VSS Snapshot Warning - lsi_sas.sys

[konzept]

Hi there,

we run Backup Exec 12.5 rev 2213 on a Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard (Media Server).

Since 2 weeks we get every day the following warning from a 2nd Server 2008 R2 Standard that is backed up with the BE Remote Agent:

\\Servername\System?State 
VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\\systemroot\system32\drivers\lsi_sas.sys is not present on the snapshot.

I red in some other posts where the sollution was, to create a blank file with the same name if it didn't exist. So I watched if the file is present on this Server in the system32\drivers folder. And it is.

For me it seems that Backup Exec is getting something wrong with this strange path c:\windows\\systemroot\. The "\systemroot" does not exist in c:\windows.

Is there an other folder where I can search for it or a way to clear this wrong entry?

Thanks for reading.

regards
Simon

[AmolB]

Open registry and check the path of "lsi_sas.sys"  "\\systemroot" looks fishy, there shouldn't be 

2 backslashes.

Note : BE12.5 on Win 2008R2 as a media server is not compatible.

[Dev_T]

 Hi,

I had the same problem, I created a dummy file c:\windows\ystem32\drivers\lsi_sas.sys

and the backups were successful

[konzept]

thanks for the fast replies,

the registry seems to be the right direction. Found the following:

\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\LSI_SAS\

There is a key called "ImagePath" with the value: "\SystemRoot\system32\drivers\lsi_sas.sys".
So it seems that Backup Exec (or the SystemState) adds a c:\windows in front of this value insted of resolving the "SystemRoot".

In fact there is a LSI SAS Controller in this Server. On other registry entries I've seen that LSI writes the same strange Path to LSI_FC and LSI_SAS2, but they're not loaded on this system.

I don't have the balls to simply change this \SystemRoot to something like %SystemRoot%. Or should I?

Simon

[CraigV]

...the OP mentioned that the file was present on the backup...no need to create a blank file!

[konzept]

Any new suggestions on that?

Maybe a possibility to refresh this entry?

[Missing_Veritas]

This error popped up for my backups as well, in the past few weeks.  Which makes me wonder if there was some update from Symatec that broke this.

[konzept · Accepted solution]

Hey there,

finally we've found a working solution with Symantec.

It was i fact the wrong registry entry like I wrote before.

You can find the official solution of Symantec at:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH126412#LSI_SAS.SYS

or follow this steps:

1. Backup the registry
2. Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\LSI_SAS
3. Original ImagePath String = systemroot\system32\drivers\lsi_sas.sys
4. Change this ImagePath to: %systemroot%\system32\drivers\lsi_sas.sys
5. Restart the media server and re-run the backup job

Hope it helps you to.

Simon

[konzept]

Hey there,

here some updates on my solution above:

First I used my solution on a physical Server: Made a server backup, changed the registry and restarted the Server. Everything booted as it should.

A few days later I had the same problem on a ESXi virtualized Server. ESXi simulates a LSI SAS Controller for your Windows Server (if selected).I did the same steps as before, restarted the Server and BOOOM! While booting up, the Server freezes in a BSOD with an error like "unmountable bootdevice".

After some very nervous minutes of useless recovery steps, I've changed the SCSI Controller settings of my VM from "LSI Logic SAS" to "LSI Logic Parallel" and finally the Server booted up and worked.

Conclusion:

In my opinion this LSI_SAS.sys problem could be a common problem on ESXi virtualized Servers. The simpliest solution is to change the SCSI Controller to Parallel and correct the registry entries of the LSI SAS Controller. After that everything should work.

Other simplier/better solutions are welcome.

Cheerz

Simon