C: and D: drive backups fail with VSS issue

David,

There are many causes for VSS errors - and, to be honest, most of them are Microsoft related.

Below is a list of VSS articles that  I have gathered from Microsoft.  Please review them to see if any apply.  NOTE: if you choose to follow any of these articles, it is your responsibility to be sure that apply to your environment. ALWAYS be sure you have a valid back of the systems to which you are applying any updates.

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Windows Server VSS issues:

Below are some articles that should be reviewed by a Windows server administrator. These articles pertain to VSS and possible issues that may occur.

Knowledge base articles - known Windows 2003 VSS issues:

A Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) update package is available for Windows Server 2003 - Last Review: July 2, 2010

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833167

Exchange VSS backup fails on an Exchange Server 2003 server - February 20, 2010

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924262

Various issues may occur on a Windows Server 2003-based computer that is running the Volume Shadow Copy Service - April 27, 2010 - April 27, 2010

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940032

Exchange Server 2003 data backup and Volume Shadow Copy services

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822896

Knowledge base articles - known Windows 2008 VSS issues:

VSS snapshot creation may fail after a LUN resynchronization on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 - November 25, 2009

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976099

Backup fails with VSS Event ID 12292 and 11 on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 - January 20, 2010

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2009513

No VSS writers are listed when you run the “vssadmin list writers” command in Windows Server 2008 R2

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2009550

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2009533

Windows 2008 R2 64-bit backup failed

http://solutions.emc.com/emcsolutionview.asp?id=esg108377

General VSS articles to review:

The backup process may fail and a time-out error may occur in Volume Shadow Copy Service writers

http://www.winserverkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/windows-server-sbs/77862/VSS-Writer-errors-during-backup

Event ID 9840 or 9607 is logged when a VSS backup operation fails in Exchange 2007 or in Exchange 2003

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930800

Best Practices for Using Volume Shadow Copy Service with Exchange Server 2003

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996004(EXCHG.65).aspx

Error message: "Not enough server storage is available to process this command"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/106167

Let us know how you make out!

Mark

David Browning wrote: Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002] Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

...that's either Vista SP2 or win2k8 SP2.  (hopefully second one)

Check http://kb.backupassist.com/articles.php?aid=2967 According to that article there are workaround steps and also a note this has been fixed for win2k8 in KB950267 (but it does not say anything about SPs and seems to indicate you should see this if cluster service is active only).

Searching for code in erro you got returns whole fan club of people having this sort of problem, but it turns around as this message can be triggered by different causes as they were able to fix it with different patches. 

One thing is sure though:

>> 4226:save: Invalid VSS Save Operations state value of off . <<

- this probably relates to your attempt to disable VSS for C and D drive.  That's not possible under recent Windows versions as per Microsoft.  So remove that.  Once removed, try again and post the error here.  Also, try to see if when running save from CLI on client side you can recreate the problem.

This is a known issue currently being investigated by both EMC and Microsoft.  The following is a quick synopsis of this issue and is being reviewed via NetWorker escalation, NW127845...

Problem:

The backup of local partitions fails on a W2K8 (R2) client.

Symptoms:

• The NetWorker backup of a local partition fails with the following error…
  

Suspected Cause:

The Forefront 2010 VSS writer does not contain a restore method, which is a specification required by Microsoft.  Since NW queries for VSS property, the backup exits as it lacks the handling to progress past the error returned (0x80042308).

Work Around:

1. Stop the Forefront services before performing a backup (savepnpc).

2. Perform a backup using Windows Server Backup, then perform a backup of that imagine file via NW.

NOTE: These work arounds are not typically received all that well and should be relayed appropriately.

Please review the following Microsoft articles:

Knowledge base articles - known Windows 2008 VSS issues:

VSS snapshot creation may fail after a LUN resynchronization on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 - November 25, 2009

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976099

Backup fails with VSS Event ID 12292 and 11 on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 - January 20, 2010

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2009513

No VSS writers are listed when you run the “vssadmin list writers” command in Windows Server 2008 R2

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2009550

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2009533

Windows 2008 R2 64-bit backup failed

http://solutions.emc.com/emcsolutionview.asp?id=esg108377

If you decide to use any of the information in these articles, it is solely your responsibility to ensure they are implemented correctly.

Mark Bellows

lee wrote: you will need to update to a min of 7.6.1 no workaround will work good. Problem is how Networker is see it and handles it.  MS moved the shadow to the beginning of the OS from the end of the OS and Networker programmers are 2 year late in understanding and coding the change. MS told the backup vendors this years before they did it and EMC did nothing as normal then they just wait until the customers call and write complaining, before they do anything. You can also go to 7.6.2 if you want to be in the Beta yes now EMC is calling it RA but it is just a Beta to me... Beta comes out then it is release as a GA and EMC did not release it as a GA so it is still a Beta.

If the issue here is what Duncan has explained, then it does not matter what version of NW you would use. It would be pure incompatibility based on system requirements by VSS framework and what has been done by one of system applications.

you will need to update to a min of 7.6.1

no workaround will work good. Problem is how Networker is see it and handles it.  MS moved the shadow to the beginning of the OS from the end of the OS and Networker programmers are 2 year late in understanding and coding the change.

MS told the backup vendors this years before they did it and EMC did nothing as normal then they just wait until the customers call and write complaining, before they do anything.

You can also go to 7.6.2 if you want to be in the Beta yes now EMC is calling it RA but it is just a Beta to me... Beta comes out then it is release as a GA and EMC did not release it as a GA so it is still a Beta.

FYI,

From EMC support:

I have taken ownership of a SR you were working on with my colleague Armando.  I have reviewed the SR and see that you are being affected by an issue that is already being worked on by the Development team.  I have added your SR to the Affected Customers list in escalation NW127845.

As of today, we have already opened a case with Microsoft.  We discovered that the Forefront VSS writer that gets installed with the product (Forefront 2010) lacks all the necessary VSS specifications outlined by Microsoft themselves.  Therefore, their own writer is lacking VSS components that NetWorker queries for when starting a backup.  It is this lack of components that causes the backup to fail.

Currently, we are waiting to hear backup from the Microsoft Development team on this issue.  As soon as I have more details on this issue from them, I will update you accordingly.  Unfortunately, I have not been given a ETA or expectation of when the issue will be resolved.  I am working with Microsoft to get this information.

Please feel free to Reply if you have any questions/concerns moving forward.  Thanks,

Duncan Ramjass

Hi Duncan

What is the status of this case now,  NW127845. WE do have a customer with the same probem unable to recover the R, C and D disks.

Svein-erik