proxmox/docs/archive/historical/R630_02_ORPHANED_STORAGE.md

r630-02 Orphaned Storage Analysis

Date: 2025-01-20
Status: Documented - Storage exists but VMs not registered

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Summary

r630-02 has storage volumes that exist but are not associated with registered VMs. These appear to be orphaned storage from previous deployments or migrations.

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Storage Analysis

thin1 Storage (226GB total, 52.35% used)

Orphaned Volumes Found:

• thin1:vm-100-disk-0 - 10GB (VMID 100)
• thin1:vm-101-disk-0 - 10GB (VMID 101)
• thin1:vm-102-disk-0 - 2GB (VMID 102)
• thin1:vm-103-disk-0 - 8GB (VMID 103)
• thin1:vm-104-disk-0 - 8GB (VMID 104)
• thin1:vm-105-disk-0 - 8GB (VMID 105)
• thin1:vm-130-disk-0 - 50GB (VMID 130)
• thin1:vm-5000-disk-0 - 100GB (VMID 5000)
• thin1:vm-6200-disk-0 - 50GB (VMID 6200)

Total Orphaned: ~246GB (124GB used)

thin4 Storage (226GB total, 16.03% used)

Orphaned Volumes Found:

• thin4:vm-7800-disk-0 - 50GB (VMID 7800)
• thin4:vm-7801-disk-0 - 50GB (VMID 7801)
• thin4:vm-7802-disk-0 - 30GB (VMID 7802)
• thin4:vm-7810-disk-0 - 50GB (VMID 7810)
• thin4:vm-7811-disk-0 - 30GB (VMID 7811)

Total Orphaned: ~210GB (38GB used)

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Verification

VM Registration Status

Checked on all nodes:

• ml110: VMs with similar IDs exist (1000-1004, 10100-10151, 9000) but different VMIDs
• r630-01: No VMs found
• r630-02: No VMs registered (pct list and qm list return empty)

Configuration Files:

• /etc/pve/nodes/r630-02/lxc/ - Empty
• /etc/pve/nodes/r630-02/qemu-server/ - Empty

Conclusion: Storage volumes exist but VMs are not registered on r630-02.

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Possible Causes

1. VM Migration: VMs were migrated to another node but storage wasn't cleaned up
2. VM Deletion: VMs were deleted but storage volumes weren't removed
3. Storage Migration: Storage was migrated but VM registrations weren't updated
4. Manual Cleanup: Previous manual cleanup left storage behind

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Recommendations

Option 1: Clean Up Orphaned Storage (Recommended)

If these VMs are no longer needed:

# On r630-02
ssh root@192.168.11.12

# List orphaned volumes
pvesm list thin1 | grep -E "vm-100|vm-101|vm-102|vm-103|vm-104|vm-105|vm-130|vm-5000|vm-6200"
pvesm list thin4 | grep -E "vm-7800|vm-7801|vm-7802|vm-7810|vm-7811"

# Remove orphaned volumes (CAREFUL - this deletes data!)
# pvesm free <volume-id>

Benefits:

• Frees up ~246GB on thin1
• Frees up ~210GB on thin4
• Total: ~456GB recovered

Risks:

• Data loss if VMs are still needed
• Cannot recover once deleted

Option 2: Keep Storage (If VMs May Be Needed)

If these VMs might be needed later:

• Document the orphaned storage
• Monitor storage usage
• Keep until storage is needed
• Can clean up later if confirmed unused

Benefits:

• No risk of data loss
• Can recover VMs if needed

Drawbacks:

• Uses storage space
• May cause confusion

Option 3: Investigate Further

Before cleaning up:

1. Check if VMs exist on other nodes with these VMIDs
2. Check backup systems for these VMIDs
3. Verify with team if these VMs are needed
4. Check logs for migration/deletion history

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Current Impact

Storage Usage:

• thin1: 52.35% used (124GB of 226GB) - 113GB available
• thin4: 16.03% used (38GB of 226GB) - 190GB available

Available Storage:

• thin1: 113GB available (despite orphaned volumes)
• thin4: 190GB available
• Other thin pools: 226GB each (thin2, thin3, thin5, thin6)

Total Available: ~1.2TB+ (sufficient for current needs)

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Action Items

Immediate

• Document orphaned storage ✅
• Verify with team if VMs are needed
• Check if VMs exist elsewhere

Optional

• Clean up orphaned storage (if confirmed unused)
• Monitor storage usage
• Plan for storage cleanup

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Commands Reference

List Orphaned Volumes

ssh root@192.168.11.12
pvesm list thin1
pvesm list thin4

Check VM Registration

pct list
qm list
ls -la /etc/pve/nodes/r630-02/lxc/
ls -la /etc/pve/nodes/r630-02/qemu-server/

Remove Orphaned Volumes (CAREFUL!)

# List first
pvesm list thin1 | grep vm-100

# Remove (example - verify first!)
# pvesm free thin1:vm-100-disk-0

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Last Updated: 2025-01-20
Status: Documented - Action required based on team decision