VSS errors

[Taylor_Hammerli]

Hi,

I am having a problem backing up "Shadow?Copy?Components Shadow?Copy?Components" on a Windows Small Business 2003 server, using Veritas Backup Exec for Windows Servers Small Business Server Suite. The media server version is 9.1 Rev. 4691 and the Administration console Version is 9.1 Rev 4691.

it is failing with an error of
"A failure occurred querying the Writer status"

in the event viewer this shows up as event ID 12302
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: An internal inconsistency was detected in trying to contact shadow copy service writers. Please check to see that the Event Service and Volume Shadow Copy Service are operating properly.

I already checked my list of writers as per the instructions at http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/261993.htm
and they are all stable with no error

I tried to do a system state backup using NTbackup (to test VSS) and it backed up the system state, but NOT using VSS. It had an error of
Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:800423f4

I am curious if the problems are related.

when i looked up the error that ntbackup gave, i found a hotfix from microsoft (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;828481), however i'm not certain that the ntbackup error and the backup exec error are related

any/all help would be greatly appreciated, the entire backup is running except the stuff backed up by VSS (the system state and service state)

Message was edited by:
Taylor Hammerling
(added some information about the server and what version of Backup exec)

[Gauri_Ketkar]

Hi Taylor,

Please refer following Technotes :

The backup of shadow copy components fails with the error "0xe000fed1 - A failure occurred querying the Writer status."
http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/274993.htm


What is the intended use of the Open File Option and the Advanced Open File Option?
http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/263784.htm

Basic Backup Exec Advanced Open File Option (AOFO) information.
http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/275975.htm

Please paste here the exact error message you are getting in job log and in NTBACKUP log file.

We would also like to know which option you have selected under Backup>Settings>AOFO


Hope this helps you.DO revert for any further query

Thank you.

Additional Information :
For information on the recent VERITAS Backup Exec security vulnerabilities, including links to the downloads for the necessary hotfixes, please refer to the following document:
Patch summary for Security Advisories VX05-001, VX05-002, VX05-003, VX05-005, VX05-006, VX05-007

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/277429.htm



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.

[Taylor_Hammerli]

alrighty, here is the log created by ntbackup

Backup Status
Operation: Backup
Active backup destination: File
Media name: "SystemStateBackup - 06-29-05.bkf created 6/29/2005 at 1:27 PM"


Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:800423f4
Reverting to non-shadow copy backup mode.
Backup of "System State"
Backup set #1 on media #1
Backup description: "Set created 6/29/2005 at 1:27 PM"
Media name: "SystemStateBackup - 06-29-05.bkf created 6/29/2005 at 1:27 PM"

Backup Type: Copy

Backup started on 6/29/2005 at 1:31 PM.
Backup completed on 6/29/2005 at 1:36 PM.
Directories: 256
Files: 2637
Bytes: 506,776,769
Time: 4 minutes and 45 seconds

----------------------

as far as the AOFO, the option is greyed out (an unchecked greyed out box) the entire option (including sub-choices) is greyed out. the subchoice "automatically select open file technology" is selected.

the links you provided don't refer to the errors i'm getting (it isn't a problem with the media database, and my application log doesnt have any of those errors in it)

[Renuka_-]

Hello,

Please uninstall the AOFO option and reinstall it.


Additional Information :
For information on the recent VERITAS Backup Exec security vulnerabilities, including links to the downloads for the necessary hotfixes, please refer to the following document:
Patch summary for Security Advisories VX05-001, VX05-002, VX05-003, VX05-005, VX05-006, VX05-007

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/277429.htm

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.

[Taylor_Hammerli]

the AOFO isn't installed. I don't believe they purchased it.

[Deepali_Badave]

Hello,

As asked in our earlier reply please paste here the exact error message you are getting in job log in Backup Exec.

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.

