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EX2007 Incremental GRT Backup fail

JRV
Level 4
New EX2007 SP2 server on new WS2008 SP2 server, all fully patched.
BEWS 12.5 SP2 media server and RAWS, all fully patched. B2D backups.

Exchange is configured with LCR. Per Microsoft, recommended backup for LCR systems is weekly full, daily incremental, so that's what I've been trying to do.

Full Exchange backups with GRT work flawlessly.

Incremental Exchange backups with GRT fail about 90% of the time. All failures relate to GRT. Backups fail on different databases each time (there are 6). Usually, all databases that fail within a given backup job do so with the same error. The errors are as follows, with a rough estimated percentage of jobs it occurs with:
  • V-79-57344-759 - Unable to complete the operation for the selected resource using the specified options for the following reason: VFF Open Failure. This can be caused by low memory or disk resources. (90%)
  • V-79-57344-759 - Unable to complete the operation for the selected resource using the specified options. The following error was returned when opening the Exchange Database file: '-1213 The database page size does not match the engine. '(5%)
  • V-79-57344-759 - Unable to complete the operation for the selected resource using the specified options. The following error was returned when opening the Exchange Database file: '-515 The timestamp in the next log does not match the expected timestamp. '(3%)
  • V-79-57344-759 - Unable to complete the operation for the selected resource using the specified options. The following error was returned when opening the Exchange Database file: '-1090 This instance cannot be used because it encountered a fatal error. '(1%)
  • V-79-57344-759 - Unable to complete the operation for the selected resource using the specified options. The following error was returned when opening the Exchange Database file: '-501 The log file is corrupt. '(1%)
Remedies in the corresponding KB articles have not solved the problem. Maintenance windows on the databases do not overlap with each other, or with the backup window.

Is anyone successfully doing incremental GRT backups with EX2007? Honestly, I'd just as soon use full backups...incremental Exchange backups make me a little uneasy, MS recommendation or no. So that's probably what I'll do.

But I guess if there's a magic bullet fix for this that doesn't burn a lot of time, I'd like to hear about it.
3 REPLIES 3

Dev_T
Level 6
Hay,

I found this KB on Symantec.

http://support.veritas.com/docs/311787


joydeepdutt
Level 4
Hi..

Yes Dev is correct.
Please make sure this HF is installed  http://support.veritas.com/docs/324011
Patch is installed (Be & remote servers are recommended to be at the latest patched levels)

After this patch is installed on media server

  Uninstall the remote agent from the Exchange server
 Remove the exchange license key from Backup Exec
 Reboot both servers
 Re-install Exchange license
 Push-install the Exchange agent


On BE server
IN BE - Configure the Microsoft Exchange settings within the properties of the backup job so that the setting for "If Exchange 2007 backup source is LCR or CCR:" is specified as "Backup from the active copy only (job fails if not available)"

Also make sure there is enough free disk space on the Exchange server for the snapshot to complete, as it will otherwise fail with the error "Using the job settings, Backup Exec attempted to back up the passive copy of the Exchange database. However, the passive copy was not available after the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshot was performed. Try to run the job again."


I hope this should help



JRV
Level 4
I've read all the KB articles linked to these failures, and these items are already addressed:

The hotfix is installed (along with all later hotfixes). In fact, I have another thread here about the other, serious problems that 324011 caused us, here, which inspired two Ideas that involve it, so I've actually considered removing 324011!

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/idea/fix-bews-125-update-324011-now
https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/idea/time-stop-promulgating-contact-sales-fix-myth

Already backing up from the active copy because it appears backing up from the passive copy is thoroughly hosed, so I gave up on that a while ago. (I have another thread about that here, in fact, too!)

This is a brand new Exchange server with enough disk space to hold them for another 3 or 4 years.
_________________

But, OK, I confess this one isn't done, at this writing:

Haven't messed with the license key since full backups and some incrementals succeed, using the license key, as is. So I've been dubious that it will solve anything. And not only is the failure intermittant, it is intermixed with several other GRT failures. It hasn't seemed worth the investment to do this, now that the server is in production, given all the other failures that plague these backups that this technique will NOT address. But this is, by far, the most common error, so I guess I will give it a shot.