Netbackup Status 4207 - cannot open C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\online_util\fi_cntl\bpfis.fim

[bbot]

We are receiving errors status 4207 and 71. As far as we can tell, the backups are functioning properly. (I was able to restore test files on all  drives on this server) See logs below.

I have checked to make sure that the C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\online_util\fi_cntl\bpfis.fim location exists and is writable. However, the folder is empty..is that normal?

See logs below

1/5/2017 11:30:28 PM - end Parent Job; elapsed time: 0:00:23
1/5/2017 11:30:28 PM - Info nbjm(pid=4748) snapshotid=******************_1483687805
1/5/2017 11:30:28 PM - begin Snapshot, Policy Execution Manager Preprocessed
Status 71
1/6/2017 5:16:58 AM - end Snapshot, Policy Execution Manager Preprocessed; elapsed time: 5:46:30
1/6/2017 5:16:58 AM - begin Snapshot, Stop On Error
Status 0
1/6/2017 5:16:58 AM - end Snapshot, Stop On Error; elapsed time: 0:00:00
1/6/2017 5:16:58 AM - begin Snapshot, Delete Snapshot
1/6/2017 5:17:00 AM - started process bpbrm (4812)
1/6/2017 5:17:01 AM - Info bpbrm(pid=4812) Starting delete snapshot processing
1/6/2017 5:17:03 AM - Info bpfis(pid=21836) Backup started
1/6/2017 5:17:03 AM - Critical bpbrm(pid=4812) from client *********************: cannot open C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\online_util\fi_cntl\bpfis.fim.*******************_1483687805.1.0
1/6/2017 5:17:03 AM - end writing
Status 4207
1/6/2017 5:17:03 AM - end Snapshot, Delete Snapshot; elapsed time: 0:00:05
1/6/2017 5:17:03 AM - begin Snapshot, End Notify Script
1/6/2017 5:17:04 AM - Info bpfis(pid=21836) done. status: 4207
1/6/2017 5:17:04 AM - end Snapshot, End Notify Script; elapsed time: 0:00:01
1/6/2017 5:17:04 AM - Info bpfis(pid=21836) done. status: 4207: Could not fetch snapshot metadata or state files
1/6/2017 5:17:04 AM - Info RUNCMD(pid=7376) started
1/6/2017 5:17:04 AM - Info RUNCMD(pid=7376) exiting with status: 0
Status 0
1/6/2017 5:17:04 AM - end operation
Status 71
1/6/2017 5:17:04 AM - end operation
None of the files mentioned in the file list exist or may not be accessible(71)
1/6/2017 5:17:07 AM - Info bpbrm(pid=2320) Starting delete snapshot processing
1/6/2017 5:17:08 AM - Info bpfis(pid=19912) Backup started
1/6/2017 5:17:08 AM - Critical bpbrm(pid=2320) from client *****************: cannot open C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\online_util\fi_cntl\bpfis.fim.*******************nal.us_1483687805.1.0
1/6/2017 5:17:08 AM - Info bpfis(pid=19912) done. status: 4207
1/6/2017 5:17:08 AM - end operation
1/6/2017 5:17:08 AM - Info bpfis(pid=19912) done. status: 4207: Could not fetch snapshot metadata or state files

[Lowell_Palecek]

Do you get actual job failures, or are you only seeing these errors in the logs? What kind of backup are you doing (policy type and options, schedule type)? The client OS appears to be Windows. What version of NetBackup?

In Windows VSS snapshot backups, the sequence of client processes is as follows:

bpfis create ...   // Takes a snapshot, creates a "state file" (NetBackup\online_util\fi_cntl\bpfis.fim.xxxx) and possibly some associated metadata files in the same folder. This process persists until the end.

One or more bpbkar32 processes to backup up from the snapshot to storage unit. (None for "instant recovery" where the snapshot is the backup.)

bpfis delete ... // Reads the state file. Transmits the bpbkar status to the bpfis create process. Deletes the snapshot and state files if appropriate.

Without seeing more logs, this looks like the "bpfis delete" is not finding the state file that it needs to know what to do.

I know of two reasons why this might occur. First, if you have instant recovery backups with a maximum number of snapshots, a previous snapshot may have to be released in order to proceed. The state file information from that prior snapshot may be missing. Second, if a "bpfis create" process fails before creating the state file, the "bpfis delete" process won't find it.

[DigPVB]

Since the first error in the log is status 71, even before the snapshot is supposedly taken, it seems to me that there is already an issue with the parent job. 

What kind of policy are we talking about here? Is it possible that the creation of the snapshot already fails before this child job starts, thus having no actual snapshot for bpfis to read?

[Marianne]

Well, this job looks like a sure failure with no restore from it possible.

What is listed in Overview tab for this particular job?