Backup Exec 2012 VM backups failing

[jevans011]

 I am running Backup Exec 2012 that is backing up a few VM's that are running on 3 ESXi 5.1 hosts. I am using AVVI and have the transport mode set to use SAN only. The san we are using is an Equallogic.

I have attempted to turn of GRT with no luck. I also found this tech article that did not help.http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH129724 I don't have the backup agent installed on these VM's. I'm just using the VMware agent installed on the backup server.

This is the error message I keep getting. It seems like it started this after we upgraded to ESXi 5.1 but I can't remember if I was getting it before then or not.
"The job failed with the following error: An attempt to take a snapshot of a virtual machine failed because it was unable to quiesce an application."

[lmosla]

Hello,

are the VMware Tools installed?  In Windows events do you see any errors that might point to conflicts occuring during the backup, or help identify the problem?

[jevans011]

Yes Vmware tools are installed on the servers and are up to date.

I looked on the backup server and I do notice a VSS error:

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine ConvertStringSidToSid(S-1-5-21-330500184-532822849-1947940980-53714.bak). hr = 0x80070539, The security ID structure is invalid.

. Operation:

OnIdentify event

Gathering Writer Data

Context:

Execution Context: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer

Writer Class Id: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}

Writer Name: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer

Writer Instance ID: {6a8de5de-22c3-4677-a29a-da4759dda9d5}

I also notice a VSS error on one of the servers I'm trying to backup:

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error DeviceIoControl(\\?\fdc#generic_floppy_drive#6&2bc13940&0&0#{53f5630d-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b} - 0000000000000450,0x00560000,0000000000000000,0,0000000000341030,4096,[0]). hr = 0x80070001, Incorrect function.

.

Operation:

Exposing Recovered Volumes

Locating shadow-copy LUNs

PostSnapshot Event

Executing Asynchronous Operation

Context:

Device: \\?\fdc#generic_floppy_drive#6&2bc13940&0&0#{53f5630d-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}

Examining Detected Volume: Existing - \\?\fdc#generic_floppy_drive#6&2bc13940&0&0#{53f5630d-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}

Execution Context: Provider

Provider Name: VMware Snapshot Provider

Provider Version: 1.0.0

Provider ID: {564d7761-7265-2056-5353-2050726f7669}

Current State: DoSnapshotSet

[jevans011]

I did read somewhere else that this can be caused by the System Reserve partition not having a drive letter. The solution was to add a drive letter to it, then take the drive letter away. I have tried that but won't know till the backup runs.

[pkh]

ESX 5.1 is only supported with BE 2012 SP2.  If you are not on SP2, then run LiveUpdate a couple of times to upgrade to SP2 and the latest hotfixes.  After the upgrade, push out the remote agents again.

[jevans011]

Sorry I forgot to mention that I am running SP2 on the backup exec server. It is fully up to date.

[Herbert_van_der]

If you upgraded the VMware tools after the installation of RAWS then you might have the VMware VSS provider installed. They must be installed in the right order.

Remove RAWS and VMtools, install VMtools and RAWS and try again.

You might wanna check vssadmin list providers to see if it only shows the Microsoft VSS provider.

When the backup finished (failed or not) the VSS writers must all be stable and have No Errors.

[pkh]

Check your ESX licences again.  Make sure that you are using a paid version of ESX because BE requires the vStorage API which only comes with a paid version of ESX.  If you are previously using a paid version, it could be that the licence is turned off during the upgrade to 5.1.

[Ramprabhu]

Hi

Logint to your Vsphere client, then try to take a snapshot of the Virtual machine, which you are trying to backup. Also, when taking a snapshot - choose the second option which has "quiesce an application" option and uncheck the first check-box (the normal snapshot one)

In case, the snapshot fails, it could be problem with the Vmware's snapshot technology