new vm backup getting 156 error

[nbustarter380]

Hi All,

Sorry this is a repost from a few days ago, not sure how but I mistakenly deleted two duplicated posts on this thread.

We have a vm backup just recently put on the backup scheduled that is getting the 156 error code. It has been getting the code from the start therefore no

backup has successfully completed (full or incremental).

Here is some answers to questions that I believe was posted before I deleted the two duplicate threads.

What is the Policy type? VMware policy
What do you have in Backup Selection in the Policy? All local drives

This machine was rebooted and has vm tools up until recently it was backing up as a physical machine.

It is a Windows 2003 R2 machine

The bpfis log, the bpcd log and the vssadmin writers command have been attached.

[RiaanBadenhorst]

Does it create the snapshot for the vm or not?

Also, have you selected any of the "Application backup" boxes on the VMware TAB in the policy?

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

Here is a TN with possible reasons for status 156: https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.HOWTO70949 Please check all possible causes.

[nbustarter380]

Thanks Riaan and Marianne for your replies.

Riaan,  no snapshot is created and no  "Application backup" boxes on the VMware TAB in the policy  are checked.

Marianne, I checked the TN still trying to troubleshoot

FYI - Trying to understand VM more

Best Regards

[Marianne]

Work with your VM Administrator. If no snapshot can be done on VMware side, the VM admin needs to troubleshoot.

[RiaanBadenhorst]

Hi,

As Marianne stated, please check with the VM team and try to create a snapshot. From the logs you can see its waiting for one hour to obtain a VSS Snapshot lock. 1 hour is the default but I can't see how increasing it beyond that would make a difference.

You could try the disable the quiescing of the client and see if you get a backup through that way but then you'll have a crash consistent backup only.

00:00:31.657 [9804.2628] <4> bpfis main: read_registry_dw_value for VSS_CONCURRENT_OPERATIONS: return status 2, return value 0
01:00:31.841 [9804.2628] <16> bpfis main: Failed to get VSS Snapshot Mutex lock!!

[Michael_G_Ander]

I would look in the system and application event logs for clues to the OS not been able to create VSS snapshot(s), the usual culprit is a too small shadow copy area.

Unfortunately VSS things are not always written in the event log.

Other problems I have seen cause no snapshot in windows is memory exhaustion and very high CPU load, unformat drives

[nbustarter380]

Thanks  Marianne, Rianne and Micheal,

I checked with the VM admin he said there is no backup nic available on vmware host that may be the problem. Not exactly sure what that means as far as the error I will work with the VM admins further.

Micheal, I checked the system and application event logs however I didn't see anything unusual.

Best Regards

[Marianne]

A backup NIC is an additional network card that can be used for backup traffic only. This is not applicable to VMware backup policy and in no way the issue here. The issue is with creating snapshots on the VM. Something on this VM is preventing snapshot creation. It could be a space issue as per Michael's suggestion or else an Application or database on this host that is too busy and cannot be quiescenced.

[winter_prince]

Hi,

Did you try to take VMware Snapshot of the server in question...? Please do that first.. Try with both options (with and without quiescing option)

If the snapshot doesnt work in the Vmware level itself, netbackup will not be able to take snapshots as well.

[nbustarter380]

Thanks for all your responses!

We are still working on the issue with the VM admins, The VM admin was able to take a VMware Snapshot.

Best Regards

[sdo]

1) vmx version of the VM?

2) VMtools version inside the guest?

3) Guest OS Windows 2003 R2 is 64-bit, correct?

4) Is this guest a P2V?

5) Did both manual snapshot styles work?  You were asked to try with quiesce and without quiesce.  Did both work?

[nbustarter380]

Thanks,

The end result (for now) we did below this for the vm client

Install a NetBackup client on the virtual machine and select another backup method for the policy (not the VMware snapshot method).

Best Regards to everyone!