Old recovery points seems to not being cleaned up

Question

I'm running a Windows Server 2012 server with DPM 2012 SP1, acting as a secondary DPM server for a couple of primary servers. However, the last 5-6 weeks it has begun to behave very strange. Suddenly, I get a lot of "Recovery Point volume threshold
exceeded", "DPM does not have sufficient storage space available on the recovery point volume to create new recovery Points" and "The used disk space on the computer running DPM for the recovery point volume of SQL Server 2008 database
XXXXX\DB(servername.domain.com) has exceeded the threshold value of 90% (DPM accounts 600 MB for internal usage in addition to free space available). If you do not allocate more disk space, synchronization jobs may fail due to insufficient disk space. (ID
3169).
All of these alerts seem to have a common source - disk space of course, but there is currently 8 TB free in the DPM disk pool. However, I have a feeling that all of this started when we added another DPM disk to the storage pool. Could it be that DPM doesn't
clean up expired disk data correctly any longer?
/Amir

Answer 1

Hi,
If the pruneshadowcopiesdpm201.ps1 is not completing, hangs, or crashes, then that needs to be addressed as that will definitely cause storage usage problems.
In the meantime you can use this powershell script to delete old recovery points to help free disk space.  It will prompt to select a datasource, then a date to delete all recovery points made before that time.
#Author : Ruud Baars
#Date : 11/09/2008
#Edited : 11/15/2012 By: Wilson S.
#edited : 11:27:2012 By: Mike J.
# NOTE: Update script to only remove recovery points on Disk. Recovery points removed will be from the oldest one up to the date
# entered by the user while the script is running
#deletes all recovery points before 'now' on selected data source.
$version="V4.7"
$ErrorActionPreference = "silentlycontinue"
add-pssnapin sqlservercmdletsnapin100
Add-PSSnapin -Name Microsoft.DataProtectionManager.PowerShell
#display RP's to delete and ask to continue.
#Check & wait data source to be idle else removal may fail (in Mojito filter on 'intent' to see the error)
#Fixed prune default and logfile name and some logging lines (concatenate question + answer)
#Check dependent recovery points do not pass BEFORE date and adjust selection to not select those ($reselect)
#--- Fixed reselect logic to keep adjusting reselect for as long as older than BEFORE date
#--- Fixed post removal rechecking logic to match what is done so far (was still geared to old logic)
#--- Modified to remove making RP and ask for pruning, fixed logic for removal rechecking logic
$MB=1024*1024
$logfile="DPMdeleteRP.LOG"
$wait=10 #seconds
$confirmpreference = "None"
function Show_help
cls
$l="=" * 79
write-host $l -foregroundcolor magenta
write-host -nonewline "`t<<<" -foregroundcolor white
write-host -nonewline " DANGEROUS :: MAY DELETE MANY RECOVERY POINTS " -foregroundcolor red
write-host ">>>" -foregroundcolor white
write-host $l -foregroundcolor magenta
write-host "Version: $version" -foregroundcolor cyan
write-host "A: User Selects data source to remove recovery points for" -foregroundcolor green
write-host "B: User enters date / time (using 24hr clock) to Delete recovery points" -foregroundcolor green
write-host "C: User Confirms deletion after list of recovery points to be deleted is displayed." -foregroundcolor green
write-host "Appending to log file $logfile`n" -foregroundcolor white
write-host "User Accepts all responsibilities by entering a data source or just pressing [Enter] " -foregroundcolor white -backgroundcolor blue
"**********************************" >> $logfile
"Version $version" >> $logfile
get-date >> $logfile
show_help
$DPMservername=&"hostname"
"Selected DPM server = $DPMservername" >> $logfile
write-host "`nConnnecting to DPM server retrieving data source list...`n" -foregroundcolor green
$pglist = @(Get-ProtectionGroup $DPMservername) # WILSON - Created PGlist as array in case we have a single protection group.
