08-20-2012 04:48 PM
I have set up a backup job with Backup Exec 2012, and it keeps failing on the system state backup.
- Snapshot Technology: Initialization failure on: "\\HAEM02\System?State". Snapshot technology used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
V-79-10000-11226 - VSS Snapshot error. The Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshot technology selected returned: "Unexpected provider error". Ensure that all provider services are enabled and can be started. Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.
The full job log and Event Viewer errors are attached.
Any ideas about how to fix this?
Solved! Go to Solution.
08-22-2012 04:50 PM
Hi. Thank you for collecting all of the diagnostic information. When able, as a diagnostic test, please set the snapshot differential areas for the system, boot, and other data volumes by following steps 15 to 18 below (note, the S: system volume should be set to the C: boot volume). Then execute the backup job that is failing with "Unexpected provider error" and report the outcome. Thank you.
(15) C:\>VSSADMIN ADD SHADOWSTORAGE /FOR=C: /ON=C: /MaxSize=UNBOUNDED
(16) C:\>VSSADMIN ADD SHADOWSTORAGE /FOR=S: /ON=C: /MaxSize=UNBOUNDED
(17) C:\>VSSADMIN ADD SHADOWSTORAGE /FOR=I: /ON=I: /MaxSize=UNBOUNDED
(18) C:\>VSSADMIN ADD SHADOWSTORAGE /FOR=E: /ON=E: /MaxSize=UNBOUNDED
08-20-2012 05:14 PM
Is this machine a VM? If it is, push out the RAWS to this machine again.
08-20-2012 05:25 PM
08-20-2012 05:34 PM
Thanks for the replies.
Some further info: Server is a Windows 2008 R2 Operating system, and is a physical box, not a VM.
I have run the 'vssadmin list writers' command listed in the first link, and this is the result:
Writer name: 'Task Scheduler Writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'VSS Metadata Store Writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'Performance Counters Writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'System Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'SqlServerWriter'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'ASR Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'Shadow Copy Optimization Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'DFS Replication service writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
The server has been restarted several times and the backups continue to fail.
I am unable to restart at the moment as it is a File/Print server and is in use.
08-20-2012 06:58 PM
Sorry if this is a duplicate, but I posted this just before and after an hour, it still was not visible in the forum.
I have run the vssadmin show writers command and received this output:
C:\>vssadmin list writers
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.
Writer name: 'Task Scheduler Writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'VSS Metadata Store Writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'Performance Counters Writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'System Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'ASR Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'SqlServerWriter'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'Shadow Copy Optimization Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'DFS Replication service writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer'
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Restarting machine still has same result.
This is a physical Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard server (Not VM), so was unable to perform the steps shown in the second link or the suggestion from pkh. Apologies for not mentioning that in the OP.
I have also looked in that registry tree, and none of the subkeys have a .bak suffix
08-21-2012 05:43 AM
Hi
Have you tried registerng the VSS as per the link posted by me above ,so please do that & when possible do restart & then check
If writers are failing still this is not a backup exec issue you would have to engage Microsoft to resolve the issue with writers
Thanks
08-21-2012 05:56 AM
Can you please check for any event viewer errors with the correct time stamp. Check the application logs as well as system logs.
08-21-2012 05:05 PM
I have not tried the re-registering as it says not to do that on Server 2008 R2.
The only errors are in the Application log, and those are attached to the OP. There are no errors in the system log.
08-21-2012 05:41 PM
Hi
Though it is mentioning donot do it R2 ,I think it should not be an issue as we are only registring VSS DLL and not doing any sort of modification or deleting it. So please do that once & see if that helps else you would have to open a formal case with Microsoft to resolve the issue
Thanks
08-21-2012 08:45 PM
Hi. Based on the provided Backup Exec Job Log and Application Event Log, there appears to be an issue creating a snapshot of the C: [\\?\Volume{6cc1a8c9-9195-11e0-8619-806e6f6e6963}] volume, which is caused by the inability to find a snapshot differential area. A possibility is that the C: volume is low on free space. When able, please collect the following information using the native Windows command line utilities and attach the output to this post for review. Thank you.
(1) C:\>VSSADMIN LIST VOLUMES
(2) C:\>VSSADMIN LIST PROVIDERS
(3) C:\>VSSADMIN LIST SHADOWS
(4) C:\>VSSADMIN LIST SHADOWSTORAGE
(5) C:\>REG QUERY "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS" /s
(6) C:\>REG QUERY "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SPP" /s
(7) C:\>REG QUERY "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MountMgr" /s
(8) C:\>REG QUERY "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TrueCrypt" /s
(9) C:\>REG QUERY "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\control\hivelist" /s
(10) C:\> FSUTIL FSINFO NTFSINFO C:
(11) C:\> DIR /A
(12) C:\>BCDEDIT /ENUM ALL
(13) C:\>MOUNTVOL
(14)(a) C:\>DISKPART
(14)(b) DISKPART> LIST DISK
(14)(c) DISKPART> LIST VOLUME
(14)(d) DISKPART> LIST VDISK
(14)(e) DISKPART> EXIT
08-21-2012 11:07 PM
@Backup_Exec
I am still hesitant to perform those steps when it specifically states not to.
If I can find another way around this, then I guess I will have to log a MS support ticket.
@marcusolini
I have attached the output from those commands
08-22-2012 04:50 PM
Hi. Thank you for collecting all of the diagnostic information. When able, as a diagnostic test, please set the snapshot differential areas for the system, boot, and other data volumes by following steps 15 to 18 below (note, the S: system volume should be set to the C: boot volume). Then execute the backup job that is failing with "Unexpected provider error" and report the outcome. Thank you.
(15) C:\>VSSADMIN ADD SHADOWSTORAGE /FOR=C: /ON=C: /MaxSize=UNBOUNDED
(16) C:\>VSSADMIN ADD SHADOWSTORAGE /FOR=S: /ON=C: /MaxSize=UNBOUNDED
(17) C:\>VSSADMIN ADD SHADOWSTORAGE /FOR=I: /ON=I: /MaxSize=UNBOUNDED
(18) C:\>VSSADMIN ADD SHADOWSTORAGE /FOR=E: /ON=E: /MaxSize=UNBOUNDED
08-28-2012 04:26 PM
Thanks Marcusolini,
That post seemed to have done the trick.
I didn't do it through command-line, but went through the Shadow Copies tab on the C drive properties screen.
I had to set all drives to unlimited space for shadow copies, even the drives that had Shadow Copies disabled on them. The Shadow Copy tab then looked like this:
Volume Next Run Time Shares Used
C:\ Disabled 3 0 bytes on C:\
E:\ Disabled 0 0 bytes on E:\
I:\ Disabled 2 0 bytes on I:\
S:\ Disabled 0 0 bytes on S:\
U:\ 29/08/2012... 3 10915 MB on U:\
C, E, I and S have no shadow copies configured, but it seems it still needs to know it has enough space available :)
Regardless of the logic (or lack of) it seems to be working now. It has completed its first ever full and incremental backup! :)
08-28-2012 05:24 PM
Hi
Good to see all working fine again you can mark the post as solved by marking the one which helped the most to resolve the issue
Thanks
08-29-2012 04:32 AM
Great news! From my experience there are many environmental factors that are beyond the control of Backup Exec with regards to VSS. Glad to help. Thank you!