Check out common errors and warnings related to Synthetic Backup you sometimes encounter while using Backup & Recover for ServiceNow. For each issue, we offer a clear explanation of the cause and actionable steps you can take to resolve it.
Error Message: Error retrieving the changelog for Synthetic backup. Falling back to Full backup.
Reason: There was an issue that prevented the retrieval of the Own Recover Changelog table during the backup. This results in the backup retrieving each table’s data in its entirety instead of using the synthetic approach.
Solution: No action required. If this message is consistently shown for your backups, open a Support ticket for further investigation.
Error Message: Unable to retrieve Synthetic backup for table as the change tracking business rule for the table is newly created.
Reason: The table has been set to Synthetics with Business Rules, but the change tracking business rule has not existed for enough backups to create a synthetic backup.
Solution: No action required - the next backup should perform a synthetic backup for this table.
Error Message: Monitor Business Rule missing. Skipping Synthetic backup for [table_name] and falling back to Full.
Reason: The Monitor Business Rule does not exist in your ServiceNow instance.
Solution: Open a Support ticket requesting to configure the Monitor Business Rule for your backup service.
Error Message: Monitor Business Rule mismatch identified. Skipping Synthetic backup for table_name and falling back to Full.
Reason: The Monitor Business Rule that exists in the instance is not configured as expected.
Solution: Open a Support ticket requesting to reconfigure the Monitor Business Rule for your backup service.
Error Message: Section will be backed up in the next weekly Full backup due to previous failure of Synthetic backup.
Reason: The previous Synthetic backup for this table failed, and the table is configured with a Fallback Policy that results in this table being skipped until the next Full backup.
Solution: No action required - the table will be backed up in the next Full backup. If the table’s backup is required before the next Full backup, open a Support ticket requesting to remove the table’s Fallback Policy.
Error Message: Unable to perform synthetic backup due to unavailability of table in the previous backup. Retrieving a full backup.
Reason: The table could not be backed up using the synthetic backup approach because we did not see that table in the previous backup.
Solution: No action required. This is simply an informational message. If we don’t see this table in a previous backup we run a full backup instead of synthetic. This message in the next backup. If this message is consistently applied for a table in each backup, open a Support ticket for further investigation.
Error Message: Internal error occurred when backing up [table_name]. Error: SchemaChangedError, detail: Schema of the table [table_name] has changed.
Reason: The table could not be backed up using the synthetic backup approach because the metadata does not exist or has changed.
Solution: No action required. This will show if new tables are added or the table metadata changes. It will clear after 3 synthetic backups. If this message is persistently applied for a table in each backup, open a Support ticket for further investigation.