$ds=@()
$tapes=$null
$count = 0
$dscount = 0
foreach ($count in 0..($pglist.count - 1))
# write-host $pglist[$count].friendlyname
$ds += @(get-datasource $pglist[$count]) # WILSON - Created DS as array in case we have a single protection group.
# write-host $ds
# write-host $count -foreground yellow
if ( Get-Datasource $DPMservername -inactive) {$ds += Get-Datasource $DPMservername -inactive}
$i=0
write-host "Index Protection Group Computer Path"
write-host "---------------------------------------------------------------------------------"
foreach ($l in $ds)
"[{0,3}] {1,-20} {2,-20} {3}" -f $i, $l.ProtectionGroupName, $l.psinfo.netbiosname, $l.logicalpath
$i++
$DSname=read-host "`nEnter a data source index from list above - Note co-located datasources on same replica will be effected"
if (!$DSname)
write-host "No datasource selected `n" -foregroundcolor yellow
"Aborted on Datasource name" >> $logfile
exit 0
$DSselected=$ds[$DSname]
if (!$DSselected)
write-host "No datasource selected `n" -foregroundcolor yellow
"Aborted on Datasource name" >> $logfile
exit 0
$rp=get-recoverypoint $DS[$dsname]
$rp
# $DoTape=read-host "`nDo you want to remove when recovery points are on tape ? [y/N]"
# "Remove tape recovery point = $DoTape" >> $logfile
write-host "`nCollecting recoverypoint information for datasource $DSselected.name" -foregroundcolor green
if ($DSselected.ShadowCopyUsedspace -gt 0)
while ($DSSelected.TotalRecoveryPoints -eq 0)
{ # "still 0"
#this is on disk
$oldShadowUsage=[math]::round($DSselected.ShadowCopyUsedspace/$MB,1)
$line=("Total recoverypoint usage {0} MB on DISK in {1} recovery points" -f $oldShadowUsage ,$DSselected.TotalRecoveryPoints )
$line >> $logfile
write-host $line`n -foregroundcolor white
#this is on tape
#$trptot=0
#$tp= Get-RecoveryPoint($dsselected) | where {($_.Datalocation -eq "Media")}
#foreach ($trp in $tp) {$trptot += $trp.size }
#if ($trptot -gt 0 )
# $line=("Total recoverypoint usage {0} MB on TAPE in {1} recovery points" -f ($trptot/$MB) ,$DSselected.TotalRecoveryPoints )
# $line >> $logfile
# write-host $line`n -foregroundcolor white
[datetime]$afterdate="1/1/1980"
#$answer=read-host "`nDo you want to delete recovery points from the beginning [Y/n]"
#if ($answer -eq "n" )
# [datetime]$afterdate=read-host "Delete recovery points AFTER date [MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm]"
[datetime]$enddate=read-host "Delete ALL Disk based recovery points BEFORE and Including date/time entered [MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm]"
"Deleting recovery points until $enddate" >>$logfile
write-host "Deleting recovery points until and $enddate" -foregroundcolor yellow
$rp=get-recoverypoint $DSselected
if ($DoTape -ne "y" )
$RPselected=$rp | where {($_.representedpointintime -le $enddate) -and ($_.Isincremental -eq $FALSE)-and ($_.DataLocation -eq "Disk")}
else
$RPselected=$rp | where {($_.representedpointintime -le $enddate) -and ($_.Isincremental -eq $FALSE)}
if (!$RPselected)
write-host "No recovery points found!" -foregroundcolor yellow
"No recovery points found, aborting...!" >> $logfile
exit 0
$reselect = $enddate
$adjustflag = $false
foreach ($onerp in $RPselected)
$rtime=[string]$onerp.representedpointintime
$rsize=[math]::round(($onerp.size/$MB),1)
$line= "Found {0}, RP size= {1} MB (If 0 MB, co-located datasource cannot be computed), Incremental={2} "-f $rtime, $rsize,$onerp.Isincremental
$line >> $logfile
write-host "$line" -foregroundcolor yellow
