QNAP NAS Community Forum

Dear,

I have now bought my second QNAP NAS TS-251+ and I am using the Virtualization Station to -obviously- host a virtual machine.

I am running on firmware 4.3.6.0907
I am running Virtualization Station V3.1.1085

What I see is that the Virtualization Station now automatically creates a snapshot.
I do not want to record snapshots on virtual machines because it consumes extra disk space and it generates I/O overhead.

I would like to completely disable snapshots.

How can I completely disable snapshots in Virtualization Station?

Many thanks,

Kris Jacobs

Yes indeed!
How does work to disable this absolutely insane "feature"?

kris_kj_jacobs wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2019 9:34 pm
I am running on firmware 4.3.6.0907
I am running Virtualization Station V3.1.1085

here is your first problem, big one


latest virtual station is 3.4.5
https://www.qnap.com/en/app_releasenote ... hoose=QKVM

Virtualization Station 3.4.5
( 2020/07/15 )

[Important Notes]
- Downgrading Virtualization Station 3.4 to an earlier version is not supported, and is likely to cause unpredictable issues.
- VMs exported from Virtualization Station 3.4 are only compatible with Virtualization Station 3.4 and later versions.
- The SeaBIOS version has been updated. Reinstall the QXL function from the Guest Tools CD for VMs that use the QVM feature or QXL video drivers.

[New Features]
- Added support for Windows Server 2019.

[Enhancements]
- Upgraded the following components related to compatibility, performance, and security:
- noVNC 1.1.0
- SeaBIOS 1.13.0
- Guest Tools ISO

[Fixed Issues]
- Reserved snapshots that were unlocked could not be selected.
- Service ports could not be configured.
- Copied backup files could not be selected while restoring VMs.

this is what you are using

Virtualization Station 3.1.1085 bug
( 2019/04/22 )

A bug has been detected in version 3.1.1085 of Virtualization Station. This bug, caused by open-source software limitations, has the potential to erase data on virtual machines. If you have upgraded to Virtualization Station 3.1.1085 and are running a virtual machine with multiple HDDs, then you should IMMEDIATELY check the status of each VM HDD in the Overview page.

If an HDD is listed as "Missing" then DO NOT shut down the virtual machine - you must open the VM and back up the contents of the VM HDDs (if you shut down the VM at this time, one of the VM HDDs will be deleted).

If you do not see any HDDs listed as "Missing", then you should reinstall version 3.1.1079 to avoid this bug.

firstly your vs is vastly outdated. you need to be using the latest and based your complaints on that latest version. For all you know, maybe whatever issue u are having has long since been fixed for starters.

TLDR: update


same for your QTS. Latest is 4.4.3.1354 build 20200702

https://www.qnap.com/en-us/download?mod ... y=firmware



this is what you are using

QTS 4.3.6.0907 build 20190409
2019-04-09

https://www.qnap.com/en/release-notes/q ... 7/20190409


I hope you are not exposing your qnap nas online? lots of these vulnerabilities have long since been patched. but if you rarely update, this is a BIG problem for you

https://www.reddit.com/r/qnap/comments/ ... 020_march/
https://www.qnap.com/en/security-advisories/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNZOJI_gD48



while at it, check your router firmware, make sure that is up to date also. lots of vulnerabilities have been patched over time. updating router firmware is also important.
https://routersecurity.org/bugs.php



You need to be regularly updating (ONLY after first coming to forum and confirming what others say about a firmware indicating it's stable and problem free, BEFORE updating. Not updating over long intervals like yearly is not recommended at all).

update first, then try again whatever it is you are having issue with, report back if you still have issue.

Make sure you also officially lodge a ticket for qnap to actually fix whatever issue you find. forum is just for us other users to know a problem exist. we can't actually do anything to fix it. but it helps to share so others know a problem exists. or if you are lucky it's something others can advise if they know the answer to.

https://service.qnap.com/



you're welcome

Moogle Stiltzkin


pro tip: if you are forgetful, you can set in appcenter settings for new apps to auto update. for QTS updates you can set a notification whenever a new qts becomes available. Most people wait a week or a month before updating to latest firmware or app after first verifying via comments whether it is stable or not. And you should have backups just in case. probably update sooner depending on severity of fixes based on changelogs and what qnap advises in changelog or their security advisory mail subcription

RonanAccuser wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:10 pm If you could tell me how to disable that auto snapshot ** though, that would be much appreciated.

if you browse in virtual station using the latest version, check the vs settings, there should be snapshot settings. check if there is any automated processes there and disable that.



in another scenario if you are refering not to the VS app specific snapshots, but rather the general snapshots by qts, i dedicate a SSD raid1 volume which i did not set for snapshots. However my raid5 hdd volume does have snapshots enabled. So how this works is, the VM installed on the SSD does not have snapshots, but the HDD raid5 raid volume does.

So i'm not sure if you meant that you are using snapshots this way, but you want to selectively not let it apply for virtual station that also happens to be on the same volume you have snapshots enabled on.

Or whether you are referring to the virtual station app specific snapshots. If it's the later, it's simple enough, you can find snapshot settings in VS (browse around yourself, you'll eventually find snapshot related settings) and not auto set snapshots for it.

