Find why a Commvault backup job failed
A Commvault job failed or finished with errors and the failure reason doesn't tell you what to fix.
- You get
- The likely causes ranked, the checks to run for each, and which logs to look at, without pasting the logs anywhere.
- Works in
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Copilot
- Gemini
Fill in the blanks
A few words each is enough. Leave a blank empty and the assistant will ask you or assume.
Describe, don't paste: no CUI, personal data, hostnames, IP addresses or credentials. What you type stays on this page until you copy it or open it in an assistant.
Your prompt0 of 6 filled
Act as a senior Commvault engineer. Help me find why a backup job failed. - What was being backed up: [Workload, e.g. VMware VM, SQL Server, file server or Microsoft 365] - Job status: [Failed / Completed with errors / Killed / Pending] - Error code and message: [Paste them from the job details, with server names replaced by SERVER-A, SERVER-B] - When it started failing: [When, e.g. after a patch last Tuesday] - What else changed recently: [Upgrades, network, credentials, storage, or "nothing I know of"] - Commvault release: [Release, e.g. 11.40, or "not sure"] Rank the three to five most likely causes. For each one, tell me what to check first, where to find it in Command Center or on the client, and which log file on the client or MediaAgent would confirm it. Then give me the fix for each cause. If the error code isn't one you're sure about, say so and tell me what to search for on documentation.commvault.com instead of guessing. Menu names change between releases, so describe what a screen shows if you aren't sure of its exact path. Some details above are still in square brackets. Ask me for them before you answer, rather than guessing.
Before you paste
Replace server names, IP addresses and usernames before you paste the error. Never paste a whole log file into a public AI tool.
Then check the answer
Commvault product decoder
What each Commvault component does, in plain words
More commvault prompts
All 28 prompts- Harden your Commvault environment against ransomwareAttackers go after the backup system first, and you want to know how well yours would hold up.
- Plan disaster recovery for the CommServeEvery restore depends on the CommServe, and you need a plan for getting it back first.
- Set Commvault retention to match your records rulesYou need retention settings that meet your records and compliance rules without paying to keep everything forever.
- Plan a Commvault upgradeYou're moving to a newer Commvault release and want a change plan that won't leave you without backups.
- Write a restore runbook for a critical system in CommvaultThe person who knows how to restore your most important system shouldn't be the only one who can.
- Collect CMMC evidence from CommvaultYour assessment is coming up and you need to show, not say, that your backups meet the 800-171 requirements.
- Turn Commvault reports into a leadership updateYour monthly backup numbers mean something to you and nothing to the people who fund them.
Want a person to check the answer?
AI gets you a first draft. A KELYN engineer can tell you whether it would hold up in an assessment or a real recovery.