#Get dependent rp's for data source
$allRPtbd=$DSselected.GetAllRecoveryPointsToBeDeleted($onerp)
foreach ($oneDrp in $allRPtbd)
if ($oneDrp.IsIncremental -eq $FALSE) {continue}
$rtime=[string]$oneDrp.representedpointintime
$rsize=[math]::round(($oneDrp.size/$MB),1)
$line= ("`t...is dependancy for {0} size {1} `tIncremental={2}" -f $rtime, $rsize, $oneDrp.Isincremental)
$line >> $logfile
if ($oneDrp.representedpointintime -ge $enddate)
#stick to latest full ($oneDrp = dependents, $onerp = full)
$adjustflag = $true
$reselect = $onerp.representedpointintime
"<< Dependents newer than BEFORE date >>>" >> $logfile
Write-Host -nonewline "`t <<< later than BEFORE date >>>" -foregroundcolor white -backgroundcolor red
write-host "$line" -foregroundcolor yellow
else
#Ok, include current latest incremental
$reselect = $oneDrp.representedpointintime
write-host "$line" -foregroundcolor yellow
if ($reselect -lt $oneDrp.representedpointintime)
#we adjusted further backward than latest incremental within selection
$reselect = $rtime
$line = "Adjusted BEFORE date to be $reselect to include dependents to $enddate"
$line >> $logfile
Write-Host $line -foregroundcolor white -backgroundcolor blue
$line="`n<<< SECOND TO LAST CHANCE TO ABORT - ONE MORE PROMPT TO CONFIRM. >>>"
write-host $line -foregroundcolor white -backgroundcolor blue
$line >> $logfile
$line="Above recovery points within adjusted range will be permanently deleted !!!"
write-host $line -foregroundcolor red
$line >> $logfile
$line="These RP's include dependent recovery points and may contain co-located datasource(s)"
write-host $line -foregroundcolor red
$line >> $logfile
$line="Data source activity = " + $DSselected.Activity
$line >> $logfile
write-host $line -foregroundcolor white
$DoDelete=""
while (($DoDelete -ne "N" ) -and ($DoDelete -ne "Y"))
$line="Continue with deletion (must answer) Y/N? "
write-host $line -foregroundcolor white
$DoDelete=read-host
$line = $line + $DoDelete
$line >> $logfile
if (!$DSselected.Activity -eq "Idle")
$line="Data source not idle, do you want to wait Y/N ? "
write-host $line -foregroundcolor yellow
$Y=read-host
$line = $line + $Y
$line >> $logfile
if ($Y -ieq "Y")
Write-Host "Waiting for data source to become idle..." -foregroundcolor green
while ($DSselected.Activity -ne "Idle")
("Waiting {0} seconds" -f $wait) >>$logfile
Write-Host -NoNewline "..." -ForegroundColor blue
start-sleep -s $wait
if ($DoDelete -eq "Y")
foreach ($onerp in $RPselected)
#reselect is adjusted to safe range relative to what was requested
#--- if adjustflag not set then all up to including else only older because we must keep the full
if ((($onerp.representedpointintime -le $reselect) -and ($adjustflag -eq $false)) -or ($onerp.representedpointintime -lt $reselect))
$rtime=[string]$onerp.representedpointintime
write-host `n$line -foregroundcolor red
$line >>$logfile
if (($onerp ) -and ($onerp.IsIncremental -eq $FALSE)) { remove-recoverypoint -RecoveryPoint $onerp -confirm:$True} # >> $logfile}
$line =("---`nDeleting recoverypoint -> " + $rtime)
$line >>$logfile
"All Done!" >> $logfile
write-host "`nAll Done!`n`n" -foregroundcolor white
$line="Do you want to View DPMdeleteRP.LOG file Y/N ? "
write-host $line -foregroundcolor white
$Y=read-host
$line = $line + $Y
$line >> $logfile
if ($Y -ieq "Y")
Notepad DPMdeleteRP.LOG
Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. Regards, Mike J. [MSFT]
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