Velero restore failed "pod volume backup failed: snapshot is in failed state"

TL;DR

The pod volume snapshot underneath the restore is in a failed state, so the namespace metadata restores but the volume data cannot: inspect the pod volume backup objects for the failed snapshot, read the uploader's error for that volume, and fix its cause, commonly a full repository, a locked snapshot, or a node that lost the volume, then re-run the restore for the affected volumes or the whole namespace.

Velero restore failed "pod volume backup failed: snapshot is in failed state"

Use this when

• The job or restore fails with this symptom: Velero restore failed with pod volume backup failed: snapshot is in failed state.
• You are working on a Velero restore of a namespace with pod volume backups and the failure repeats on the same target or schedule.
• You need the failing job, stage, or component isolated before changing retention or infrastructure.

Not for this skill when

• A snapshot failed because its source pod volume was already corrupted at backup time, where the fix is an older restore point.
• The error text names a different product, stage, or root cause. Match the verbatim error first and use that skill.

Steps

1. List the pod volume backup objects tied to the restore's source backup and find the ones in a failed phase. Verify: the failed volumes are enumerated
2. Read the uploader logs or the snapshot's error detail for one failed volume to get the underlying reason. Verify: the snapshot failure cause is named
3. Fix the cause at the repository or node layer: free the repository, clear a stale lock, or restore the volume's node access. Verify: snapshots can be created and read again
4. Re-run the restore and confirm pods start with their volume data present, checking one application's data directly. Verify: the namespace is restored with data verified

Variant phrasings

velero restore pod volume backup snapshot failed state

The verbatim phrasing.

velero restore failed snapshot failed pod volume uploader fix

The uploader phrasing.

velero namespace restore missing data snapshot failed

The missing-data phrasing.

Compatibility: Velero restores with pod volume backups via restic or kopia

Why it happens

A Velero restore is a bundle of independent volume restorations under one namespace operation. One volume's snapshot failure fails that volume while others succeed, and the summary error names the mechanism without saying which volume or why, which the per-volume objects record.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• Partial restores leave the namespace running with empty volumes, which applications may overwrite; pause workloads until volume state is confirmed.
• Repository locks from a crashed uploader block later snapshots with a similar surface error; clear locks only after confirming no uploader is active.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_4id4y2pamIuPztO8nlHohA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_4id4y2pamIuPztO8nlHohA

Thread query: Velero restore failed "pod volume backup failed: snapshot is in failed state"

TL;DR: The pod volume snapshot underneath the restore is in a failed state, so the namespace metadata restores but the volume data cannot: inspect the pod volume backup objects for the failed snapshot, read the uploader's error for that volume, and fix its cause, commonly a full repository, a locked snapshot, or a node that lost the volume, then re-run the restore for the affected volumes or the whole namespace.