If an error code is returned when issuing a backup request, the most likely cause is insufficient memory or disk space. You should check that there is enough memory allocated for the backup.

You should also make sure that there is sufficient space on the hard drive partition of the backup target.

NDB does not support repeatable reads, which can cause problems with the restoration process. Although the backup process is “hot”, restoring a MySQL Cluster from backup is not a 100% “hot” process. This is due to the fact that, for the duration of the restore process, running transactions get non-repeatable reads from the restored data. This means that the state of the data is inconsistent while the restore is in progress.

MySQL Enterprise.  MySQL Enterprise subscribers will find more information about Cluster backup in the Knowledge Base article, How Do I Backup my Cluster Database. Access to the MySQL Knowledge Base collection of articles is one of the advantages of subscribing to MySQL Enterprise. For more information, see http://www.mysql.com/products/enterprise/advisors.html.