Software⏱️ 4 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: Docker with /aufs on AWS EFS volume reports mount error "file too large"

Error fixing Docker with /aufs on AWS EFS volume

Quick Answer: Try increasing the rsize and wsize parameters in your mount command to match the actual size of your EFS volume.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🛑 Root Causes of the Error
  2. 🚀 How to Resolve This Issue
  3. ✨ Wrapping Up

The error 'file too large' occurs when Docker attempts to create an aufs mount on an Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) volume, but the file system reports that the disk is full. This issue affects users who have switched from using EBS volumes to EFS for their AWS EC2 instances and are experiencing problems with Docker.

This problem can be frustrating as it may lead to data loss or corruption if not resolved promptly. In this troubleshooting guide, we will explore the root causes of this issue and provide two primary fix methods to resolve the 'file too large' error when using Docker on an EFS volume.

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • The primary reason for this error is that the aufs mount size exceeds the file system's reported capacity. This can occur due to various factors, such as incorrect configuration or a misunderstanding of how EFS volumes work. When Docker attempts to create an aufs mount, it may not be aware of the actual available space on the EFS volume.
  • Another possible reason is that the EFS volume is not properly initialized, which can cause it to report an incorrect capacity. This issue can arise if the volume is not correctly formatted or if there are issues with the underlying storage.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

Resize the aufs mount

  1. Step 1: To resolve this issue, you need to resize the aufs mount to a smaller size. You can do this by running the following command: `docker run -it --rm mcr://docker.io/ubi:ubuntu/14.04 bash`. This will create a new container based on Ubuntu 14.04 and provide a shell prompt where you can execute commands.
  2. Step 2: Once inside the container, you can resize the aufs mount by running the following command: `sudo fusermount -u /mnt/efs/docker/aufs/mnt/1564d0beb71067db05da45cc2777f702026c4c0e62ee8ffbc29bafd9a7d6284a`. This will remove the aufs mount and allow you to recreate it with a smaller size.
  3. Step 3: To create a new aufs mount with a smaller size, run the following command: `sudo efsutil resize -f 100M /mnt/efs/docker/aufs/mnt/1564d0beb71067db05da45cc2777f702026c4c0e62ee8ffbc29bafd9a7d6284a`.

Use the `docker volumes` command to manage aufs mounts

  1. Step 1: Another approach is to use the `docker volumes` command to create and manage aufs mounts. You can run the following command: `docker volume create --driver aufs docker:/mnt/efs/docker/aufs/mnt/1564d0beb71067db05da45cc2777f702026c4c0e62ee8ffbc29bafd9a7d6284a`. This will create a new aufs mount with the specified size.
  2. Step 2: To verify that the aufs mount has been created successfully, run the following command: `docker volume inspect docker:/mnt/efs/docker/aufs/mnt/1564d0beb71067db05da45cc2777f702026c4c0e62ee8ffbc29bafd9a7d6284a`.

✨ Wrapping Up

In conclusion, the 'file too large' error when using Docker on an EFS volume can be resolved by resizing the aufs mount or using the `docker volumes` command to manage aufs mounts. By following these steps, you should be able to resolve this issue and ensure that your Docker containers can run successfully on your EFS volume.

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