Information store crashing during brick level backup.

[Brian_Baldwin]

This is and issue that has been going on for a little while and has recently seemed to have gotten worse.

I have a windows 2K3 SE SP1 running Exchange 2k3 sp2. Backup runs using the exchange agent and windows remote agent. Backup and media server is a windows 2K domain controller. Backup type is a backup to disk and the disk is an external disk appliance. I run a full backup (including mailbox backup) on the exchange server nightly at 2AM (including weekends). The backups run fine until it gets to the mailbox backups. It will typically fail between 5:30 AM and 7:30AM but never in the same mailbox. Backup if failing because something is taking the information store down. Then I get the communication error in backup exec.
What is interesting is the backup runs fine over the weekends no problems at all, but come monday morning it will have failed. It seems to have something to do when there are users on the system, as some of my users get in an check email at 6:30AM. However, I do not know why this would be the case.
I do have Panda Exchange Secure on the server and it is still enabled during the backup.
Any information would be great.

[A_van_der_Boom]

If I were you I would remove the mailbox (bricklevel) backup. It takes a lot off time to back them up in the first place and you can't use them in case of a disaster recovery. In stead change the deletion settings so users can un-delete their e-mail if necessary.

It is strange that Exch seems to dismount the stores, any clues in the Windows eventlog about this ? Any BE alerts ? If you disable the mailbox backup does Exch still dismount the stores ? With the mailbox backup try disableing your virusscanner and see what happens.

Regards
A van der Boom

[Brian_Baldwin]

The only events I get are the Service Control Manager event stating the Information store had terminated unexpectedly. The I get the backup failed event stating a communication failure (which would be the case because it can no longer access the information store).

I would like to stop the antivirus, but I am afraid a virus would get through at that time and also there would be a ton of spam that gets through.

I have not turned off the brick level backups, but I do think that will be my next step. I am betting (considering the fact that it makes it through the information store backup fine now) that it will be ok with this.

Any other info. anyone else has would be fantastic.

[Gauri_Ketkar]

Hi,

Run following tests and check the performance :

1.create seperate job for Mailbox store
2.run a job without Anti-virus

-Is "single instance backup" option selected ?
-Is any other server getting backedup in the same job ?

-what is the exact error ?



Update us on the same and revert for any further Query
Hope this will help you


Thank you
Gauri


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[Brian_Baldwin]

I have created a separte backup job for the mailbox backup. I have not ran the mailbox backup for about a week now the store has not crashed once (knock on wood).
Single instance backup IS selected.
No other server is getting backed up at the time the mailbox backup is running.

The mailbox backup starts about 3am, and runs about 4 hours typically. So it finishes around 7-7:30am. Users start to come in and access the system around 6:30 or 7:00am. The backup runs fine until they get in and start accessing the system, and the backup runs perfect on the weekend when no users are on the system.
I have not tried disabling antivirus yet.

[Rucha_Abhyankar]

Hi Brian,

You can also create a backup job only of the Information store and disable the AV just for test purposes and then verify if the same thing occurs.

Please update us on the same.


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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.