Shadow Copy Components failing

[Rick_Kasten_2]

I have the current Windows Agent installed on a Windows 2003 Server running SQL 2000. I am attempting to backup the system state through Shadow Copy Components, but the backups fails with the following error:

AOFO: Initialization failure on: "\\SQL01\Shadow?Copy?Components". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
Snapshot provider error (0xFFFFFED1): 0xa000fed1 (2684419793)
Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.

I am backing up several other machines in this job, including other SQL 2000 servers, but this is the only server that fails. It has been rebooted since the Agent install.

[priya_khire]

Hello,


Refer to the following technote, the steps mentioned might help resolve the problem:

Title: How to troubleshoot the error "A failure occurred querying the Writer status" (a000fed1 HEX or e000fed1 HEX) using VSSADMIN
http://support.veritas.com/docs/261993

If the issue persists, revert with details on the results of VSSADMIN LISTWRITERS command.

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.

Regards.

[Rick_Kasten_2]

The results of the "vssadmin list writers" command revealed no errors.

I came up with a temporary work-around. Within the Shadow Copy Components folder, the server having the problem has a User State icon in addition to the System State and Service State icons. None of my other servers have a User State icon. If I uncheck User State, the job completes successfully.

What is included in the User State? I'd like to know so that I know what I am missing if this work-around becomes the permanent fix.

[priya_khire]

Hello,

Are you referring to the user shares? If that is the case, Go to Tools | Options | Network, and select the Enable selection of user shares option, then run the backup and test the results.

If the above doesn't help, revert with details.

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.

Regards.

[Rick_Kasten_2]

No, I'm not refering to User Shares. When I create a backup selection list, and I open the Shadow Copy Components share on the server (SQL01), I see the following three icons: User State, System State and Service State. On any other server whose state I back up, I see only System State and Service State. If I select the User State icon, Backup Exec hangs for 2-5 minutes. I can then save the job. If I then run a backup with that selection list, the job fails with the aforementioned error. If I do not select the User State icon and select only the System State and Service State icons, the job completes successfully.

So my questions are 1) why is my job failing; and 2) what is User State, since I see it only on this one SQL 2000 server?