Fileserver backup fails

[Joris_Both]

I've got a strange problem that I can't seem to get a grip on.. I've got a Windows 2008 R2 fileserver that I want to back up. So i install the client, select the directories and such. But as soon as I want to run the job, I get the following error:

Final error: 0xe000fe09 - The directory is invalid. Final error category: Resource Errors

Backupexec cannot find any of the directories that I want to backup.

Directory not found. Cannot backup directory \Vel_TSProfile and its subdirectories.

I also see this error message in the detailed log:

An unexpected error occurred when cleaning up snapshot volumes. Confirm that all snapped volumes are correctly resynchronized with the original volumes

I tried reinstalling the client but that didn't help.. Could someone point me in the right direction?

[RahulG]

What version of backup exec are you running ? Windows 2008 r2 is supported by backup exec 2010 r2

refer http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH70425

Does the followig directory exist on the server  \Vel_TSProfile ? if it does not make sure you remove it from the selection details from the backup job properties.

Also try rebooting the remote server and run the backup again

[Joris_Both]

I'm running BackupExec 2010 r2 yes. All of the directories that i've entered in the backup scheme exist (even used the tree menu to select them). But Backupexec tells me that none of the directories exist..

[CraigV]

 OPen your selection list, and go into the text view tab. Once done, remove the entries for those folders, and then readd them in the GUI view...

[RahulG]

What files do you have in those directory ? Make sure you have the AOFO option selected in the backup job properties

[Joris_Both]

AOFO is enabled. I've even removed the job completely and created a test backup job with only one directory in it. Same problem... I've also tried removing and reinstalling the agent on the host, didn't work..

Could this be a VSS error? I see in the windows log of my fileserver the following error:

Faulting application name: vssvc.exe, version: 6.1.7601.17514, time stamp: 0x4ce7998d
Faulting module name: vssvc.exe, version: 6.1.7601.17514, time stamp: 0x4ce7998d
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000000000006709f
Faulting process id: 0xf50
Faulting application start time: 0x01cbf48dca04da88
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\system32\vssvc.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\vssvc.exe
Report Id: 3ff9ae24-6081-11e0-84b9-0050568776df

This happened after I started the backup job (and before it stopped). I've googled this error, but I don't see any helpfull results...

[CraigV]

...run: vssadmin list writers and make sure all your VSS writers are stable and running...no errors.

[Joris_Both]

All writers are stable and all writers are giving the same "Last error: No Error" state.

*edit*

I've just tried a backup with AOFO turned off, same error in backup exec :(

[RahulG]

Try rebooting the server and then run backup again

[Joris_Both]

Already tried that. same results..

[CraigV]

...is this perhaps a VM that's being backed up?

If so, Hyper-V or ESX?

[Joris_Both]

It is an ESX virtual server yes. Only it is being backed up through the old fashioned way through the network. (storage problem @ datastore, I can't create a snapshot because I don't have any room left on the datastore).

[CraigV]

...I wonder if that isn't the issue. I have seen a very similar issue when using Veeam.

Can you check if there aren't snapshots for that VM that you can delete? Are you not able to storage Vmotion the VM to another datastore?

[Joris_Both]

That shouldn't be the problem with a normal windows backup... Or is it? I still have about 200GB of free storage in the disk, but the VMFS is full.. I'm trying to shrink the disk so that I can get some more room on the VMFS, but that is an on-going project. I can't really do that without a backup.. The irony...

[CraigV]

If your VMFS is full, you are past VMware's best practice of keeping 20% free space for snapshots...this could be your issue!

[Joris_Both]

Craig,

Above is the reason I can't backup through Vmware. But for windows it shouldn't matter. I still have about 200GB of free storage on that disk in Windows ( And about 50GB free on my VSS disk). This can't be the issue why VSS is crashing... can it?

[CraigV]

...and you have patched BE and pushed any updates out to your client servers right?

[Joris_Both]

Everything is up to date.. :(

[Simon_B_]

Execute a vssadmin list providers. Are there any providers listed apart from the Microsoft Shadow Copy provider?

Futhermore: Is the data you want to backup maybe distributed via DFS?

[Joris_Both]

Simon,

Well yes it is. But I'm not selecting the DFS paths for the backup. I selected the drives that are published through DFS. Might this be the issue?

Here is the output of the vssadmin list providers:

vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.

Provider name: 'Backup Exec VSS Provider'
   Provider type: Software
   Provider Id: {5fdb6ef5-6ead-4610-995b-401c88626115}
   Version: 1.0

Provider name: 'Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0'
   Provider type: System
   Provider Id: {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}
   Version: 1.0.0.7