If it's the former, you either disable it, or relocate the VS to a different volume and make sure that volume does not have snapshots enabled for.

sorry but that's **. I can't and I won't ever update my system again. I have done that until last year and after having and update causing Raid rebuilds every week I had to downgrade and reinstall everything. This is only one of several horror stories I could tell about qnap. And it was the second time an update was causing severe problems on a production system.
No thank you.
What you copied and pasted has nothing to do with my problem anyway.
VS suddenly started to make automatic backups. That is in Version 3.1.1171 that I installed yesterday. It wasn't the case in 1164 which is its predecessor.
Other than that I have no problems with my VMs, so that the probability of getting in trouble making a Qnap developed update is far bigger than anything else.
If you could tell me how to disable that auto snapshot ** though, that would be much appreciated.

check my 2nd post did that help?
viewtopic.php?f=318&t=149133&p=759071#p759069

RonanAccuser wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:10 pm sorry but that's **. I can't and I won't ever update my system again. I have done that until last year and after having and update causing Raid rebuilds every week I had to downgrade and reinstall everything. This is only one of several horror stories I could tell about qnap. And it was the second time an update was causing severe problems on a production system.
No thank you.
What you copied and pasted has nothing to do with my problem anyway.
VS suddenly started to make automatic backups. That is in Version 3.1.1171 that I installed yesterday. It wasn't the case in 1164 which is its predecessor.
Other than that I have no problems with my VMs, so that the probability of getting in trouble making a Qnap developed update is far bigger than anything else.
If you could tell me how to disable that auto snapshot ** though, that would be much appreciated.

well i noticed a problem in case you didn't noticed. guess your okay with being hacked thought i'd just mention in passing in case you did not realize.

i too had the same RR issue that began with a firmware update specifically 4.4.1 so i can emphatize with that. So yes using 4.3.6 latest was the best move at the time until they fixed the firmware (sticking to 4.3.6 was only a temporary measure, not long term unless for some reason qnap never fixed this RR occuring in the latest qts releases)

i'm currently using 4.4.3 latest build no RR so far. i tested 4.4.2 latest build too for a whole month without issues either. So problem may have already been resolved fyi.

leaving a nas unpatched is asking for trouble


you are welcome

- Moogle

Moogle Stiltzkin wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:17 pm check my 2nd post did that help?

No, because there is nothing, no such setting. At least I can't see one. Also it happend after re-installing VS.
So either you can be more specific or I would say that there is no such setting in the gui. I hope it is possible to disable it from console somehow-

Moogle Stiltzkin wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:17 pm i'm currently using 4.4.3 latest build no RR so far. i tested 4.4.2 latest build too for a whole month without issues either. So problem may have already been resolved fyi.

I have not the intention to spend my time in this k8nd of research. Qnap produces to many lethal bullets. I had several of those issues over the years. They are dangerous, end of story.

Moogle Stiltzkin wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:17 pm leaving a nas unpatched is asking for trouble

Well totally disagree. Maybe this is generally true. But with a Qnap Nas this must be changed to 'patch your nas is asking for trouble'. Seriously, those m*rons, I totally regret buying the thing.

RonanAccuser wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:02 pm
No, because there is nothing, no such setting. At least I can't see one. Also it happend after re-installing VS.
So either you can be more specific or I would say that there is no such setting in the gui. I hope it is possible to disable it from console somehow-

i just looked when i posted, and i did spot snapshot settings in virtual station at least for the latest VS i am using.

But since you are asking troubleshoot for an older qts and vs, i'm unsure whether your settings differ because of that. most people tend to just ask to update to latest before troubleshooting.

I'm assuming your snapshot issue is related to VS and not the qts snapshot general feature.


in vs if you click on your vms > settings, there is a schedule. click that. do you have any scheduled entries? this is where scheduled automated snapshots occur.

the other setting is vm backups. you can create scheduled vm backups here. do you have any entries here?

those are the only 2 areas in the setting i'm aware that does automated snapshots.


you're welcome

- moogle

As Moogle has said, there are 2 processes that create VS Snapshots. Doing a VS Snapshot (manually) or doing a VM Backups (part of backup process especially if VM is not shutdown prior to backup). There were several bugs related to some of those processes in the old versions that have been fixed in the new version.

Absent upgrading to the new version, there is nothing that can be done. Here is the link to the change log for VS:

https://www.qnap.com/en/app_releasenote ... hoose=QKVM

Well thank you for posting. The settings you talk about are the regular settings for snapshots/backups. That's also present im my Version.
But as I tried to explain, and also the thread starter btw, this is an issue that the VS does it just by itself.
There is no setting or obvious entry in any of the settings where you would see anything about it.

The only thing I can think of is zhat it is related to the process of creating the VM from an existing image after I reinstalled VS. Maybe there is an issue that the VS cannot do thst properly.
I hoped to find a hint that I could edit the configuration files to stop this.
But I guess we would need an expert for KVM QEMU for that.

I could solve the problem by exporting and re-importing the VM.
No more automatic snapshots.