SQL Login failure on a non-selected database

[thogan]

I'm getting errors in my application log from BE 11 that in my opinion should never be occurring. I have ACT! 2008 installed with its own named instance and this is not selected in the selections list (unchecked). I do not have this excluded in any other way. Although this is effectively benign, this is on a SBS 2003 box and the daily reporting always shows these errors and I have to check these everyday (i.e. it would be nice to have no alerts and since BE11 is causing this to have a non-clean bill of health when in fact it should never be touching them I'm more than a little concerned).

(errors detailed @ end of post)

It seems that BE11 is pre-scanning and effectively disregarding that it should not be touching this database in any way (the errors show up twice - once about 1 minute after the job starts and the second time about 5 minutes into the job - hence my comment that this is a credentials check or a prescan). In either case, to prescan or attempt to open a non-selected SQL instance is not good (in my eyes this is a major issue/"bug"/whatever you want to call it). A program by any other name would be called malware for doing this. Anyway, I'm trying to at worst find a workaround to remove the occurrence of these errors so that my reports (as they should) show a clean bill of health.

BE11 is liveupdated to the latest version.

Source

Event ID

Last Occurrence

Total Occurrences

  Backup Exec

57860

2/17/2008 10:04 PM

2 *

An error occurred while attempting to log in to the following server: "hidden". SQL error number: "4818". SQL error message: "Login failed for user 'hidden\Administrator'. ". For more information, click the following link: http://eventlookup.veritas.com/eventlookup/EventLookup.jhtml

Source

Event ID

Last Occurrence

Total Occurrences

  MSSQL$ACT7

18456

2/17/2008 10:04 PM

2 *

Login failed for user 'hidden\Administrator'. [CLIENT: a.b.c.d]

[Ben_L_]

This is normal behavior for Backup Exec.  The remote agents will attemt to enumerate the entire server when a backup is run against the server and when a user browses to that server for selection.  If you are not backing up any SQL instances on that server you can rename bedssql2.dll to .old then cycle the remote agent service and this will stop it from attempting to query any instance of SQL on that server.

[thogan]

I understand the enumeration point but still have concerns on why this occurs (e.g. why enumerate for all instances when I have explicitly not selected a specific instance?). Unfortunately, I can't remove the dll - I have other valid and selected SQL instances to backup. Is there any other option to get rid of this issue?

This is a concern since my clients (mostly SBS 2003 and many have ACT!) also get these SBS Monitoring reports and this issue is flagged every day. I agree that this is in fact a benign issue from a performance/backup standpoint but from a reporting standpoint it is not particularly in SBS environments with automated reporting. I hate to say it but I have to and do point the finger directly at Symantec every time one of these issues occurs - little issues like this as well as a host of other issues on the SBS side with other symantec products (particularly the endpoint protection SBS fiasco) are sinking Symantec's reputation. Every client I have routinely asks what we can do to resolve these issues - my response is it has been reported and all we can do is wait for a hotfix or bail to another product. I'm not beating you up because I think you've addressed the issue of why this occurs - I'm more concerned with getting annoyance issues like this resolved and what honestly seems to be an across the board declining product quality issue. Honestly, every product I've installed from Symantec lately has had major issues at some point either with the initial release or a liveupdate fix that seems to break something -or- what seems to be a complete lack of testing and support for specific platforms most importantly from my viewpoint - a complete lack of testing on the SBS environment.
Again, sorry for the long piece here and the brow beating - forward up the chain as needed.

-tony



 

[Ben_L_]

Unfortunately, the only thing I can suggest for you would be to submit an enhancement request.