Explanation of “failed to start daemon: error while opening volume store metadata database: timeout”
This error usually occurs when the Docker daemon is unable to start because it is unable to open the volume store metadata database within the specified timeout period.
The volume store metadata database is responsible for storing information about the volumes that Docker uses to persist data for containers. This database needs to be accessible and responsive for the Docker daemon to operate correctly.
Possible Causes:
- Database Corruption: The existing volume store metadata database might be corrupted or inaccessible, causing the daemon startup failure.
- Insufficient Resources: The system might not have enough resources (e.g., disk space, memory) to handle the volume store metadata database, leading to a timeout error.
- Network Issues: Connectivity issues between Docker and the volume store metadata database can cause timeout errors during startup.
Solutions:
Here are some potential solutions to resolve the “failed to start daemon: error while opening volume store metadata database: timeout” issue:
- Cleaning Up Corrupted Database: Try cleaning up or resetting the existing volume store metadata database. You may need to remove any corrupted or invalid entries to allow the Docker daemon to create a new and functional database during startup.
- Allocating Sufficient Resources: Ensure that your system has enough resources available (disk space, memory) for the volume store metadata database. You can try freeing up resources or allocating more resources to resolve the timeout error.
- Check Network Connectivity: Verify network connectivity between Docker and the volume store metadata database. Ensure that there are no routing or firewall issues that might be causing the timeout. You can try restarting your network services or checking your firewall configurations.
Example:
Suppose you encounter the “failed to start daemon: error while opening volume store metadata database: timeout” error on a Linux system after performing a system upgrade. The following steps can be attempted:
- Check the available disk space using the command:
df -h - If the disk space is low, free up some space by removing unnecessary files.
- Stop the Docker daemon using the command:
sudo systemctl stop docker - Remove the existing volume store metadata database using the command:
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker/volumes - Start the Docker daemon again using the command:
sudo systemctl start docker - Monitor the startup logs to ensure that the daemon starts without any timeout errors.
By cleaning up the corrupted database and ensuring sufficient resources, the timeout error during Docker daemon startup can be resolved.