Forum Discussion

JavierTI's avatar
JavierTI
Level 5
10 years ago

Error Snapshot

Hello friends,
To ask you to make a backup to a virtual machine of 1.5 TB and fails the job, when you leave the snapshot in vmware and when I manually remove vmware collapses. If there is a method to delete the snapshot.
Thank you.

2012
Backup and Recovery
Backup Exec
Virtualization
Windows Server (2003-2008)
  • VJware's avatar
    VJware
    10 years ago

    Verbatim from TECH200709

    How to configure Backup Exec 2012 Agent for VMware to retry snapshot removal and cleanup orphaned snapshots when backups begin.

    1. Install Hotfix 199866 on the Backup Exec server. (Or ensure BE 2012 is completely updated)
    2. Stop all of the Backup Exec services.
    3. Open regedit on the Backup Exec server.
    4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Backup Exec for Windows\Backup Exec\Engine\VMWare Agent
    5. Change the value of the following key (create as DWORD if it does nto exist):
    6. "AutoOrphanSnapshotRemoval" value data = 1
    7. Change the value of the following key (create as DWORD if it does not exist):
    8. "RemoveSnapshotRetryCount" value data = non-zero (this controls the number of retries, suggested to set as 2 initially)
    9. Exit regedit
    10. Start the Backup Exec services

    Note: All keys are DWORD (32-bit) Value and all value data settings should be set to Hexadecimal.  Setting the key to a value of "0" will disable the functionality.
    Note: Any orphaned snapshots left prior to installing and configuring these settings will have to manually be removed.

  • CraigV's avatar
    CraigV
    Moderator
    10 years ago

    Not sure why this wasn't picked up. Ideally Backup Exec would remove the snapshot, but sometimes this is left orphaned. I've seen another backup application do the same thing.

    The only way around this was to commit the snapshot and delete it from VMware itself manually.

    Thanks!

  • VJware's avatar
    VJware
    Level 6
    10 years ago

    Verbatim from TECH200709

    How to configure Backup Exec 2012 Agent for VMware to retry snapshot removal and cleanup orphaned snapshots when backups begin.

    1. Install Hotfix 199866 on the Backup Exec server. (Or ensure BE 2012 is completely updated)
    2. Stop all of the Backup Exec services.
    3. Open regedit on the Backup Exec server.
    4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Backup Exec for Windows\Backup Exec\Engine\VMWare Agent
    5. Change the value of the following key (create as DWORD if it does nto exist):
    6. "AutoOrphanSnapshotRemoval" value data = 1
    7. Change the value of the following key (create as DWORD if it does not exist):
    8. "RemoveSnapshotRetryCount" value data = non-zero (this controls the number of retries, suggested to set as 2 initially)
    9. Exit regedit
    10. Start the Backup Exec services

    Note: All keys are DWORD (32-bit) Value and all value data settings should be set to Hexadecimal.  Setting the key to a value of "0" will disable the functionality.
    Note: Any orphaned snapshots left prior to installing and configuring these settings will have to manually be removed.

  • Colin_Weaver's avatar
    Colin_Weaver
    Moderator
    10 years ago

    Just for info this is our attempt to retry snapshot removals against timeout issues (as a workaround to an environmental condition), at the end of the day it may not solve 100% of causes and you may sometimes have to take manual actions inside of VSphere 

     

    Also whilst written for 2012 with a specific patch it also applies to all newer updates and versions of Backup Exec in terms of using the registry keys

  • JavierTI's avatar
    JavierTI
    Level 5
    10 years ago

    Thank You for your comments.
    Now I begin to configure the recommendation. I notice the results.

     

    Regards.

     

    Javier Huaman | Especialista de Backup