Cleaning up failed backups

[promoxer]

I PVE to backup my VMs nightly.

Sometimes, they fail due to lack of storage space. However, the remnants of the failed backup remains in the folder with no distinctive way to remove them. Overtime, these further contribute to the lack of storage space.

Any ideas how I can clean them up?

 

[Kingneutron]

You need to add more disk, or start deleting stuff to make room.

 

[promoxer]

wow... how much more disk should I add? I'm asking for how I can identify the useless files to delete, and you tell me to delete stuff.

 

[Kingneutron]

> However, the remnants of the failed backup remains in the folder with no distinctive way to remove them

Post a screenshot with details, likely either you need to go in at the host level and delete partial-backup files (Midnight Commander helps here) or possibly delete stuff from ZFS datasets.

Adding at least a 4TB disk for additional backup storage should not be out of the question, you can get an Ironwolf or Exos NAS-rated drive for under $100 these days - and smaller disks are slightly less

> I'm asking for how I can identify the useless files to delete, and you tell me to delete stuff

Nobody here knows how your system is laid out but you. Nobody knows what data you're keeping around but you. I'm not here to hold your hand, and I'm also providing helpful advice for free. YOU are the sysadmin of your system. So, you need to make sysadmin-level decisions.

Can either delete unused VMs or migrate things to another server, or delete in-VM files so the backups are smaller, or (like I said) add additional storage space, so you're not running out of free disk space when you run backups.

 

[Dunuin]

Like already said, you should to make sure that this never happens in the first place. Set up monitoring that sends you alert mails or whatever to warn you before you are running out of space. Then make sure you always got plenty of free space. I personally never fill my storages more than 80%. Once I exceed that I either have to delete stuff or add more drives. If buying more storage isn't an option you should think about making your retentions more strict.

And to find failed backup files you could navigate through your backup storage via CLI (see "ls", "cd", "rm" commands) or use some GUI like
WinSCP. Files are named after your VM and date so you should be able to easy correlate what files are belonging to those failed VM backups and delete those.

 

[promoxer]

Nobody here knows how your system is laid out but you. Nobody knows what data you're keeping around but you. I'm not here to hold your hand, and I'm also providing helpful advice for free. YOU are the sysadmin of your system. So, you need to make sysadmin-level decisions.

Yet you found it apt to tell me that I need to add disks and start deleting stuff.

PVE creates its backup files based on a fixed naming convention (are you aware?). And it has its own events and whatnot. Nothing invented or customized by me here.

The only question is, is there a way to (automate/script) the removal of these failed backup files, i.e. does a way exists or not? It is a yes/no question, not about whether I need to make changes to content.

Or better still, proxmox should just remove these half written backup files since they are basically useless.

 

[Kingneutron]

> Yet you found it apt to tell me that I need to add disks and start deleting stuff

Yeah, I can do that sort of thing based on a few decades of direct sysadmin experience. I've been in IT for a long time, and I'm rather good at it. What exactly are you bringing to the table here?

Instead of following freely-given good advice, seems like you'd rather come on here and waste people's time with useless comments. Hey, I tried. You really know how to wear out your welcome, and the patience of someone that is trying to assist you.

Sorrynotsorry, I don't have any more time for that.

end of line

 

[promoxer]

wow, now i truly know why you think you are good at it.

 

[Dunuin]

I don't think PVE will remove failed backups on its own, like it won't delete failed ISO uploads.