[Taylor_Hammerli]

Sorry, i misread the first request, i thought all that was asked for was the NTbackup log. Here is the most recent log when it failed. (it doesnt fail on this every night, just most nights)



Job Log: BEX00506.xmlJob Log for Daily



Completed status: FailedExpand AllCollapse All
Job Information
Job server: OLIVE
Job name: Daily
Job started: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 at 10:00:02 PM
Job type: Backup
Job Log: BEX00506.xml


Device and Media Information
Drive Name: DELL 1
Media Label: 4MM000010
Media GUID: {D8593901-5932-4FEF-B2BF-BC2DDF08C7F4}
Overwrite Protected Until: 12/31/9999 12:00:00 AM
Appendable Until: 12/31/9999 12:00:00 AM
Targeted Media Set Name: Media Set 1


Job Operation - Backup
Backup Options
Media operation - overwrite.
Hardware compression enabled.



Server - OLIVE
OFO: Started for device: "Shadow?Copy?Components". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
Set Information - \\OLIVE\Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes
Backup Set Information
Family Name: "Media created 7/19/2005 10:00:03 PM"
Backup of "\\OLIVE\Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes "
Backup set #1 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"
Backup Type: FULL - Back up messages - Reset archive bit
Microsoft Exchange Server Agent: Started



Backup started on 7/19/2005 at 10:02:16 PM.
Backup completed on 7/19/2005 at 11:54:37 PM.
Backup Set Summary
Backed up 224403 mail message(s) in 679 folder(s) in 12 mailbox(es)
Processed 11,840,452,698 bytes in 1 hour, 52 minutes, and 21 seconds.
Throughput rate: 101 MB/min




Set Information - \\OLIVE\Microsoft Exchange Public Folders
Backup Set Information
Family Name: "Media created 7/19/2005 10:00:03 PM"
Backup of "\\OLIVE\Microsoft Exchange Public Folders "
Backup set #2 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"
Backup Type: FULL - Back up messages - Reset archive bit
Microsoft Exchange Server Agent: Started



Backup started on 7/19/2005 at 11:54:42 PM.
Backup completed on 7/19/2005 at 11:54:55 PM.
Backup Set Summary
Backed up 631 mail message(s) in 6 folder(s) in 0 mailbox(es)
Processed 36,437,120 bytes in 13 seconds.
Throughput rate: 160 MB/min




Set Information - \\OLIVE\Microsoft Information Store\First
Storage Group
Backup Set Information
Family Name: "Media created 7/19/2005 10:00:03 PM"
Backup of "\\OLIVE\Microsoft Information Store\First Storage Group "
Backup set #3 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"
Backup Type: FULL - Database & Logs (flush committed logs)
Microsoft Exchange Server Agent: Started



Backup started on 7/19/2005 at 11:54:56 PM.
Backup Set Detail Information
Log Files


Backup completed on 7/20/2005 at 12:31:24 AM.
Backup Set Summary
Backed up 2 Exchange Server store(s)
Backed up 0 Exchange Server log(s)
Processed 10,417,906,576 bytes in 36 minutes and 28 seconds.
Throughput rate: 272 MB/min




Set Information - OLIVE
Backup Set Information
Family Name: "Media created 7/19/2005 10:00:03 PM"
Backup of "OLIVE "
Backup set #4 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"
Backup Type: DATABASE - Back Up Entire Database
Microsoft SQL Server Agent: Started



Backup started on 7/20/2005 at 12:31:24 AM.
Backup Set Detail Information


Backup completed on 7/20/2005 at 12:31:45 AM.
Backup Set Summary
Backed up 2 database(s)
Processed 120,276,261 bytes in 21 seconds.
Throughput rate: 328 MB/min




Set Information - C:
Backup Set Information
Family Name: "Media created 7/19/2005 10:00:03 PM"
Backup of "C: "
Backup set #5 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"
Backup Type: FULL - Back Up Files - Reset Archive Bit



Backup started on 7/20/2005 at 12:32:00 AM.
Backup completed on 7/20/2005 at 12:46:02 AM.
Backup Set Summary
Backed up 35083 files in 1718 directories.
Processed 5,300,581,524 bytes in 14 minutes and 2 seconds.
Throughput rate: 360 MB/min




Set Information - Shadow?Copy?Components
Shadow?Copy?Components
Backup Set Information
Family Name: "Media created 7/19/2005 10:00:03 PM"
Backup of "Shadow?Copy?Components Shadow?Copy?Components"
Backup set #6 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"
Backup Type: FULL - Back Up Files - Reset Archive Bit



Backup started on 7/20/2005 at 12:46:03 AM.
Backup Set Detail Information
A failure occurred querying the Writer status.

