Briefly, this error occurs when Elasticsearch is unable to create a snapshot repository due to issues like incorrect repository settings, insufficient permissions, or connectivity problems with the storage location. To resolve this, ensure that the repository settings are correct, the Elasticsearch process has the necessary permissions to access the storage location, and the storage location is accessible and has enough space. Also, check the Elasticsearch logs for more specific error messages that can help identify the problem.
This guide will help you check for common problems that cause the log ” failed to create repository ” to appear. To understand the issues related to this log, read the explanation below about the following Elasticsearch concepts: repository, repositories.
Overview
An Elasticsearch snapshot provides a backup mechanism that takes the current state and data in the cluster and saves it to a repository (read snapshot for more information). The backup process requires a repository to be created first. The repository needs to be registered using the _snapshot endpoint, and multiple repositories can be created per cluster. The following repository types are supported:
Repository types
| Repository type | Configuration type |
|---|---|
| Shared file system | Type: “fs” |
| S3 | Type : “s3” |
| HDFS | Type :“hdfs” |
| Azure | Type: “azure” |
| Google Cloud Storage | Type : “gcs” |
Examples
To register an “fs” repository:
PUT _snapshot/my_repo_01
{
"type": "fs",
"settings": {
"location": "/mnt/my_repo_dir"
}
}Notes and good things to know
- S3, HDFS, Azure and Google Cloud require a relevant plugin to be installed before it can be used for a snapshot.
- The setting, path.repo: /mnt/my_repo_dir needs to be added to elasticsearch.yml on all the nodes if you are planning to use the repo type of file system. Otherwise, it will fail.
- When using remote repositories, the network bandwidth and repository storage throughput should be high enough to complete the snapshot operations normally, otherwise you will end up with partial snapshots.
Log Context
Log “failed to create repository” class name is RepositoriesService.java. We extracted the following from Elasticsearch source code for those seeking an in-depth context :
repository.start();
return repository;
} catch (Exception e) {
IOUtils.closeWhileHandlingException(repository);
logger.warn(() -> format("failed to create repository [%s][%s]"; repositoryMetadata.type(); repositoryMetadata.name()); e);
throw new RepositoryException(repositoryMetadata.name(); "failed to create repository"; e);
}
} /**
* Creates a repository holder.
