Backup copies are not created on external storage. Error "suitable backup location not found"

Problem

Virtual machine (VM) backup fails with the error:

suitable backup location not found

A local copy on the cluster node is created successfully, but transfer to remote storage is not performed.

Cause

The platform cannot place the backup in remote storage because the external storage limit is smaller than the size of the compressed VM disk that is generated during backup preparation.

When configuring SSH storage in the Backups → Storages tab, the storage size was specified (default — 10 GB). The actual size of the external storage may differ. During the backup process, the VM disk is compressed, and the resulting file is compared with the limit specified in the settings. If the compressed file exceeds the limit, the task fails with an error, even if there is free space on the external storage. The platform does not verify the actual storage size. No out-of-space notification is displayed.

Diagnostics

To confirm the cause of the problem:

1. Go to Backups → вкладка Storages.
2. Select the required storage.
3. Open the menu → Edit.
4. Check the value in the Storage volume, GB.
5. Compare the specified limit with the actual size of the compressed backup file. To determine the compressed file size:
   1. Connect to the server with the platform via SSH. For more information about connecting via SSH, see Workstation setup.
   2. Run the command:

      ls -lah /image/

6. Find the backup file in the output that corresponds to the time of the last copy attempt, and check its size.

If the specified storage size is less than the compressed file size, the cause is confirmed.

Solution

To resolve the problem, specify the actual storage size:

1. Go to Backups → Storages tab.
2. Select the required storage.
3. Open the menu → Edit.
4. In the Storage volume, GB specify the actual size of the external storage in gigabytes.
5. Save the changes.