A failure occurred querying the Writer status.



Backup completed on 7/20/2005 at 12:46:14 AM.
Backup Set Summary
Processed 530,208 bytes in 11 seconds.
Throughput rate: 2.76 MB/min


This backup set may not contain any data.



Job Operation - Verify
Set Information - \\OLIVE\Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes
Verify Set Information
Verify of "\\OLIVE\Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes "
Backup set #1 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"



Verify started on 7/20/2005 at 12:47:35 AM.
Verify completed on 7/20/2005 at 1:31:55 AM.
Verify Set Summary
Verified 224403 mail message(s) in 679 folder(s) in 12 mailbox(es)
0 files were different.
Processed 11,840,452,698 bytes in 44 minutes and 20 seconds.
Throughput rate: 255 MB/min




Set Information - \\OLIVE\Microsoft Exchange Public Folders
Verify Set Information
Verify of "\\OLIVE\Microsoft Exchange Public Folders "
Backup set #2 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"



Verify started on 7/20/2005 at 1:31:56 AM.
Verify completed on 7/20/2005 at 1:32:01 AM.
Verify Set Summary
Verified 631 mail message(s) in 6 folder(s) in 0 mailbox(es)
0 files were different.
Processed 36,437,120 bytes in 5 seconds.
Throughput rate: 417 MB/min




Set Information - \\OLIVE\Microsoft Information Store\First Storage
Group
Verify Set Information
Verify of "\\OLIVE\Microsoft Information Store\First Storage Group "
Backup set #3 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"



Verify started on 7/20/2005 at 1:32:03 AM.
Verify Set Detail Information
Log Files


Verify completed on 7/20/2005 at 2:08:56 AM.
Verify Set Summary
Verified 2 Exchange Server store(s)
Processed 10,417,906,576 bytes in 36 minutes and 53 seconds.
Throughput rate: 269 MB/min




Set Information - OLIVE
Verify Set Information
Verify of "OLIVE "
Backup set #4 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"



Verify started on 7/20/2005 at 2:08:58 AM.
Verify Set Detail Information


Verify completed on 7/20/2005 at 2:09:15 AM.
Verify Set Summary
Verified 2 database(s)
Processed 120,276,261 bytes in 17 seconds.
Throughput rate: 405 MB/min




Set Information - C:
Verify Set Information
Verify of "C: "
Backup set #5 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"



Verify started on 7/20/2005 at 2:09:20 AM.
Verify completed on 7/20/2005 at 2:24:09 AM.
Verify Set Summary
Verified 35083 files in 1718 directories.
0 files were different.
Processed 5,300,581,524 bytes in 14 minutes and 49 seconds.
Throughput rate: 341 MB/min




Set Information - Shadow?Copy?Components Shadow?Copy?Components
Verify Set Information
Verify of "Shadow?Copy?Components Shadow?Copy?Components"
Backup set #6 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Daily"



Verify started on 7/20/2005 at 2:24:09 AM.
Verify completed on 7/20/2005 at 2:24:09 AM.
Verify Set Summary
0 files were different.
Processed 530,208 bytes in 1 second.
Throughput rate: 30.3 MB/min





Job Completion Status
Job ended: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 2:25:28 AM
Completed status: Failed
Final error: 0xa000fed1 - A failure occurred querying the Writer status.

Final error category: Resource Errors


Errors
Click an error below to locate it in the job log
Backup - Shadow?Copy?Components Shadow?Copy?ComponentsA failure occurred querying the Writer status.

A failure occurred querying the Writer status.

[Deepali_Badave]

Hello,

Have you selected the option "User data" in Windows Shadow copy components to backup?

