Scheduled Plesk backups do not run at the scheduled time

Symptoms

• Plesk scheduled backups (local, FTP, cloud storage) do not run at a scheduled time.

• Cron job is executed correctly:

  # tail /var/log/syslog | grep backupmng
  CRON[9178]: (root) CMD ([ -x /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng ] && /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng >/dev/null 2>&1)

  Note: On RedHat based OS it can be seen in the /var/log/cron file while, on Debian based OS can be seen in /var/log/syslog

• There is one or several old backup processes left from the previous backup task (in this example, the current date is Jun 20):

  # ps awufx | grep backupmng | grep -v grep
  root 15212 0.0 0.0 4268 96 ? Ss jun20 0:00 _ /bin/sh -c [ -x /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng ] && /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng >/dev/null 2>&1
  psaadm 15213 0.0 0.0 45064 596 ? S jun20 0:00 _ /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng
  psaadm 15216 0.0 0.0 45064 568 ? S jun20 2:07 _ /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng
  psaadm 15217 0.0 0.4 301544 19624 ? S jun20 0:01 _ /usr/bin/sw-engine -c /opt/psa/admin/conf/php.ini /opt/psa/admin/plib/backup/scheduled_backup.php –dump 12
  root 15523 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z jun20 0:00 _ [pmmcli] <defunct>
  root 15526 0.0 0.3 121476 13096 ? S jun20 0:00 _ /usr/bin/python -Estt /opt/psa/admin/sbin/pmmcli –pmmras-exec /opt/psa/tmp/prevIOHp2 –get-ftp-dump-list
  root 15527 0.0 0.0 113852 1188 ? S jun20 0:00 _ /opt/psa/admin/bin/pmm-ras –get-ftp-dump-list –dump-storage=ext://one-drive-backup/subscription/23/
  root 15822 0.0 0.4 375080 16904 ? S jun20 2:38 _ /usr/bin/sw-engine -c /opt/psa/admin/conf/php.ini /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backup_restore_helper –exte

Cause

New scheduled backup task does not start because of other stuck backup processes.

Resolution

1. Connect to the Plesk server via SSH

2. List hanged backupmng processes and their PIDs:

   # ps awufx | grep backupmng | grep -v grep
   root 15212 0.0 0.0 4268 96 ? Ss jun20 0:00 _ /bin/sh -c [ -x /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng ] && /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng >/dev/null 2>&1
   psaadm 15213 0.0 0.0 45064 596 ? S jun20 0:00 _ /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng
   psaadm 15216 0.0 0.0 45064 568 ? S jun20 2:07 _ /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng
   psaadm 15217 0.0 0.4 301544 19624 ? S jun20 0:01 _ /usr/bin/sw-engine -c /opt/psa/admin/conf/php.ini /opt/psa/admin/plib/backup/scheduled_backup.php –dump 12
   root 15523 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z jun20 0:00 _ [pmmcli] <defunct>
   root 15526 0.0 0.3 121476 13096 ? S jun20 0:00 _ /usr/bin/python -Estt /opt/psa/admin/sbin/pmmcli –pmmras-exec /opt/psa/tmp/prevIOHp2 –get-ftp-dump-list
   root 15527 0.0 0.0 113852 1188 ? S jun20 0:00 _ /opt/psa/admin/bin/pmm-ras –get-ftp-dump-list –dump-storage=ext://one-drive-backup/subscription/23/
   root 15822 0.0 0.4 375080 16904 ? S jun20 2:38 _ /usr/bin/sw-engine -c /opt/psa/admin/conf/php.ini /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backup_restore_helper –exte

3. Stop cron service:

   # service cron stop

4. Kill these processes using their PID:

   # kill -9 15822 15527 15526 15523 15217 15216 15213 15212

5. Start cron sercive:

   # service cron start

6. Either wait until the next scheduled backup is launched or launch the process manually through the following command:

   # /opt/psa/admin/sbin/backupmng

   Warning: If the tasks are launched manually through the command above, all the pending scheduled backups will be launched at the same time. Consider this for resource usage.