Should be VSS enablen on Windows Server virtual client when performing an incremental file-level VCB backup?

[konrad]

Hi

I did not find an answer for my question so I am asking here.

We have some Windows Server virtual clients that have VSS disabled. The incremental file-level backup fails with status code 156.
Should we enable VSS to be able to do such type of backup? There is no information about it in a documentation of NetBackup 6.5.4 for VMware.

My environment:
NetBackup 6.5.4
VMWare ESX 3.5


Thx for any advice

[lu]

Do you use ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES in the backup selections list ?

[konrad]

Yes, I use ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES as my backup selection entry.
The policy type is FlashBackup-Windows.
The "virtual machine backup" is set to "3-FullVM and file for incremental"

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

 I would not focus on the VSS option as a possible issue. Look elsewhere.

Logs:
On the proxy server make the bpfis , bpbkar , bpbkar , bpvmutil directories. Up the logging to level 5 on the proxy.

bpfis should give you the most help in what is going wrong.

Does the Full backup work successfully.? If so then there must be something to do with mapping or change journals.

Also, from the Admin Guide confirm the following

Incremental backups of virtual machines must be based on time stamps, not on archive bit. Youmust configure theNetBackup client on theVMware backup proxy server as described in this section.
To configure the client on the proxy server for incremental backups
1 Start the Backup, Archive, and Restore interface from the NetBackup client that is installed on theVMware backup proxy server. For example: Click Start
> Programs>VeritasNetBackup > Backup,Archive, and Restore.
2 Click File >NetBackup Client Properties.
3 On the General tab, make sure Perform incrementals based on archive bit is clear (unchecked).

• Make sure also your policy type is FlashBackup-Windows as only this works for 3-FullVM and file for incrementals

• VCB proxy Staging area specified in the Policy should not be encrypted or compressed.

• VMware Tools installed and up to date in guest OS VM.
http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/320865.htm

• All Incremental VMware Consolidated Backups (VCB) are failing with error 156 and bpfis reports the error "Cannot open disk file: Error : Disk library failed (Unspecified error)"
http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/320310.htm

• If you have performed Storage Motion of your VM to a newer datastore, then backups fail. And as in the last technote, you might have to restart the vmount service on the proxy. This has occurred to me several times recently. Have expanded non-boot disks in the OS. Full VM backups work. Incrementals fail. Restart vmount service and Incrementals start to work.