If so , then deselcet it and verify the result.


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.

[Taylor_Hammerli]

Alrighty, i unselected the user data (which i found it odd, the user data had a slash, not a check *indicating that not the whole thing was selected, just a portion of the children of user data* but when i expanded everything out before i unselected user data, nothing below it was checked *shrug*)

can you explain to me why having user data selected would cause this backup to fail intermitantly? (it doesn't fail every night)

[Deepali_Badave]

Hello,

The backup was successful after deselecting the "user data"?

Please update.

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.

[Taylor_Hammerli]

the backup ran successfully once after removing the user data. I am waiting to see if it will run more times (because we were getting some good backups even with the user data selected) i would still like to know why deselecting the user data should help?

[Taylor_Hammerli]

The backups from last night failed with the same VSS error

[Ashutosh_Tamhan]

Hello,

what does vssadmin list writers show when executed in command prompt?


Regards,
Ashutosh

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.

[Taylor_Hammerli]

Here is the list of my vssadmin writers. Still no luck in resolving this issue. Microsoft gave me a hotfix, but then promptly told me not to use it except in a test environment. *pft* lotsa help from them :p

vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name: 'System Writer'
Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}
Writer Instance Id: {fe4ccfec-5263-4739-9d10-4b76fda5c386}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'MSDEWriter'
Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}
Writer Instance Id: {69f58670-e387-4e36-8cc4-4a5ddc93aaf2}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'FRS Writer'
Writer Id: {d76f5a28-3092-4589-ba48-2958fb88ce29}
Writer Instance Id: {1d3019c7-9a5f-44b6-8b77-383b6cb21720}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Dhcp Jet Writer'
Writer Id: {be9ac81e-3619-421f-920f-4c6fea9e93ad}
Writer Instance Id: {e8c6eb17-3100-455c-aec6-927063744e30}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {8a2a08e9-29b4-4574-b2fa-aeab07541c3f}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'NTDS'
Writer Id: {b2014c9e-8711-4c5c-a5a9-3cf384484757}
Writer Instance Id: {2cdab870-795e-45cb-8cf1-1f1fa621705c}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}
Writer Instance Id: {b5b20d48-436c-40a4-90b9-1d1781bc1d48}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}
Writer Instance Id: {74936772-7e13-4a5b-8f84-87abc744abf7}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Event Log Writer'
Writer Id: {eee8c692-67ed-4250-8d86-390603070d00}
Writer Instance Id: {48223dba-ada5-4a08-b58f-4b4559f466da}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'WINS Jet Writer'
Writer Id: {f08c1483-8407-4a26-8c26-6c267a629741}
Writer Instance Id: {1ccbddb0-57d7-4cfd-8314-914b3916a41a}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'TermServLicensing'
Writer Id: {5382579c-98df-47a7-ac6c-98a6d7106e09}
Writer Instance Id: {4bb61b97-a4bc-4e19-969d-08ffa6098d9d}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Certificate Authority'
Writer Id: {6f5b15b5-da24-4d88-b737-63063e3a1f86}
Writer Instance Id: {7a37972b-0402-4eb6-b1ff-4ecc604a0585}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'IIS Metabase Writer'
Writer Id: {59b1f0cf-90ef-465f-9609-6ca8b2938366}
Writer Instance Id: {2e48a64f-2811-442e-9fd2-5480c07b11c4}
State: Stable
Last error: No error

[Shilpa_pawar_2]

Hi,

Since NT Backup is also failing with error, the issue seems to be Microsoft OS issue.

We suggest you to contact Microsoft to resolve this issue.

Additionally refer these MS articles:

-

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

-

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;826936


Additional Information :
For information on the recent VERITAS Backup Exec security vulnerabilities, including links to the downloads for the necessary hotfixes, please refer to the following document:
Patch summary for Security Advisories VX05-001, VX05-002, VX05-003, VX05-005, VX05-006, VX05-007
http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/277429.htm


http://support.veritas.com/docs/278434



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.

[Joel_Sacks]

I am experiencing the identical problem as Taylor. Would like to know if you've solved it.