SBS2011 Standard, Unable to query Writer Status / Exchange Backup Fails

[rbramble2013]

Hello,

I am working with a client that has Symantec Backup Excec 2012 (14.0 SP1) installed on a Hyper-V server running Windows 2008 R2 and hosting 2 virtual servers running Windows 2008 R2 / SQL 2008 R2 and the other one is running Windows 2011 SBS Standard.

I am getting these errror messages and have  tried about everything I can. This is "Not for Retail" version.

Backup- SBS-2011V-79-57344-65233 - Snapshot Technology: Initialization failure on: "\\SBS-2011\Microsoft Information Store\Public Folder Database 0714308616". Snapshot technology used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

Snapshot technology error (0xE000FED1): A failure occurred querying the Writer status.

Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.

Writer Name: Exchange Server, Writer ID: {76FE1AC4-15F7-4BCD-987E-8E1ACB462FB7}, Last error: The VSS Writer failed, but the operation can be retried (0x800423f3), State: Failed during prepare backup operation (7).

V-79-57344-33943 - Snapshot Technology: Initialization failure on: "Microsoft Information Store". Snapshot technology used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

Snapshot technology error (0xE0008497): You cannot perform incremental and differential backups because Microsoft Exchange is configured for circular logging. To perform incremental or differential backups disable circular logging.  Additionally, you cannot perform no-loss restores if you keep circular logging enabled.

Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.

Any ideas? I am grateful for any help I can get.

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

Hi,

A restart of the server with the VSS error should fix this...refer to the TN below for the Exchange error:

https://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&pmv=print&impressions=&viewlocale=&id=TECH11310

Thanks!

EDIT: Added in this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/218004

[Donald_Eady]

Here are two additional explanatory documents for you to take a look at.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH186549

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH198326

[rbramble2013]

Thanks for the info.

I have created all new backups to get rid of the cobwebs and have disabled circular logging on the Exchange Database, have dismounted / remounted the database and then have stopped / restarted the information store.

I will rerun the backups again tonight and see what happens.

Thenks for the assistance.

[MadcowInUT]

I ran into some simular to this and we were rebooting our server every few days because of the same error. Querying the VSS writer always showed it in a error status - we would reboot then with in a few days we were right back in the same place with in a few days. To solve it, we split up our information stores into seperate jobs which helped with timing of the backups. What we also found in this process - was our exchange maintance procedures was scheduled to run during the backup of one of our information stores. For some reason or other this process was taking over the VSS writer from backup exec. (not an exchange admin). May not be your answer but thought I would share my experience.

[CraigV]

...nice info share!

[rbramble2013]

I basically blew away all of the old backups and logs and started fresh.

I got the two virtual servers to backup to the RDX but not the host server.