Backup Erroneously Reporting Insufficient Space.

dCipher

Member
Jul 19, 2025
35
2
8
Hi

My Proxmox VE 9.1 backup is now failing which does not make sense because I have a 2Terabyte drive and it only has 200Gig of data on it so I do not know why the error message says there is not sufficient space.
Code:
INFO: starting new backup job: vzdump 101 102 --notes-template '{{guestname}}' --compress zstd --mode snapshot --prune-backups 'keep-last=2' --storage Backup --all 0 --node minipc --notification-mode notification-system --fleecing 0
INFO: Starting Backup of VM 101 (qemu)
INFO: Backup started at 2025-12-06 14:08:16
INFO: status = running
INFO: VM Name: WinLTSC
INFO: include disk 'scsi0' 'Main2TB:vm-101-disk-0' 500G
INFO: include disk 'efidisk0' 'local-lvm:vm-101-disk-0' 4M
INFO: include disk 'tpmstate0' 'local-lvm:vm-101-disk-2' 4M
INFO: backup mode: snapshot
INFO: ionice priority: 7
INFO: creating vzdump archive '/mnt/usb-backup/dump/vzdump-qemu-101-2025_12_06-14_08_16.vma.zst'
INFO: attaching TPM drive to QEMU for backup
INFO: started backup task 'bf95f4c2-1ad6-4e25-b7e7-c3ff96d2af78'
INFO: resuming VM again
INFO:   1% (5.5 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 3s, read: 1.8 GiB/s, write: 1.7 GiB/s
INFO:   2% (10.4 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 6s, read: 1.6 GiB/s, write: 1.6 GiB/s
INFO:   3% (15.1 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 9s, read: 1.6 GiB/s, write: 1.5 GiB/s
INFO:   4% (21.7 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 12s, read: 2.2 GiB/s, write: 2.1 GiB/s
INFO:   5% (27.4 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 15s, read: 1.9 GiB/s, write: 1.8 GiB/s
INFO:   6% (32.8 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 18s, read: 1.8 GiB/s, write: 1.7 GiB/s
INFO:   7% (39.1 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 21s, read: 2.1 GiB/s, write: 2.1 GiB/s
INFO:   8% (42.4 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 24s, read: 1.1 GiB/s, write: 1.1 GiB/s
INFO:   9% (47.3 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 27s, read: 1.7 GiB/s, write: 1.6 GiB/s
zstd: error 70 : Write error : cannot write block : No space left on device 
INFO:   9% (49.4 GiB of 500.0 GiB) in 30s, read: 703.2 MiB/s, write: 694.0 MiB/s
ERROR: vma_queue_write: write error - Broken pipe
INFO: aborting backup job
INFO: resuming VM again
ERROR: Backup of VM 101 failed - vma_queue_write: write error - Broken pipe
INFO: Failed at 2025-12-06 14:08:48
INFO: Starting Backup of VM 102 (qemu)
INFO: Backup started at 2025-12-06 14:08:48
INFO: status = running
INFO: VM Name: LinuxMint
INFO: include disk 'scsi0' 'Main2TB:vm-102-disk-0' 200G
INFO: backup mode: snapshot
INFO: ionice priority: 7
INFO: skip unused drive 'local-lvm:vm-102-disk-0' (not included into backup)
INFO: creating vzdump archive '/mnt/usb-backup/dump/vzdump-qemu-102-2025_12_06-14_08_48.vma.zst'
INFO: skipping guest-agent 'fs-freeze', agent configured but not running?
INFO: started backup task '47ae9a46-22bb-41c4-af52-cc7b5e15169c'
INFO: resuming VM again
INFO:   2% (4.1 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 3s, read: 1.4 GiB/s, write: 419.6 MiB/s
INFO:   3% (6.4 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 7s, read: 588.2 MiB/s, write: 530.1 MiB/s
INFO:   4% (8.7 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 10s, read: 775.8 MiB/s, write: 668.7 MiB/s
INFO:   5% (10.3 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 15s, read: 342.2 MiB/s, write: 339.0 MiB/s
INFO:   6% (12.5 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 19s, read: 563.7 MiB/s, write: 459.0 MiB/s
INFO:   7% (14.8 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 22s, read: 767.3 MiB/s, write: 596.3 MiB/s
INFO:   8% (16.5 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 25s, read: 576.4 MiB/s, write: 565.3 MiB/s
INFO:   9% (19.4 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 28s, read: 1001.7 MiB/s, write: 682.0 MiB/s
INFO:  10% (20.7 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 31s, read: 453.1 MiB/s, write: 375.3 MiB/s
INFO:  14% (28.3 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 34s, read: 2.5 GiB/s, write: 161.7 MiB/s
INFO:  21% (43.8 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 37s, read: 5.2 GiB/s, write: 84.0 KiB/s
INFO:  30% (61.0 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 40s, read: 5.7 GiB/s, write: 77.3 MiB/s
INFO:  31% (63.1 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 43s, read: 715.3 MiB/s, write: 647.6 MiB/s
INFO:  32% (65.4 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 46s, read: 781.1 MiB/s, write: 706.9 MiB/s
INFO:  40% (81.8 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 49s, read: 5.5 GiB/s, write: 89.9 MiB/s
INFO:  49% (99.1 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 52s, read: 5.8 GiB/s, write: 177.9 MiB/s
INFO:  52% (106.0 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 55s, read: 2.3 GiB/s, write: 543.1 MiB/s
INFO:  53% (107.9 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 58s, read: 663.4 MiB/s, write: 544.0 MiB/s
INFO:  55% (110.0 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 1s, read: 722.6 MiB/s, write: 564.1 MiB/s
INFO:  56% (112.4 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 4s, read: 791.5 MiB/s, write: 580.3 MiB/s
INFO:  57% (114.5 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 7s, read: 719.0 MiB/s, write: 677.1 MiB/s
INFO:  58% (116.9 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 10s, read: 820.5 MiB/s, write: 601.8 MiB/s
INFO:  59% (119.0 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 13s, read: 734.7 MiB/s, write: 687.9 MiB/s
INFO:  60% (121.7 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 16s, read: 929.2 MiB/s, write: 733.3 MiB/s
INFO:  61% (124.0 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 19s, read: 769.7 MiB/s, write: 726.1 MiB/s
INFO:  63% (126.6 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 22s, read: 882.1 MiB/s, write: 743.9 MiB/s
INFO:  66% (132.9 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 25s, read: 2.1 GiB/s, write: 441.9 MiB/s
INFO:  68% (136.1 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 28s, read: 1.1 GiB/s, write: 568.3 MiB/s
INFO:  70% (141.3 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 33s, read: 1.0 GiB/s, write: 356.1 MiB/s
INFO:  75% (151.2 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 36s, read: 3.3 GiB/s, write: 336.1 MiB/s
INFO:  79% (159.4 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 39s, read: 2.7 GiB/s, write: 349.5 MiB/s
INFO:  89% (178.3 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 42s, read: 6.3 GiB/s, write: 12.0 KiB/s
INFO:  98% (196.1 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 45s, read: 5.9 GiB/s, write: 53.9 MiB/s
INFO: 100% (200.0 GiB of 200.0 GiB) in 1m 46s, read: 3.9 GiB/s, write: 132.4 MiB/s
INFO: backup is sparse: 153.59 GiB (76%) total zero data
INFO: transferred 200.00 GiB in 106 seconds (1.9 GiB/s)
INFO: archive file size: 13.15GB
INFO: adding notes to backup
INFO: prune older backups with retention: keep-last=2
INFO: pruned 0 backup(s)
INFO: Finished Backup of VM 102 (00:01:49)
INFO: Backup finished at 2025-12-06 14:10:37
INFO: Backup job finished with errors
INFO: notified via target `mail-to-root`
TASK ERROR: job errors
 
