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Backup Exec 15 FP3 destroyed ability to make VHDX backups

Riker1964
Level 2

Since installing FP3 on my Backup Exec 15 servers, I can no longer backup my Hyper-V VMs using Full VM Image backup. I am forced to use the Agent based backups.

The reason is that when backing up VMs with the Full VM Image backup (VHDX), it creates checkpoints that do NOT automatically merge back into the parent VHDX, and then when I manually merge the AVHDX into the parent, I get an orphaned checkpoint file for that VM. And these problems are just for small VMs with 1 VHDX file.

What's worse, when I try to backup my Exchange 2013 CU10 server using Full VM IMage backup, which has 13 VHDX files, it dies when it starts backing up the very first Database, every single time! I then have to kill the BackupExec services, go to the Failover Cluster node that owns my Exchange Server, kill the VMMS service and restart it. Only then do the AVHDX files then automatically merge. Sometimes I have to power down my Exchange Server to get the merge to work. Then since I have not been able to backup my Exchange Server for a while, the logs files are still growing. I am forced to resort to using an agent based backup, but this is NOT ideal for a VM.

FP3 is NOT able to be uninstalled either. So now if I want to revert back to FP2, I would have to blow away my entire BE 15 install and start from scratch. Again, not ideal!

I have been in touch with tech support about this but they only suggested to change the global settings for VMs, Change to "Use the Standard processing method" instead of the "Faster Processing method". Trouble is, that is for INCREMENTAL backups, and I do a FULL backup everyday.

I would like to know when this major problem will be fixed.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
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Employee Accredited Certified

As per link in pkh statement

 

set the Hyper-V Virtual Machine mode in the general server settings back to Standard

Then run the Powershell command mentioned in that above link to remove checkpints and you should get returned to the method you are used to.

View solution in original post

4 REPLIES 4

pkh
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See this comment https://www.veritas.com/community/forums/be-2015-fp3-and-hyper-v-2012-r2#comment-11532521

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

As per link in pkh statement

 

set the Hyper-V Virtual Machine mode in the general server settings back to Standard

Then run the Powershell command mentioned in that above link to remove checkpints and you should get returned to the method you are used to.

Riker1964
Level 2

I cleared the checkpoints, switched to standard in global settings, and ran a Full VM Image job. It worked. Thx!

I guess I did not understand that AVHDX files were SUPPOSED to be left behind when using the newer FAST settings, but since I do nothing but FULL backups, there is no need for me to use that setting. Guess I need to read the release notes a little closer next time.

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

Just to add to this we now have a public technote providing a variation on the powershell command and explaining the change

 

http://www.veritas.com/docs/000100786