Backup Exec with Lotus Notes agent ends with error :0xe00084b8 - An error occurred during backup. Some nsf files were skipped

[kpma]

My config:-
Windows 2003 Srv
Lotus R5
BE 12.5 + Lotus Notes agent  [ Do not tell me BE12.5 supports only Lotus R7 & R8; of course I knew that but that's the situation I had!!! ]

98% of the nsf files worked fine and could be backed up.  However the detail of the error revealed that some nsf files were skipped as shown below:-

The item MYSERVERW2K4|E:\notes\data\mail\xxxyyy1.nsf in use - skipped.
Could not open the ID file
The item MYSERVERW2K4|E:\notes\data\mail\xxxyyy2.nsf in use - skipped.
Could not open the ID file

Having changed the backup window later, I managed to reduce the number of skipped nsf.  But how to solve it utimately??? Can anyone from Symantec help?

I 've read quite a number of posts concerning similar issues but none plausible advice were returned so far. Many customers seemed to have been annoyed by the FEATURES of BE plus lotus notes agents.  Being frustrated and disappointed for months, I 've asked my team to look for opportunities to procure other backup software to replace BE asap. 

As a last chance, I hope to receive something positive here.

[Paul_Mapacpac]

Hi kpma, I am new to BE as well, but based from your log post the nsf's are currently in use.

In my previous company before, .nsf are accessed locally by the user computer and then resync'ed to the server, in this way, when we run backup on the server just fine.

The item MYSERVERW2K4|E:\notes\data\mail\xxxyyy1.nsf in use - skipped. <-- Btw, do you know why is it skipped? Is it accessed by your users?

[nia]

Hi  kpma,

Do you have the Advanced Open File option enabled for the backup job?

[kpma]

Hi Paul,
thanks for your advice.  the files were skipped with an ambiguous error in detail:-
'Could not open the ID file'
I checked against all symantec knowledgebase and forum and then the whole admin guide and found nothing about this 'ID file' error.  It should be related to Lotus Notes error that related to incorrect id path in notes.ini configuration, which is somehow a false alarm here coz my 98% of nsf files were backed up.
The most crazy thing is BE bring up this error but none of their document revealed what it is and what to do with it.
It was quite impossible for users to access their mailbox at 1030pm at office.  Maybe I would try to postpone the job to midnight tonight (say 2am) to verify this.  Thanks Paul.

Hi Nia,
thanks. we do have AOFO enabled and the volume shadow copy inside Windows2003 do work from event viewer.  As a test I have once disabled the AOFO; but the backup of nsf files still failed.

[Paul_Mapacpac]

Hi kpma, since you are using Windows 2003 server, can you check who is accessing the files during those times? you can do this on the computer management console (compmgmt.msc) then Under Shared Folders, select Open Files, or you might want also to check the Open Sessions.

[kpma]

Hi Paul,
since the lotus notes database files (nsf) are embraced by the lotus notes application, we could not check this via mgt console under win2003; but probably via lotus notes.