0xe000959b - An attempt to take a snapshot of a virtual machine failed because it was unable to quiesce a file system

[Lesta_G]

Got a weird one (well i think it is weird :) )

Backup to disk

Backup is via a policy that backs up to disk and then duplicates to tape

Backup fails with:

Job ended: Friday, 23 September 2011 at 3:51:50 a.m.
Completed status: Failed
Final error: 0xe000959b - An attempt to take a snapshot of a virtual machine failed because it was unable to quiesce a file system.
Final error category: Resource Errors

For additional information regarding this error refer to link V-79-57344-38299
 

2010 R3
SP1
Hotfix 167567

The weird thing is that there is no specific VM that it is failed on

AND if you see the attachment the job history says it missed the backup job AND the backup job failed............

what is going on?

[Gurvinder]

Does this help - http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH129724

[DominikG]

Some things I would check:

1.  Delete and recreate the association between selection list and policy to recreate the backup job

2. If a snapshot error occurs, I always check the following:

- Is the remote agent properly installed insinde the guest machine

- What is the result of a manually created snapshot with quiesce of the file system

- Are there VSS errors reported in the eventlog of the guest machine

- If the machine you want to backup is win 2003 server, there are some MS VSS updates in the web. Just search for it

best regards

Dominik

[ArulPrasad]

Looking at the Screenshot.. the Job ran For 7 Hours and the Missed one shows that after an Hour.

Something to do with the Time window Part. You may need to post the screenshots of the Schedule window and Selection list Avaiability Window.

Coming to the other Part of the error:

is this Intermittent ?

Drill down job log for more details. You might Find the successfull Vm's in the list. the VM wich is missing would be the one that failed.

You May Follow the Steps mentioned in the above article on the problem VM.

APR

[Lesta_G]

Nope.

I am used to fixing VSS errors.

I am not really keen on manually going through 30 or so VMs in the vain hope that one of them might have a problem

As I said in my post:

The weird thing is that there is no specific VM that the errror is related to .

Normally the error would point to a specific server, but this error is just listed in the "Job Completion Status"

I think Hotfix 164220 is supposed to cause this problem and there is a workaround(thanks Colin) but in my case the AVVI is connecting as root so there are/should be no permission issues.

[Lesta_G]

1) yep ,good idea, i will recreate the policy

2) error is not specific to a server

[Lesta_G]

There is only ONE job. that is the weird thing.

So for the one job, I get an error alert and a missed alert

(FWIW well it is part of a B2D2T policy)

No it is happening every backup

[Lesta_G]

OK I have found a VM that is complaining about quiescing, So will fix that VSS and see if the backups run ok tonight.

failing that I will create a new policy