Cannot determine status of probe process - backup fails

Question

If someone could help me with this one you would earn guru status. I have a call into EMC support but they have not been able to solve it.
One client is a new install of XP and has always failed with the following messages (in verbose savegrp mode):

"Cannot determine status of probe process. The log file is empty."
"Probe unexpectedly exited."

I have (sucessfully):
- turned all firewalls off
- uninstalled & reinstalled the client
- Checked client res/servers files for backup server name
- Checked name resolution (it's fine)
- rpcinfo -p reports nsrexec running (both ways, client & server)
- recreated the client entry in NMC
- client PATH env variable is good
- deleted the NSR Peer info

The network connection goes through one switch and the other clients backup fine.

I am at the end of my rope short of reformatting the drive and starting over.
Any other sane ideas?

SteveS-ie8_8 · Answer

Oh, and client initiated backups work although an index is not always written.

dk3 · Answer

Did you try to connect to XP Client on Networker's TCP Port 7937 with telnet or something? Did you try to use some network sniffer to see where your traffic is going to? Do you see any messages in daemon.log? I'm sure these questions have been asked by EMC already but you did not share much information

tfaucille3 · Answer

- Are client and server in the same version ?
- Have you test with a tracert Client to server , server to client that the route are the same ?
Have try to use the hosts files only for the backup ?

Have you check if your XP have disk full ?

Try to run your nsrexecd in debug mode ( nsrexecd -D4 in a dos box) ...
You maybe find a clue ...

SteveS-ie8_8 · Answer

The client and server are the same version.
I ran a trace route on both systems, pretty short path
The disks are not full.
Have run job with just the hosts file enrety (no DNS)
No change on any of the above
Did not sniff the wire. I will do that.
Trying to run nsrexecd in debug mode. Can report that.

Tried telnet to the port. Got some characters back but not sure what to expect.

I did try running the savegrp from the server with this:
savegrp -vvv -D9 -c client -G group
There is a lot of info but comaring it to a good one shows this:
Cannot determine status of probe process. The log file is empty.
probe unexpectedly exited

Nothing log wise on the client.

I can run the savefs from the client and it works. (manual backup to the server).

legata · Answer

Did you try running a manually backup from the client side. If manually client backup is successful, and not successful from the server side? I suggest deleting the CFI. It is possible that you might have corrupted keys.
Also, verify your DNS entry to resolve DNS.

ble1 · Answer

Does it fail at save or savefs level? Also, since index is saved by server itself it may suggest issue in not on the box but rather server in index for that client. You could easily check that doing indexless backup (has to be set on pool level).

aduffy1 · Answer

Steve, did you ever get an answer on this. I am having the same problem.

dgreggs1 · Answer

On the XP client check the NTFS permissions on the 
sr\applog and nsr\logs directories. Make sure Local SYSTEM has at least read/write on the directories and the files.Is the XP firewall turned off, at least for testing?

prsmail · Answer

Can u pelase check ur sevices.Networker service Logon Tab has to be starting with the Local Account.

2dam · Answer

Hi Guys,I am too having the same problem and have done the following:I have (sucessfully):- turned all firewalls off- uninstalled & reinstalled the client- Checked client res/servers files for backup server name- Checked name resolution (it's fine)- rpcinfo -p reports nsrexec running (both ways, client & server)- recreated the client entry in NMC- client PATH env variable is good- deleted the NSR Peer info- Checked that the nsrexecd service is started under the Local System account.- I have renamed the index folder for the client on the server to .old and tried again with a fresh folder but still no luck.Anyone found the answer?Thanks2dam

Jiju1 · Answer

HI,
DId you install the Networker User in the client machine , If yes try to take a backup from the client (networker user) , if there is any problem you can easily identify the problem which has been showing if the problem is there . And kindly check the Hosts name i.e., c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts . Add an entr of your server as Ip address FQDN Alias name . make this entry in the server also . Then try it out and let me know the status . if not resolved in this , Remove the Networker user and delete the nsr folder and reboot the machine install it again freshly and do the process which i have explained .

Rajesh

Seickert · Answer

Hello Steve,Did you ever get a solution to this issue? I have the same issue affected several clients (NetWorker 7.2.x and 7.4.4 Client running on Windows)

DavidHampson · Answer

There are two possible causes of this problem - firstly a network related issue - it is not clear whether you have checked everything both from client AND server.

Secondly and I would suspect more probably there is an issue with the savefs process running on the client - the savefs is what is ran during the probe to determine the file systems on the local machine. I would suggest checking first of all whether you can run the savefs command can be ran locally on the client:

savefs -p -s servername

And see if this is successful; if not post the results here.

Sometimes clusters can do weird things during the probe but I didn't think you can cluster XP?

saleesh1 · Answer

What Networer version are you running?

PeterBen · Answer

just to let you know that possible cause of this error might be that NETWORK does have NTFS permissions set to DENY on the networker folders on the client

NetWorker

Cannot determine status of probe process - backup fails

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