Time Machine Backup Fails Because Disk Space 100% Used

[BobCochran]

I just hit a problem with FreeNAS 8.3.1-Release-P2 for a Time Machine backup. I recently started running 2 virtual machines on my MacBook Pro (which is running Mountain Lion 10.8.4 and is up to date in terms of software updates.) The virtual machines are 25 Gb each in size, so my backups have become huge. I've been backing up my 500 Gb hard drive to a FreeNAS afp share which is also sized at 500 Gb. So this means that Time Machine has to constantly delete old backups when a new backup is made.

Today, The afp share is reported as 100% full with 0 available space. My Time Machine backup has failed. I'm not sure why Time Machine is not removing old backups like it should.

I checked the FreeNAS documentation which says the Disk Discovery Mode in AFP Share Configuration Options, p. 134 of the 8.3.1 Manual, is either DEFAULT or "Time Machine". My setting is Time Machine. Should I change this to Default?

The afp share I'm using is actually on a 1 Tb hard drive, and I'm thinking of destroying the volume and resizing it to 1 Tb from 500 Gb so there is a bit more room for multiple backup sets.

Thanks

Bob

 

[BobCochran]

I detached the afp volume and destroyed the data on it. Then I added it back in as an 1 Tb afp share. That fixes the immediate problem of not being able to do Time Machine backups when the disk hits 0% available space and Time Machine, for whatever reason, won't clean out an old backup.

Thanks

Bob

 

[cyberjock]

Did you enable the 'recycle bin' for the Time Machine share?

I don't have any Apple devices, but I have seen quite a few people have problems with Time Machine over the LAN. It doesn't appear to be limited to FreeNAS but quite frequently its a configuration issue because the FreeNAS admin didn't understand all of the configuration options.

I don't have any specific advice for your situation at this time though.