Backup Exec 12.5 Exchange 2007 backup failure.

[LF_User]

This started up as we began migrating mailboxes to the new 2010 Exchange VM we created last week, but I can't be certain of that being the exact cause based on the errors I'm seeing.

 V-79-57344-65233 - AOFO: Initialization failure on: "\\[Virtual Machine acting as Exchange 2007 ser...
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...
 

This is the inital error Iget in the Job History for a job that up until this weekend has been working just fine.

After creating a fresh job from scratch and setting up the BE Debug monitor, the log presents me with several errors in succession.

-Failed to Load AllowExcludes key, We will update DR file evenif there are userExcludes. Error: 5

-Could not resolve the "bews-ndmp" or the "ndmp" service, error code: 10109, using port 10000

-IsLocalAgent:beclass::BEConvertServerNamePlus returned error: 87

-ndmpcSnapshotPrepare2: Snap shot error. ErrorCode: 0xe000fed1 ErrorLevel: 1 Provider: 2

-Attempting to VCB storage media  |  TpRead( :(   |   Error = 1101 Req = 6144 Got = 1024

-Current media tape header was written by "Symantec Backup Exec 12.5.2213".  |  TpRead( :(  |   Error = 0 Req = 6144 Got = 6144

-Device Error = 1101

-Ending job 'Backup 00179' with error status (-536805679)

I know for a fact I'm not setting up anything regarding shadow copy on the job; just a basic, non-granular Full backup.  Any ideas?

[Sush---]

It seems that the Exchange Writers are not stable on the Exchange server. On the Exchange server run the command VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS in the command prompt and confirm the same.

Try to reboot the Exchange server and then try the backups.

Thanks,

-Sush...

[Mahesh_Roja]

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH70439

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH27875

[CraigV]

Hi LF,

Is this on your Exchange 2007 server, or is it on your Exchange 2010 server? If 2010, BE 12.5 won't back it up at all...you'd have to upgrade to BE 2010 R2 which is the latest version available (BE 2010 also supports it), and your server MUST be running a x64 OS, preferably Windows Server 2008 R2 x64.

Restarting services on your media server normally sorts a lot of issues out, and it is a non-intrusivce way of starting troubleshooting.

Thanks!

[LF_User]

Yeah, this is backing up the Exchange 2007 server since we're currently running the 2010 server's backups with something else.

I'll try Sush's ideas to start and go from there.  Thank you.

[LF_User]

In running the command Sush suggested, all the writers are fine except the Microsoft Exchange Writer.

Writer name: 'Microsoft Exchange Writer'
   Writer Id: {76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7}
   Writer Instance Id: {962444dc-01c3-4968-b1af-aa33765ddebb}
   State: [8] Failed
   Last error: Retryable error

So I'll set a time to reboot and see what we get.  thanks.

[Sush---]

So as expected the Exchange Writers are not in stable condidtion on the Exchange server which does not allow the backup software to communicate with the Exchange databases.

Try to reboo the server as that is the first step to get the Writers back in stable state (even restarting the services can but they are not much safe)

After the reboot is completed again check if the writers are stable and if they are not stable then better to contact Microsoft (as they deal the best in this type of situation)

Thanks,

-Sush...