Error on SBS2011, useing BE 2010 R3: A Failure Occured Querying the Writer Status

[bkradm]

Hi,

one of our customers is using a VERY slow SBS 2011 with BE 2010 R3. Sometimes, about every third incremental update, he gets this error:

Sichern
V-79-57344-65233 - AOFO: Initialisierung fehlgeschlagen: "\\SERVER\Microsoft Information Store\Mailbox Database". Advanced Open File Option verwendet: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

Fehler im Snapshot-Provider (0xE000FED1): Beim Abfragen des Writer-Status trat ein Fehler auf.

Ausführliche Angaben finden Sie in der Windows-Ereignisanzeige.

Verfassername: Exchange Server, Verfasserkennung: {76FE1AC4-15F7-4BCD-987E-8E1ACB462FB7}, Letzter Fehler: Es liegt eine Zeitüberschreitung des VSS-Verfassers vor (0x800423f2), Status: Fehler während des Sperrvorgangs (9).

I searched in this forum and your knowledge base but found nothing matching exactly this errors. I also found some links in the forums to articles no longer existing. Also Rebooting, as mentioned in many articles with similar problems, does not help. It was also mentioned to look into the windows event monitor. There are no real errors but the one from Backup Exec with ID 34113 witch states basically the same as the error message above.

I also used the command line to see if there are errors in the Exchange VSS Writers. But there are "no error" and status "stable" everywhere.

Probably the server is so slow while backup that it takes to long to react to the attempted usage of the VSS-Writer? But is it possible to let the system retry until it works? Because sometimes it's working, sometimes not. So it seems to be more of a random coincidence when server load is too high.

We are running out of ideas and the customer is running out of time. He wants to get a ISO certificate which includes a working backup system. The pre-reviewer already said: "With this problems in your backup process you wont be able to get the certificate".
 

I hope you can help me with some ideas what to do.
 

Thanks!

[Omkar_Dalvi_]

Hi bkradm,

Open event viewer and check for the VSS related events on the Exchange server & let me know.

Also check if Exchange related events : 9840, 2007 are genarting on the Exchange server.

If, Exchange eventds - 9840 & 2007 are genrating then Dismount Exchange Database & mount them again.

Also do not use AOFO option in Exchange backup job.

Re-try the backup operation.

I hope it will help you to resolve this issue.

[bkradm]

Hi, thanks for your answer. :)

The AOFO Option is off in backup. And i rebooted the server last night. The backup was successful after the reboot(but did nothing until then). But this means not much. The incremental Backup is successful in 3 of 5 times. (The full backup on weekend is always successful.)

I checked the event viewer and found many VSS and MSExChange "Informations" and also some "Warnings" for VSS. but no Events with the IDs you've provided.

There are two types of VSS warnings last night. The first one is: 8230 and 8224.

8220: Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Failed resolving account "spsearch" with status 1376. Check connection to domain controller and VssAccessControl registry key

(I think this is also due to a timeout because the backup runs on the domain controller itself. And when the server takes too long, this warning occurs(very often). During last backup this warning was logged about 40-50 times.

8224:Shutdown after idling too long.

There are no Exchange Server Errors or warnings. Only information..

Thanks for your help

[bkradm]

The backup failed again last night. I don't have the slightest clue what else i can try now. :(

[VJware]

First, split the SBS backup job such that Exchange backup runs without AOFO and other resources such as C:\, System State with AOFO.

Do ensure Circular Logging is disabled and also create this registry keys (Assuming BE is installed on the same SBS server):-

1. Add the following registry key :

Key : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VirtFile
Value: VFF Extended Timeout
Type: DWORD
Set value (Decimal) to 600.
Restart all the Backup Exec Services for the changes to take effect.

2. Add the following registry key :

Key : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VirtFile
Value: Detach Timeout
Type: DWORD
Set value (Decimal) to 10000
Restart all the Backup Exec Services for the changes to take effect.

3. Add the following registry key:

Key : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Backup Exec For Windows\Backup Exec\Engine\Exchange
Value: OnHostTemp
Type: String
Set value to  C:\Temp (Or any other volume which has ample amount of free disk space to stage the entire Exchange IS)

Reboot the server for the changes to take effect. Rerun a full backup followed by incrementals and check.