One of my VMs only backs up using NBD all others use SAN transport

[Eric_Steel]

One of my VMs (my largest of course) recently started backing up using NBD only.  All of the other VMs work fine using SAN transport and this one used to backup using the SAN transport.  But then out of the blue it started only using the NBD transport. 

I have deleted the job and recreated it.  I have removed and reattached all of the LUNs using the iSCSI initiator.  But still this one and only VM will only backup using NBD.  If I exclude all of the transports except SAN it fails saying that the transport is not supported.

Here is where it gets weirder.  I built up another test Media server with a standalone tape drive and created a duplicate job.  The VM works using the SAN transport.  So it seems to be something to do with my production media server, but all of the other VMs are backing up just fine using the SAN transport.

By the way this is a Windows 2008 R2 server with Backup Exec 2010 R2 with SP1 and all of the latest patches through 150096, connecting to VMWare ESX 4.0 and a Dell Equallogic SAN.

[CraigV]

 Hi Eric,

What happens if you create a stand-alone job and select this server only? Does it still use NBD instead of the SAN?

Have you updated BE with the latest available patches and pushed them out to the remote servers?

Thanks!

[Eric_Steel]

Yes to all.  It already is a standalone job.  I have deleted the job and the selection list and recreated them from scratch on my production media server and it still only uses NBD.  I set up a test media server and copied the selection list and job between the two media servers.  On the test server the job runs as SAN.

I've updated the media server to the latest patches and drivers.  On the VM server with the problem, I removed the remote agent down to deleting any remaining files and folders from the drive.  I removed the VM Tools.  I then reinstalled VM Tools leaving off the VMTools VSS Agent.  I then pushed out the BE Remote Agent again and made sure it is the latest patch level.

Still from my production server it only backs up as NBD.  From the test server, it backs up as SAN.  All of my other VMs on the production server are backing up using the SAN transport.  It is just this one VM that is having the problem.