Snapshot problems

[ARPSA]

Currently we have:

- Symanec Backup exec 2012 sp4 on Windows server 2008 R2

- vSphere 5.1.0 (4 ESX servers and vCenter controlling them)  with few virtual machines

Everythinks worked great until we'v installed SP4 to backup exec.

I have a job to backup vCenter server with two VM's selected when I run it, backup exec creates a snapshot of each virtual machine,  and there is a problem:

errors occur randomly sometimes shapshot works sometimes it ends witch error:

The guest OS has reported an error during quiescing. The error code was: 4 The error message was: Quiescence aborted.

When i push backup manualy snapshot ends with error, then i push it again it ends ok or not, there is no rule.

I already reinstalled VMware Tools (without vss) , and backup exec agent.

In VM event log there is only:

[ warning] [vmsvc:vmbackup] Aborting backup operation due to timeout.

or

[ warning] [vmsvc:vmbackup] Error: unexpected state for snapshot done message: SCRIPT_ERROR
 

Taking manual snapshot directly from vCenter console, works all the time.

[CraigV]

Check the VMware TN below...might be VMware-related and not BE itself:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100907...

Thanks!

[maurijo]

"Taking manual snapshot directly from vCenter console, works all the time."

With the checkbox quiescing enabled ? Most of the time snapshot problems are not BE related since BE just asks vCenter for a snapshot.

[ARPSA · Accepted solution]

Finally after 5 days, I found the solution.

Cause of all the problem was wrong time set on ESX servers (2 hours delayed) I don't know why it has changed.

When i push backup manualy snapshot ends with error, but also I'v notice backup exec agent changed time on backuped Windows machine (VM) to synchronize it with ESX time (wrong time), and then when I started the backup job again it went ok, because time on VM was the same like on ESX server. Eveything worked fine until VM synchronize its time with domain controller.

[maurijo]

Time sync is very important in everything pc related. I'm happy to see your problem is solved!