exchange server 2003 backups

Hi,

Open up a command prompt and type: vssadmin list writers.

Any writers NOT stable and running are in error which is probably the case.

You can either restart the affected server, or reregister the VSS *.dlls as per the TN below:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH70486

Thanks!

I  will follow these steps and update you.

Thanks Craig!

I tried the steps and it failed. I got the following error.

Backup- exchsrv03.brunstad.local
V-79-57344-65233 - AOFO: Initialization failure on: "\\exchsrv.x.x\Microsoft Information Store\x". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
Snapshot provider error (0xE000FED1): A failure occurred querying the Writer status.
Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.
Writer Name: Exchange Server, Writer ID: {76FE1AC4-15F7-4BCD-987E-8E1ACB462FB7}, Last error: The VSS Writer failed, but the operation can be retried (0x800423f3), State: Failed during freeze operation (9).
V-79-57344-65233 - AOFO: Initialization failure on: "\\exchsrv03.brunstad.local\Microsoft Information Store\First Storage Group". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
Snapshot provider error (0xE000FED1): A failure occurred querying the Writer status.
Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.
Writer Name: Exchange Server, Writer ID: {76FE1AC4-15F7-4BCD-987E-8E1ACB462FB7}, Last error: The VSS Writer failed, but the operation can be retried (0x800423f3), State: Failed during freeze operation (9).
V-79-57344-65233 - AOFO: Initialization failure on: "\\exchsrv.x.x\Microsoft Information Store\x -_1-2GB". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
Snapshot provider error (0xE000FED1): A failure occurred querying the Writer status.
Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.
Writer Name: Exchange Server, Writer ID: {76FE1AC4-15F7-4BCD-987E-8E1ACB462FB7}, Last error: The VSS Writer failed, but the operation can be retried (0x800423f3), State: Failed during freeze operation (9).
V-79-57344-65233 - AOFO: Initialization failure on: "\\exchsrv03.brunstad.local\Microsoft Information Store\StokkeHolding_2GBpluss". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
Snapshot provider error (0xE000FED1): A failure occurred querying the Writer status.
Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.
Writer Name: Exchange Server, Writer ID: {76FE1AC4-15F7-4BCD-987E-8E1ACB462FB7}, Last error: The VSS Writer failed, but the operation can be retried (0x800423f3), State: Failed during freeze operation (9).

I tried updating the VSS driver as per Microsoft. I tried reregistering the dlls also.

Is there any reason why the VSS driver is failing again.

...restart the server and try again.

Each time the backup fails, i restart the server. However the backup does not run successfully even after a restart. We have been restarting the server  for the past couple of weeks everyday.

I have updated the patch and also registered the dlls as per the recommendations. Presently the state of all the writers show stable and last error is no error. But when the backups run they fail.

Please advise.

You can then try 1 of 2 things:

1. Run a repair of BE using Add/Remove Programs.

2. Run LiveUpdate and install any outstanding patches (SP1 and anything released thereafter). Push-install to any remote servers and try again.

If it fails, then you might have to log it on the MS forums.

I ran a live update on the backup server and there was hot fix update to be downloaded. I have already downloaded and installed the hotfix for the server and have pushed the update to the RAWS agent running on the remote exchange server. Once the server is restarted a backup job will be run. I shall update you after that.

Thanks for all your efforts!

After i ran the update and pushed it to the remote servers the error message is different. The following comes up:-

Backup- \\exchangesever\Microsoft Information Store\XXXX
V-79-57344-862 - The Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Exchange was not used to create the last full backup of this database. You must use the Exchange Agent to run a full backup before you run a differential for incremental backup.

Any comments to this?