Hi. This might be a blind shot, but I seem to remember a similar issue when the reason was the space in a temporary directory, not on the destination device.

Maybe you'll be able to "google" for a similar thread...

edit: Also fleecing rings some bell. My memories may be wrong of course.
 
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root@minipc:~# cat /etc/pve/storage.cfg
qm config 101
qm config 102
dir: local
path /var/lib/vz
content vztmpl,iso,backup

lvmthin: local-lvm
thinpool data
vgname pve
content images,rootdir

lvm: Main2TB
vgname Main2TB
content images,rootdir
nodes minipc
shared 0

dir: Backup
path /mnt/usb-backup
content images,backup
prune-backups keep-last=4
shared 0

bios: ovmf
boot: order=scsi0;ide2;ide0;net0
cores: 12
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
efidisk0: local-lvm:vm-101-disk-0,efitype=4m,pre-enrolled-keys=1,size=4M
ide0: local:iso/virtio-win-0.1.271.iso,media=cdrom,size=709474K
ide2: local:iso/en-us_windows_11_iot_enterprise_ltsc_2024_x64_dvd_f6b14814.iso,media=cdrom,size=5024236K
machine: pc-q35-10.0
memory: 32768
meta: creation-qemu=10.0.2,ctime=1754358723
name: WinLTSC
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:B9:FC:4E,bridge=vmbr0
numa: 1
onboot: 1
ostype: win11
scsi0: Main2TB:vm-101-disk-0,cache=writeback,discard=on,iothread=1,size=500G
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=681ca1b8-f369-47b8-b26c-b29946db1343
sockets: 1
tpmstate0: local-lvm:vm-101-disk-2,size=4M,version=v2.0
usb0: host=3-4,usb3=1
vcpus: 12
vga: virtio
vmgenid: 38c97789-8d4e-4f89-a4fb-d1e599e43d7c
agent: 1
boot: order=scsi0;ide2;net0
cores: 12
cpu: host
ide2: local:iso/LinuxMint.iso,media=cdrom,size=2880M
machine: q35
memory: 32768
meta: creation-qemu=10.0.2,ctime=1759513804
name: LinuxMint
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:6D:2B:5A,bridge=vmbr0
numa: 1
onboot: 1
ostype: l26
scsi0: Main2TB:vm-102-disk-0,discard=on,iothread=1,size=200G
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=436751f4-5797-4eaa-8c61-11971920e15b
sockets: 1
unused0: local-lvm:vm-102-disk-0
vga: virtio
vmgenid: 36ab962b-a354-4135-8c22-9a08da2c5d53
root@minipc:~#
 
Main2TB does not support snapshots so you need temporary space to back it up unless you use the stop mode.
If you can, wipe and re-create it as ZFS or LVM-Thin. Otherwise you need to use a different mode or set the vzdump tmpdir to some place where you have enough space.
 
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I forgot that the backup created a temporary file before saving to the final location. So thank-you for pointing that out.