Veeam Backup from Storage Snapshots – Failed to create snapshot on primary storage. There are more than 10 names

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I recently had the case where i configured Veeam to backup from storage snapshots in conjunction with an IBM SAN Volume Controller.
The customer has several file servers which are around 15 to 20 TB size of each.

A detailed explanation regarding a single File server with 15 TB capacity.

• Created a Storage Snapshot Only job with the corresponding Virtual Machine (Job Name SSNAP_ONLY)
• The VM has 15 x 1 TB .vmdks (beside of the system partition)
• All 15 x 1 TB .vmdks are located on 15 different datastores

This means if Veeam triggers the Storage Snapshots, Veeam has to locate all the 15 .vmdks on all the datastores for snapshotting.

The job failed with the following Error:

Failed to create snapshot on primary storage. There are more than 10 names VeeamProductionSnapsot_SSNAP_ONLY.2018-12-07-0812

A detailed look into the event logs showed the following:

<01> Error    [SanSnapshotSource] Failed to create production snapshot and retain old snapshot for volume: 'ESXWSVBKVD132' ('234').
<01> Error    There are more than 10 names VeeamProductionSnapshot_SSNAP_ONLY.2018-12-07-1235 already. (Veeam.Backup.SanPlugin.PublicStorage.CPublicPluginException)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.SanPlugin.PublicStorage.StorageClientLogged.CreateProductionSnapshot(String volumeId, String backupJobName)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.SanPlugin.PublicStorage.CPublicPluginProductionSnapshotCreator.CreateSnapshotInternal(IStorageClient client, CSanVolume volume)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.SanPlugin.PublicStorage.CPublicPluginProductionSnapshotCreator.CreateProductionSnapshot(CSanVolume volume, IXmlLogger sessionLogger)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.Core.CSanProductionSnapshotOperations.CreateAndRetainSnapshot(ISanProductionSnapshotCreator snapshotCreator, CSanVolume volume, Boolean isProdactionSnapshotsForTransfer)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.Core.CSanProductionSnapshotOperations.CreateAndRetainProductionSnapshotsSafe(ISanPluginCoreHelpers sanPluginHelpers, CSanHost sanHost, IEnumerable`1 volumes, Boolean isProdactionSnapshotsForTransfer)
<01> Info     [SanSnapshotSource]===========================================================================================
<01> Error    [SanSnapshotSource] Create storage source snapshot failed, set session record to warning.
<01> Error    There are more than 10 names VeeamProductionSnapshot_SSNAP_ONLY.2018-12-07-1235 already. (Veeam.Backup.SanPlugin.PublicStorage.CPublicPluginException)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.SanPlugin.PublicStorage.StorageClientLogged.CreateProductionSnapshot(String volumeId, String backupJobName)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.SanPlugin.PublicStorage.CPublicPluginProductionSnapshotCreator.CreateSnapshotInternal(IStorageClient client, CSanVolume volume)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.SanPlugin.PublicStorage.CPublicPluginProductionSnapshotCreator.CreateProductionSnapshot(CSanVolume volume, IXmlLogger sessionLogger)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.Core.CSanProductionSnapshotOperations.CreateAndRetainSnapshot(ISanProductionSnapshotCreator snapshotCreator, CSanVolume volume, Boolean isProdactionSnapshotsForTransfer)
<01> Error       at Veeam.Backup.Core.CSanProductionSnapshotOperations.CreateAndRetainProductionSnapshotsSafe(ISanPluginCoreHelpers sanPluginHelpers, CSanHost sanHost, IEnumerable`1 volumes, Boolean isProdactionSnapshotsForTransfer)

I therefore opened a case within Veeam Support to check this behaviour. My feeling told me, that this must be some kind of limitation.
I also created a Forum Thread within the Veeam community forums. https://forums.veeam.com/vmware-vsphere-f24/failed-to-create-snapshot-on-primary-storage-there-are-more-than-10-names-t55741.html

The outcome and solution of the Support case was, that there is currently a hardcoded limit of 10 snapshots with similar names.
The hardcoded limit will be increased by the release of Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 Update 4, which also bring a registry key to adjust this limit.

Thanks again to Veeam for the great and fast support, which confirmed my “feeling” about that kind of limitation !!