Technical Tip: Automated Configuration Backups Configured with Variable '%%log.time%%' Fail to Backup Configuration

[ssanga]

Description	This article describes an issue where FortiGate fails to perform backup configuration when the hostname or backup filename includes the variable '%%log.time%%'.
Scope	FortiGate v7.4.4, v7.4.5.
Solution	When using an automation stitch to perform configuration backups with the variable '%%log.time%%', which is intended to include the timestamp in the filename, the backup fails due to unsupported special characters: execute backup full-config usb MV-FW-Z3-fullconfig-USB-daily-%%log.time%%.txt<----- Using log.time. __cli_script_close()-121: cli script: autod.16 output: ########## script name: autod.16, offset: 389########## ========= 1, 2024-10-29 08:19:36 ========== FortiGate-60F execute backup full-config usb MV-FW-Z3-fullconfig-USB-daily-08:19:29.txt <----- Time parsed correctly. Please wait... Copy config MV-FW-Z3-fullconfig-USB-daily-08:19:29.txt to USB disk ... Copy config file to USB disk failed. <----- Copy fails. Command fail. Return code 1 However, the backup configuration is successful with the variable '%%log.date%%': execute backup full-config usb MV-FW-Z3-fullconfig-USB-daily-%%log.date%%.txt<----- Using only log.date. pid:225-__handle_msg()-414: Subscriber:4 received package. pubid:0 pkgid:178 pkg_index:191 pid:225-__handle_pkg_logs()-356: Subscriber:4 processing package size:948 logs:2 pickup:2 pid:225-__subscr_close_cur_pkg()-140: close package size:948 logs:2 __cli_script_close()-121: cli script: autod.15 output: ########## script name: autod.15, offset: 361########## ========= 1, 2024-10-29 08:19:31 ========== FortiGate-60F execute backup full-config usb MV-FW-Z3-fullconfig-USB-daily-2024-10-29.txt <----- Date is parsed correctly. Please wait... Copy config MV-FW-Z3-fullconfig-USB-daily-2024-10-29.txt to USB disk ... Copy config file to USB disk OK. <----- Written to USB correctly, and is also visible in the USB drive. Starting from v7.6.1, the variable '%%log.eventtime%%' has been introduced in place of '%%log.time%%', allowing the inclusion of the Unix timestamp in the filename without using unsupported special characters. Logs required by FortiGate TAC for investigation. Debugs: diagnose debug application autod -1 diagnose debug console timestamp enable diagnose debug enable <reproduce the issue> diagnose debug reset TAC Report: execute tac report Configuration file of the FortiGate.