootdir
    mountpoint /rpool/vms
    sparse 1
    
dir: local
    path /var/lib/vz
    content images,iso
    shared 1

Regarding the host's system logs/journal around the time of the failure:

Bash:
Jul 16 10:14:11 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:11 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:11 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2665598]: VM 12203 qga command failed - VM 12203 qga command 'guest-ping' failed - got timeout
Jul 16 10:14:11 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:11 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2665598]: <root@pam> successful auth for user 'root@pam'
Jul 16 10:14:11 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:12 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:12 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:13 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2574237]: <root@pam> successful auth for user 'root@pam'
Jul 16 10:14:16 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2650120]: <root@pam> successful auth for user 'root@pam'
Jul 16 10:14:16 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2749465]: snapshot create failed: starting cleanup
Jul 16 10:14:17 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2665598]: <root@pam> successful auth for user 'root@pam'
Jul 16 10:14:18 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2749465]: unable to save VM state and RAM - qemu_savevm_state_complete_precopy error -5
Jul 16 10:14:18 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2665598]: <dienlv@ipa> end task UPID:vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104:0029F419:02F49091:6A584BCD:qmsnapshot:12203:dienlv@ipa: unable to save VM state and RAM - qemu_savevm_state_complete_precopy error -5
Jul 16 10:14:20 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:23 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:23 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:25 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2650120]: <root@pam> successful auth for user 'root@pam'
Jul 16 10:14:28 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:32 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2574237]: <root@pam> successful auth for user 'root@pam'
Jul 16 10:14:34 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:45 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:14:53 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log


Bash:
Jul 16 10:23:37 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:23:38 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2799283]: <duynvp@ipa> snapshot VM 12203: bakj
Jul 16 10:23:38 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2797932]: <duynvp@ipa> starting task UPID:vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104:002AB6B3:02F5B50F:6A584EB9:qmsnapshot:12203:duynvp@ipa:
Jul 16 10:23:39 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2799283]: VM 12203 qmp command failed - VM 12203 qmp command 'savevm-start' failed - VM snapshot already started
Jul 16 10:23:39 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2799283]: snapshot create failed: starting cleanup
Jul 16 10:23:39 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2799283]: VM 12203 qmp command 'savevm-start' failed - VM snapshot already started
Jul 16 10:23:39 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2797932]: <duynvp@ipa> end task UPID:vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104:002AB6B3:02F5B50F:6A584EB9:qmsnapshot:12203:duynvp@ipa: VM 12203 qmp command 'savevm-start' failed - VM snapshot already started
Jul 16 10:23:41 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2782638]: <root@pam> successful auth for user 'root@pam'
Jul 16 10:23:43 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:23:44 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:23:44 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:23:46 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:23:49 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2797932]: <root@pam> successful auth for user 'root@pam'
Jul 16 10:23:49 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pvedaemon[2771633]: <root@pam> successful auth for user 'root@pam'
Jul 16 10:23:54 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:23:54 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log
Jul 16 10:23:55 vnpttt-nvme-7003-s104 pmxcfs[1486129]: [status] notice: received log


I am currently running pve-qemu-kvm: 10.1.2-7.
Could you please point me to any official documentation, commit logs, or bug reports showing that upgrading to 11.0.2-1 specifically fixes this error -5 / dirty bitmap snapshot issue?

Since I am managing a large cluster with many active nodes, I cannot perform upgrades on a whim without a concrete plan and solid evidence that the newer package addresses this exact bug.
 
I am currently running pve-qemu-kvm: 10.1.2-7.
Could you please point me to any official documentation, commit logs, or bug reports showing that upgrading to 11.0.2-1 specifically fixes this error -5 / dirty bitmap snapshot issue?
I cannot.

But looking over your provided info again, I think the issue might be that your guest dirties too much RAM. The volume to contain the state is created with 2 times the size of the memory plus 500 MiB for the device state. If your guests dirties too much, it won't be enough. The last log lines show 63.50 and 74.06 and your guest is configured with 46.
 
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I cannot.

But looking over your provided info again, I think the issue might be that your guest dirties too much RAM. The volume to contain the state is created with 2 times the size of the memory plus 500 MiB for the device state. If your guests dirties too much, it won't be enough. The last log lines show 63.50 and 74.06 and your guest is configured with 46.
Oh, thanks for the advice!

However, I have one more question: After the initial snapshot failed with error -5, subsequent attempts to run a new snapshot failed immediately with:VM 12203 qmp command 'savevm-start' failed - VM snapshot already started

Why doesn't Proxmox/QEMU automatically clear or cancel the internal savevm state when the task fails, preventing us from starting a fresh snapshot without manually running savevm-cancel via qmp monitor?"