Exchange 2010 email backup failing

[RyanMaggs]

Hi,

Our email backup job on our Backup Exec 2012 system has been failing for the last week. The software is up to date. Here is the errors from the job log: V-79-57344-65233 - Snapshot Technology: Initialization failure on: "Microsoft Information Store". Sn...
Snapshot technology error (0xE000FED1): A failure occurred querying the Writer status. See the job l...
Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.
Writer Name: Exchange Server, Writer ID: {76FE1AC4-15F7-4BCD-987E-8E1ACB462FB7}, Last error: The VSS...

I have checked the email server and ran "vssadmin list writers", the Exchange VSS writer state is [1] Stable and last error: no error. I have also checked the event logs under source MSExhangeIS and task category Exchange VSS Writer for event ID 9782, there is no events logged. I can also see all the databases have been successfuly backed up on event ID 9780. I have reset the VSS writers on the email servers and rebooted it. I have reinstalled the Backup Exec agent. Can someone help ASAP please?

[VJware]

First, do ensure the Exchange resources are selected in a separate backup job and AOFO is disabled.

These KBs may help as well -

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH226235

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH27875

[RyanMaggs]

Thank you for the reply.

I have looked at one of the KBs and it advised to install the Exchange Management tools. I have installed this and currently running a backup. I will let you know the result.

[RyanMaggs]

The backup failed with the same error. I have checked Advanced Open file and it is disabled.

Would you have any more suggestions?

[VJware]

Would you provide few more details such as version of OS of Exchange server, stand-alone server or DAG setup, etc  ? Thanks.

Additionally, would it be possible for you to PM me the logs from the Exchange server's event viewer ?

[RyanMaggs]

The OS of the Exchange server is Server 2008 R2 Enterprise. It is a stand-alone server. The version of Exchange 2010 is: 14.3.210.2. There are 8 mailbox databases being backed up.

Would you require the Application and System logs?

[VJware]

Per the event viewer, it looks like size limit has been defined for shadow copies. Edit the shadow copies tab of the exchange server volumes and set it to "no limit".

[maurijo]

Also make sure that there is enough free space on the disks, snapshots can fail due to this.

[RyanMaggs]

Would that be on the backup server or the email server?

[VJware]

On the Exchange server.

[RyanMaggs]

Hi I have set no limit for shadow copies on the Exchange server. I have also confirmed there is enough free space. The backup is still failing with error: A failure occurred querying the Writer status.

What would you suggest to do next?

[VJware]

These are the events which are logged:-

VssAdmin: Unable to create a shadow copy: The shadow copy provider had an error. Please see the system and application event logs for more information.
Command-line: 'C:\Windows\system32\vssadmin.exe Create Shadow /AutoRetry=15 /For=\\?\Volume{cbd0ccbe-2d58-11e1-ad13-806e6f6e6963}\'.

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: The I/O writes cannot be held during the shadow copy creation period on volume \\?\Volume{cbd0ccbe-2d58-11e1-ad13-806e6f6e6963}\. The volume index in the shadow copy set is 0. Error details: Open[0x00000000, The operation completed successfully.
], Flush[0x00000000, The operation completed successfully.
], Release[0x80042314, The shadow copy provider timed out while holding writes to the volume being shadow copied. This is probably due to excessive activity on the volume by an application or a system service. Try again later when activity on the volume is reduced.

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: The shadow copy could not be committed - operation timed out. Error context: DeviceIoControl(\\?\Volume{cbd0ccbe-2d58-11e1-ad13-806e6f6e6963} - 0000000000000128,0x0053c010,000000000002CE50,0,000000000002DE60,4096,[0]).

The oldest shadow copy of volume C: was deleted to keep disk space usage for shadow copies of volume C: below the user defined limit.

The shadow copies of volume C: were deleted because the shadow copy storage could not grow in time.  Consider reducing the IO load on the system or choose a shadow copy storage volume that is not being shadow copied.

These KBs may help further:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH68575

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH153951

[pkh]

You should disable and then enable shadow copies to delete the existing shadow copies.  In addition to removing the disk space limit, reduce the number of shadow copies taken in a day.