Error: Add Agent failed: pairing not allowed to this device

Issue

When you try to pair an agent with your Datto appliance, you receive the error message, "Add Agent failed: pairing not allowed to this device."

Environment

  • Datto Windows Agent

Cause

Your production machine believes that it is already paired to a Datto device associated with a different reseller.

This error can occur when a new MSP takes over an environment previously managed by a different provider, and replaces the old MSP's Datto appliances with their own. For security purposes, a Datto appliance will not pair with a production machine that does not carry the same reseller ID as the originally-paired Datto device.

This error can also occur if the production machine's clock and the Datto appliance's clock are not in sync. A drifting clock will cause the pairing ticket passed between the Datto appliance and the production machine to appear to be expired. In this situation, the production machine will reject the pairing.

Resolution

  1. Make sure that the production machine's clock is set to the correct time and date, and that the Datto appliance's time zone is set correctly in the Local Users / Contact section of its GUI. After resolving any clock issues, attempt to pair the production machine to the Datto device again.
  2. If you did not find any clock issues, or if pairing continues to fail, stop the following agent services on the production machine:

For the Datto Windows Agent:

  • Datto Backup Agent Service
  • DattoProvider
  1. Rename the extension of the agent's database file from .sqlite (.sqlite3 for the Datto Windows Agent) to .old. This will prevent the agent from reading the old reseller ID, and force it to generate a new configuration file. You can find the .sqlite file at one of the following locations:

Datto Windows Agent:
For Windows Vista and up:

\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\Datto\Datto Windows Agent\agent.sqlite

For current installs of Windows XP & Windows Server 2003: 

\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\Local Settings\Application Data\Datto\Datto Windows Agent

For older installs of Windows XP & Windows Server 2003: 

\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Application Data\Datto\Datto Windows Agent\agent.sqlite
  1. Restart the agent services.
  2. Attempt to pair the production machine with the new Datto appliance. If pairing succeeds, force a differential merge for the agent before starting its first backup.

Additional Resources