Semaphore timeout during backup

[Timothy_Hutchis]

Since installing v10.0, we have been getting the following error message during each backup.

Backup- SWIS0
AOFO: Initialization failure on: "Shadow?Copy?Components". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
Snapshot provider error (0x79): The semaphore timeout period has expired.
Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.

No information of relevance can be found in the event viewer. The explanations I find for this error in the KB suggest a problem with the advanced open file option. We do not own this option and it is not turned on on the backup job. Further, if I attempt the remedy suggested in the KB (lower the quite time for AOFO) backup exec tells me that AOFO is not installed.

You help will be greatly appreciated.

Tim

[Amruta_Purandar]

Hello,

For semaphore timeout please refer the following technotes.
Title:
A backup job in Backup Exec 9.x or 10.0 fails with the error: "Unable to get minimum quiet time window for physical volume" and "The semaphore timeout period has expired" when Advanced Open File Option is used.
http://support.veritas.com/docs/258341

Title:
When performing a backup operation, a device "request to space to end of data" or "semaphore timeout" or a "SCSI bus timeout" error is generated.
http://support.veritas.com/docs/190598


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.

[Timothy_Hutchis]

As I stated in the original post, we do not have AOFO, so I cannot perform the described remedy in the first article. Also, I know that we are not experiencing SCSI bus timeouts because there is nothing in the event log to suggest that is the case. Reading the content of the error message suggest that AOFO and VSS have something to do with the issue, however, I don't know how to fix it.

[Rucha_Abhyankar]

Hello Timothy,

Is the device that you are using connected to a RAID controller? If yes then please move it to a SCSI card.

Why is it recommended that tape devices should not be connected to RAID controllers?

http://support.veritas.com/docs/191488

If Removable storage service is running,
then disable it .

Create a new backup job and verify the resullts.

For additional information:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;833167

====================

NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered and would be moved toanswered questions pool.

[Timothy_Hutchis]

The backup device is on its own controller. The controller is not a RAID controller.

[Bill_Reilly]

I had the same problem with 9 and 10 using StorageTek STK180...I had to hard set the speed on the Adaptec card to 40 MB/Sec, before the errors would go away...It slowed the backups slightly, but at least they are 100% successful without Semaphore timeouts...

[Renuka_-]

Hello,
has the last solution helped you resolve the issue.

NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answeredand would be moved toanswered questions pool.

[Timothy_Hutchis]

I'm not sure. Now I'm getting the following message:

Backup- SWIS0AOFO: Initialization failure on: "Shadow?Copy?Components". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
VSS Snapshot error. Out of disk space, or could not find an NTFS volume while creating the snapshot. Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) requires an NTFS volume with at least 100 MB of free space for each volume that will be snapped.

This server has 2 drives.
Drive C: Size = 12GB with 1.9GB FREE
Drive D: Size = 54GB with 44.9GB FREE

This is a Windows 2003 Server with Service Pack 1.

[Timothy_Hutchis]

Forget last post. I can see that this is a different issue. I will try to resolve and re-open a new thread if necessary. Thank you to all who helped.