Numerous, very large backups being created after version 7.11.0

Community Support
1

Description

Server Setup Information

  • Version of Rocket.Chat Server: 7.12.2
  • Operating System: Ubuntu 16
  • Deployment Method: Snap
  • Number of Running Instances: 1

Any additional Information

Since the snap upgrade on October 30 2025, my RC instance appears to be making numerous, massive backup files in /var/snap/rocketchat-server/common/backup until disk space is exhausted, causing chat to be unusable. These are generally around 2GB in size and have the format rocketchat_backup_<date>.<time>.tar.gz. I’ve tried deleting older ones, but very quickly new files are created to once again fill my disk. I am unable to even login to access the admin panel because of the lack of disk space, so any solution would have to happen through the command line. For example, here is my current backup directory:

drwxr-xr-x 2 root root       4096 Nov 24 18:47 .
drwxr-xr-x 7 root root      40960 Nov 24 20:08 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      34830 May  1  2025 backup_20250501.1414.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      35446 May  1  2025 backup_20250501.1504.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      37475 Jul 23 16:33 backup_20250723.1630.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      37105 Jul 30 14:33 backup_20250730.1430.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      38948 Oct 30 17:29 backup_20251030.1726.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      39169 Oct 31 09:48 backup_20251031.0946.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      40378 Nov  1 02:04 backup_20251101.0201.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      39477 Nov  2 04:48 backup_20251102.0446.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      39072 Nov  3 02:58 backup_20251103.0256.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      39217 Nov  4 01:48 backup_20251104.0146.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      39238 Nov  5 05:03 backup_20251105.0501.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      41023 Nov  6 01:04 backup_20251106.0101.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      39429 Nov  7 04:18 backup_20251107.0416.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      39667 Nov  8 09:58 backup_20251108.0956.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      33602 Nov  9 04:17 backup_20251109.0416.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      33696 Nov 10 01:12 backup_20251110.0111.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      33259 Nov 11 03:52 backup_20251111.0351.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      33371 Nov 12 05:21 backup_20251112.0520.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      28672 Nov 13 01:11 backup_20251113.0111.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      31440 Nov 14 04:56 backup_20251114.0456.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      28672 Nov 15 05:16 backup_20251115.0516.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      28672 Nov 16 03:06 backup_20251116.0306.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      34339 Nov 17 02:51 backup_20251117.0251.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      28672 Nov 18 03:06 backup_20251118.0306.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      32768 Nov 19 01:26 backup_20251119.0126.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      32768 Nov 20 02:56 backup_20251120.0256.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      28672 Nov 21 02:56 backup_20251121.0256.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      28672 Nov 22 03:36 backup_20251122.0336.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      28672 Nov 23 05:56 backup_20251123.0556.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      28672 Nov 24 01:36 backup_20251124.0136.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      39765 Nov 24 16:19 backup_20251124.1616.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      39890 Nov 24 18:28 backup_20251124.1825.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root      40365 Nov 24 18:47 backup_20251124.1844.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2250651961 May  1  2025 rocketchat_backup_20250501.1414.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2250649731 May  1  2025 rocketchat_backup_20250501.1504.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2253738373 Jul 23 16:33 rocketchat_backup_20250723.1630.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2253836205 Jul 30 14:33 rocketchat_backup_20250730.1430.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255261171 Oct 30 17:29 rocketchat_backup_20251030.1726.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255257691 Oct 31 09:48 rocketchat_backup_20251031.0946.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255303280 Nov  1 02:04 rocketchat_backup_20251101.0201.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255304594 Nov  2 04:48 rocketchat_backup_20251102.0446.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255313507 Nov  4 01:48 rocketchat_backup_20251104.0146.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255327378 Nov  6 01:04 rocketchat_backup_20251106.0101.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255379109 Nov  8 09:58 rocketchat_backup_20251108.0956.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1113010176 Nov  9 04:17 rocketchat_backup_20251109.0416.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1141207040 Nov 10 01:12 rocketchat_backup_20251110.0111.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1108217856 Nov 11 03:52 rocketchat_backup_20251111.0351.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  320561152 Nov 12 05:21 rocketchat_backup_20251112.0520.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 13 01:11 rocketchat_backup_20251113.0111.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 14 04:56 rocketchat_backup_20251114.0456.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 15 05:16 rocketchat_backup_20251115.0516.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 16 03:06 rocketchat_backup_20251116.0306.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  158343168 Nov 17 02:51 rocketchat_backup_20251117.0251.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 18 03:06 rocketchat_backup_20251118.0306.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 19 01:26 rocketchat_backup_20251119.0126.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 20 02:56 rocketchat_backup_20251120.0256.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 21 02:56 rocketchat_backup_20251121.0256.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 22 03:36 rocketchat_backup_20251122.0336.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 23 05:56 rocketchat_backup_20251123.0556.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root          0 Nov 24 01:36 rocketchat_backup_20251124.0136.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255364880 Nov 24 16:19 rocketchat_backup_20251124.1616.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255408733 Nov 24 18:28 rocketchat_backup_20251124.1825.tar.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2255405604 Nov 24 18:47 rocketchat_backup_20251124.1844.tar.gz
2

Are you using GrifdFS for file store?

Don’t.

Has someone tried to download their user info? The file/s may be stuck somewhere - possibly in GridFS….

3

It’s possible. Is there an easy way to tell without going through the admin panel?

4

Only via the API…… But as admin you would know?

There would a local directory with lots of files.

Suggest you stop the server, clear the backups, start, and check. I’m not sure with snaos that you can indepently run/access mongo (you could in docker etc)

Note snaps are no longer a supported deployment method. You should migrate to docker as soon as possible.

(GridFS has never been recommended except for development)

5

Thanks! I was indeed using GridFS, so I cleared the backups and changed file storage to S3 and the problem seems to have gone away.

It appears that my issues accessing the admin panel were caused by a separate issue. Apparently the # prefix was removed from urls at some point, breaking my “First Channel After Login” setting. But I was able to manually navigate to the settings page and fix both this setting and the FS setting. Thanks again!

1 Like
6

Cool.

There are a couple of file migrator scripts that can help move old files out of GridFS to your store.

One is in a repo in the main Rocket github.

1 Like