Exchange agent let backup hang

[Han_Teunis]

Hi all,

One of our customers is running Veritas Backup Exec 10.0
They use the Exchange Agent to backup a remote exchange server. However after applying hotfix 16 (If I remember correctly) wich should solve some exchange issues we actually got a problem... that the backup keeps running and doesn't stop on cancel backup. I have to stop all backup services several times before I get the Job Engine to stop, or I have to reset the server (wich is even worse). I lately applied the latest build, but that doesn't solve the problem. Anyone any clue?
In order to keep the backup running we aren't backupping the exchange atm.

[tejashree_Bhate]

Hello,


Please check the "Alerts "tab on the Backup Exec and the Application log for any pending alerts and warnings. If there are any please respond to them. It may be possible that the job is waiting for a response to the alert.

The following technotes may be useful to you:
1.How to confirm that the data is being properly written to the tape media
http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/246958


Additional Information :
For information on the recent VERITAS Backup Exec security vulnerabilities, including links to the downloads for the necessary hotfixes, please refer to the following document:
Patch summary for Security Advisories VX05-001, VX05-002, VX05-003, VX05-005, VX05-006, VX05-007

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/277429.htm



Note : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked ‘assumed answered’ and would be moved to ‘answered questions’ pool.


Thanks.

[Han_Teunis]

Thank you for your reply,

I enabled exchage backup, and the backup did hang again. I checked the Alert tab in Veritas but it doesn't contain any errors. Also no error are logged in the Application and System log of Windows 2003.

The first URL you gave me, doesn't work anymore.
I checked for any hotfixes/patches, but none of the hotfixes after build 5520 seem to be related to the Exchange Agent. (Build 5520 is installed)

I have to stop the Veritas Job engine, wich doesn't succeed after one time, I keep saying it's stopping, after several tries it however will stop and I can start all Veritas services again.

[priya_khire]

Hello,

When do you run the Exchange backup? Is it sceduled at night? What are you running the backup on? A tape or a back up to disk folder?
You have mentioned that the job engine service stops and then it becomes difficult to start other services. When does the service stop? Is it during the backup? Try running the debug log as per the technote below and paste the relevant part of the log in the post. Refer to the following technote:

Title: http://support.veritas.com/docs/254212

Note : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked ‘assumed answered’ and would be moved to ‘answered questions’ pool.

Regards.

[Han_Teunis]

Hi and thank you for your reply,

Backup is scheduled at 23:00 (11pm).
We are using a tape device (Sony AIT).
The Job Engine doesn't stop, I stop it myself in order to get the running backup to stop.
The backup keeps running on and on, when checking the job log it's still trying to backp the Exchange Mailboxes.
When I give the cancel backup command, the cancel pending status will continue to run forever (tried to wait, but stopped after 1,5 day). I order to get the job in a scheduled status again, I have to stop the Veritas services en restart then. However stopping the Job Engine is hard to do, giving me several timed out error before I get it to stop. In Services it's then giving a stopping status. I can get it to stop, by trying to stop de Server service, wich tries to stop the Job Engine first.

[priya_khire]

Hello,

It seems that you had upgraded to revision 5520 for 10.0. Had you reinstalled the remote agent on the Exchange server after that? If not, do reinstall the remote agent using the following procedure:

Title: How to do a manual / silent install of the Backup Exec 9.x and 10.0 Remote Agent for Windows Servers (RAWS) if the push install does not succeed
http://support.veritas.com/docs/265736

Are you using the Advanced open file option for the mailbox backup? How much data is backed up when the job hangs? Does it hang on any particular mailbox? Try to split the job into two and test the result of backup.
Ensure that the required amount of media is provided for the backup to complete. The tape capacity and the data being backed up, are they in proportion?
Run the sgmon utility before the backup and send the relevant part of the log in the post. Here is the link to run sgmon:
http://support.veritas.com/docs/190979

Recheck for alerts in the alerts tab and also for errors in the event logs. In case there are any errors there, do mention them alongwith the other details in your next post.

Note : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked ‘assumed answered’ and would be moved to ‘answered questions’ pool.

Regards.

[Han_Teunis]

Hello and thank you for your reply,

I indeed updated to build 5520, but didn't do anything at the Exchange side (remote server indeed).

I now divided the Backup job into 2 parts, letting the Exchange part running second as a append job.
Tomorrow morning we will see what happened.
I'll do the manual install of the remote agent today on the Exchange server.

[tejashree_Bhate]

Hello,

Please update on the issue ,so that we can continue further troubleshooting.

Additional Information :
For information on the recent VERITAS Backup Exec security vulnerabilities, including links to the downloads for the necessary hotfixes, please refer to the following document:
Patch summary for Security Advisories VX05-001, VX05-002, VX05-003, VX05-005, VX05-006, VX05-007

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/277429.htm



Note : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked ‘assumed answered’ and would be moved to ‘answered questions’ pool.


Thanks.

[Han_Teunis]

Well, the problem seems to be solved now.

We divided the backup into 2 parts.
It's not a real solution, but the customer don't want to spend to much hours on this problem anymore and finds this solution sufficient.Message was edited by: Han Teunis

Well, the problem is backup again after some succesfull backups. How can I reopen this thread/case?