Archive bits not reset using Advanced Disk-based Backup 4TB LUN

[NNM]

Our vmware ESX 3.5 based windows 2008 32 bit file server is connected to a a 4 TB lun on our Equallogic 5000. We use backup exec 12.5 to backup this disk with the advanced disk-based option. We use incremental backup, reset achive bit.

The job runs succesfully but none of the archive bits are reset. When I modify the selection list to only backup a couple of folders, the archive bit are reset. It looks like it has to do with the size of the disk.

Does anybody know how to solve this problem. Our daily backup is growing every day, because the archive bits are not reset. We can reset the archive bits manually with the attrib command as a work around.

Many thanks for any ideas!

[RahulG]

Issues is ideally because of EqualLogic device and not Backup Exec

Offhost is performed very similarly to a regular VSS backup...
- On the application server, a snapshot is taken and then transferred via hardware control to the media server
- BE backs up this snapshot the same as any VSS backup, using standard MS API calls for backup type, etc.
- Once the backup is complete, we issue VSS commands to delete the VSS snapshot
- The same as with regular VSS backups when we issue this command to delete the VSS snapshot, it's info gets merged back into the file system, i e the archive bits are reset as necessary
- This means the resetting of the archive bits is entirely done by the offhost hardware and VSS, not by BE
- If ANY archive bits are being reset during the incremental backups, BE has forwarded the appropriate VSS commands and is wrapping up the backup properly... that's why there are no BE errors.
So... the problems are occurring in one of two places:
1) When the snapshot is being closed out and its data merged back in, the archive bits are not being changed back properly by VSS... doubtful
2) Either the offhost hardware (not very likely) or some other process (most likely) is interfering with resetting archive bits. This is supported by the successful closeout of the VSS backup

[NNM]

Thanks. We have Shadow Copies enabled on the file server, and we are running ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4, might one of those be the process that's in the way?

[RahulG]

Yes that can be a cause .Disable shadow copies and see if that helps

[NNM]

The strange thing is that if I modify the selection list to only backup a couple of folders, it works fine, archive bits are reset.

We also set up a testserver with exact same settings, but a 5 GB lun. When we backup that lun, archive bits are reset.

[RahulG]

I guess the issue would be because of the size of the drive.  Did disabling shadow copies helped ??
At this we can say the backup exec is working fine as its backing  your test server fine with excat same settings ...

[NNM]

We cannot turn off shadow copies in our production environment, because a lot of people are using it. Do you know of a limit to the disk size if using ADBO?

[RahulG]

I am not sure but shoould be  2 Tb .