<![CDATA[Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error]]>Hello,

I'm testing restoring metadata from an old POOL HS to a new hypervisor.

After moving metadata backup from old POOL HS to metadata backup folder of new hypervisor, I get "RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE(eth3)" error.

Indeed the new hypervisor has 1 ethernet port less than the old master POOL HS.

I know I can get around this error by adding an ethernet port on the new hypervisor, but that may be an additional strain.

I don't understand why the Ethernet port difference is a problem? Do you know the reason?
(in addition, once the metadata has been restored, you have to go through the "network reconfiguration" box to properly recover the new hypervisor)

]]>https://xcp-ng.org/forum/topic/6852/restore-metadata-and-restore_target_missing_device-errorRSS for NodeFri, 12 Jun 2026 12:05:08 GMTFri, 20 Jan 2023 12:32:33 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error on Thu, 30 May 2024 08:20:40 GMT]]>@sshughes When you go to 'Home > Hosts > YourRestoreHost > Tab:Network' in XO, is eth1 shown there? If not, it might need introduction.

]]>https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/78131https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/78131Thu, 30 May 2024 08:20:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error on Wed, 29 May 2024 22:35:11 GMT]]>We are also performing recovery tests and documenting procedures in case a single host dies. New host has less NICs and our restore is failing with 'RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE(eth1)'. However, it's not that hard to add a NIC, so I did and now eth0, eth1, eth2 all exist but restore still fails with RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE(eth1). Is it also attempting to match MAC addresses? These are small deployments, less than four VMs, Internal Storage.
Usually one Windows Server VM responsible for 90% of SR use, plus a couple of small VMs: XO and other minor functions.
Not crazy about having to restore full VM backups when the SR is fully intact.
Is there a better way?

]]>https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/78122https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/78122Wed, 29 May 2024 22:35:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error on Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:05:27 GMT]]>OK, it can be done. So your lost host/pool had some fancy named network device (let's say idrac). You don't have identical hardware. Solution:

  • set up a virtualized XCP-NG with the same (more might work) number of NICs as your lost host
  • access that host's console
  • xe pif-list # find a NIC you don't need for metadata restore, let's say eth4
  • xe pif-forget uuid=<that pif>
  • xe network-list # find the network associated with the forgotten NIC
  • xe network-destroy uuid=<that network>
  • ip link set dev eth4 down
  • ip link set dev eth4 name idrac
  • ip link set dev idrac up
  • ip link show # find idrac's mac
  • xe pif-introduce host-uuid<your virtualized host> mac=<idrac's mac> device=idrac
  • I think this automatically added a network named idrac to the pool - don't know if it's needed

Now you can add the virtualized host to XO and restore your metadata. Is this a good idea? I don't know. I did not test it any further.

]]>https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74322https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74322Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:05:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error on Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:50:06 GMT]]>@MTTUPM said in Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error:

Larger environments might be interested in disaster-recovering metadata on non-identical hardware.

That's not a best practice and probably very complex to manage. I'm not saying it shouldn't be done, but we probably have more pressing issues right now. If you find a way to do it with xe CLI, let us know so it's easier to just "expose" in XO 🙂

]]>https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74306https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74306Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:50:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error on Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:49:00 GMT]]>I did restore the VMs from their backups (full backups, delta backups, online snapshots, offline snapshots, XOA, XO self compiled) - it worked flawlessly and it is very much good enough for me.

My post was just meant as a small contribution to a possible future solution to the problem. Larger environments might be interested in disaster-recovering metadata on non-identical hardware.

If there was some way to assign arbitrary names to virtual NICs, the "restore into a virtualized XCP-NG" approach would most likely work. Maybe this is a simple thing for you to implement - and thereby offer an even better DR solution to larger installations.

]]>https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74304https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74304Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:49:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error on Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:36:40 GMT]]>Metadata restore is meant to restore on a similar host. Alternatively, restore the real VM backups via XO.

I also wonder if there's a way to just partially restore metadata, but it might be complex if you have missing NICs, therefore you'll have missing networks.

]]>https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74294https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74294Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:36:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error on Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:33:39 GMT]]>Hi,

I ran into the same problem when testing for disaster recovery.

  • One possible solution I found when "ethX" is missing: set up an XCP-NG host as guest (nested virtualization) and assign it enough NICs. Then restore on the virtualized XCP-NG. This will at least allow you to restore.
  • This however did not work for: In my testing environment the "dead" host (only host in pool) was a Dell with iDrac-passthrough enabled. The NIC's name was 'idrac' on that host.
  • Restore seems to be name-sensitive for the NICs. I did not find a way to create a NIC named 'idrac' for a virtualized XCP-NG.

This behavior is described in this document, section "Physical Machine failure - To restore a pool with all hosts failed" with no solution given.

]]>https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74293https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/74293Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:33:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Restore metadata and RESTORE_TARGET_MISSING_DEVICE error on Fri, 07 Apr 2023 18:02:26 GMT]]>I'm having this same issue. Were you ever able to find a solution or does anyone have a solution? Thanks.

]]>https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/60891https://xcp-ng.org/forum/post/60891Fri, 07 Apr 2023 18:02:26 GMT