Exchange Incremental Backup Fails. Shadow copy instance aborted.

[DroPpeLoPpeN]

We have a problem with Backup Exec 12.5 when running a Exchange incremental backup. (Exchange Server 2007) Usually it completes successful, but in the last two months it has failed 5 times. Before that it never has failed. When we manually start a new run, it works fine. And it also usually works for a couple of weeks, before it encounters the error again.

We get error code: E000FED1. It seems to have something to to with VSS. When I check Event Viewer I can see that it seems to backup "First Storage Group" successful, but when it move on to "Second Storage Group" the following happens:

2013-02-07 20:08:57 - Exchange VSS Writer has prepared for backup successfully.
2013-02-07 20:09:01 - Shadow copy instance 108 starting. This will be an Incremental shadow copy.
2013-02-07 20:09:01 - Exchange VVS Writer has successfully prepared the database engine...
2013-02-07 20:09:01 - Exchange VVS Writer has prepared for Snapshot successfully.
2013-02-07 20:09:01 - Information Store.. Shadow copy instance 108 freeze started.
2013-02-07 20:09:01 - MSExchangeIS.. Second Storage Group: Shadow copy instance 108 freeze started.
2013-02-07 20:09:04 - Exchange VSS Writer has frozen the storage group(s) successfully.
2013-02-07 20:09:32 - Information Store.. Shadow copy instance 108 freeze ended.
2013-02-07 20:09:32 - Error - Information Store.. Shadow copy instance 108 aborted.

When I compare log above with a log from the day before when it completed successful, the diffrence is only the aborted-row. Of course, when successful, it didn't abort but instead the log reads: "Exchange VSS Writer.. has thawed the storage group(s) successfully."

The time between "frozen.. successfully" and "freeze ended" logs is just 5 seconds in a successful backup, but in this failed backup, it's 28 seconds. Could it be a timeout error? 

Greatful for any ideas about what is causing this failure.

[Backup_Exec1]

Hi

Please check the steps mention in both the links

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH27875

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH125176

Hope that helps

Thanks

[DroPpeLoPpeN]

I tried following the steps in the first link you suggested. But the output doesn't show any errors. We will reboot the server to see if that could resolve the problem. The second link has another scenario which isn't what happens in our case.

[Backup_Exec1]

Hi

Thanks for your response and update ,could you update if the full backup on second storage group is working or failing also before restarting the server try dismounting the database and mounting it again and in job disable the consistency check during the backup and then check.

Also you can check the AOFO option with selecting the system based provider that is shadow copy provided and select the box below it for process each volume during snapshot.

Hope that helps

[CraigV]

Hi there,

Do you get the same error if you use NTbackup to backup the Exchange Information Stores? Stop the BE services before doing so...

Thanks!