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June 11th, 2015 09:00

VSS missing system file...NOT SOLVED

Hi you all,

I have a Windows 2008 Microsoft Cluster with 2 physical nodes and 1 CSV. Networker Server 8.2.1. Networker Client 8.2

When I make an ALL backup in both nodes, the active one completes successfully, but the passive one does not. It shows me a message like this:

88224:save: The base volume for the path is unavailable or offline.  Please ensure all volumes are online for backup operations.

88222:save: Could not add for backup.

WINDOWS ROLES AND FEATURES: ERROR: VSS failed to add components in pre save, writer=System Writer: The system cannot find the file specified. (Win32 error 0x80070002)

98193:save: Unable to save the SYSTEM STATE save sets: cannot add all the system state writers to the snapshot.

This happens because path F:\IBM....is in the Clustered Volume, so only Active Node can see it. So Passive node fails.

I have this configurations:

  • Backup Command =  save -a '"ignore-all-missing-system-files=yes"'
  • SaveSet:

C:\

D:\

DISASTER_RECOVERY:\

Any help or suggestions??

2 Intern

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14.3K Posts

June 11th, 2015 11:00

It happens due to reference in registry on passive node.  Try to remove that one (but write it down 1st as you wish to make sure that during failover it is created as well - if not, you have issue with entry which is seen as critical and therefore reported for backup regardless if there or not and top of it - it would not get created when switching nodes).

4 Operator

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1.3K Posts

June 12th, 2015 00:00

This is because the binary tomcat5.exe is registered as a service on the current server and the system state backup is trying to access this file to get it into the backups.

You can check this by going to Start -> run -> msinfo32 -> Software Environment -> Services.

If the service on the F drive is listed, then you might have to add a registry to exclude this binary from being backed up. below is the registry key details

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SystemWriter\ExcludedBinaryPaths

SystemWriter - Key

ExcludedBinaryPaths - Multistringvalue

The complete path to the file that to be listed under  the "ExcludedBinaryPaths" values.

2 Intern

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14.3K Posts

June 12th, 2015 02:00

Is that wise?  As then it would be excluded also when node is active leading to a situation where DR backup would not recreate it.

2 Intern

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14.3K Posts

June 12th, 2015 03:00

I'm not sure about that... because registry instruction will be read nevertheless.  So, if you say skip A on passive node... it will be skipped. Now, imagine there is failover and active node backup works fine, but it skips A.  I assume if you do DR, you would expect data to be back including cluster stuff which would include service definition and data defined by A.  I think only proper solution is to have MSCS remove entry during failover (or add it based on action is performs).

4 Operator

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1.3K Posts

June 12th, 2015 03:00

This happens only during the backup of the physical nodes, the best practice still says that the cluster node backups should be taken as a separate instance, which means the backup of the cluster node should contain this file as the file is on a shared disk.

I hope i got it right H.

4 Operator

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1.3K Posts

June 12th, 2015 04:00

i guess SERVIDORESBISCAYTIK can help test this !

June 12th, 2015 05:00

I think that if we change the Registry adding this exclusion, it will not backup this file never, even if its the active node...so this can not be the solution (i guess...)

The thing is that why we can avoid this problem when it is incorrect uninstall of software (avoiding the file, or crating a dummy file), but when its a cluster, we can not do anything...

Anyway, I will try this next week and post the results:

Cause

The following error always appears when performing a DISASTER_RECOVERY backup for a  passive physical node.
The issue is when backing up DISASTER_RECOVERY some of the critical files are on shared volume and the volume can only be accessed through a single node at a time (active node).

Resolution

A) Add the following system environment variable to the client:

NSR_INITIALIZE_DIRECTIVE=TRUE


1. Right click on "My Computer" (or "This PC") and select "Properties".
2. Advanced System Settings.
3. Click on "Environment Variables".
4. On "System Variables" create the following variable:

Variable name: NSR_INITIALIZE_DIRECTIVE
Variable value: TRUE

5. Click OK to create the variable.  This may require a node restart.
6. Review the following registry key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SystemWriter\ReportWin32ServicesNonSystemState.

If it is not set to 1, then set it to 1.
NOTE: On Windows 2012 R2 this registry key doesn't seem to exist. If this key is not present, the default value is 1, so there is no further action needed.

B)   Update the NetWorker client resource and add the following syntax to the "Backup operations" field:
VSS:NSR_SYS_WRITER_WIN32_SERVCOMP_USER=yes
Thanks..

4 Operator

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1.3K Posts

June 12th, 2015 06:00

June 14th, 2015 23:00

Still didn't reboot servers. It will take 1 week (permissions, advises,........ bureaucracy, you know...)

4 Operator

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1.3K Posts

June 14th, 2015 23:00

SERVIDORESBISCAYTIK, any luck after using NSR_INITIALIZE_DIRECTIVE ?

June 15th, 2015 00:00

Hi Carlos,

We have configured like that: 3 clients, 2 of them physical nodes and the third one is the virtual one, who takes virtual disks..

The thing is that if I launch a backup of passive node, and there is a file in Cluster Disk that system think that is critical for backup, it will try to backup that file. As the passive node does not have access to the file, bakup fails.

1.7K Posts

June 15th, 2015 00:00

Hi,

As an alternate approach, you can always specify the savesets manually on the physical nodes, and create a new client entry for the virtual client, and set the shared disks as saveset for the virtual node...this will eliminate any issue while backing up the shared disks on the passive node.

Thank you,

Carlos

2 Intern

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14.3K Posts

June 16th, 2015 13:00

I think what Carlos was referring to is to create manually ssids for pure file system where you don't backup SYSTEM save sets (so, no DR).  You can either use that approach or all_ntfs saveset which I think might also work.

34 Posts

June 16th, 2015 23:00

Hi,

We've been using the ExcludedBinaryPaths workaround in our clusters for years without issue as described here:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/980794

It only affects the VSS SystemWriter as the registry key location indicates, so it doesn't exclude the file(s) during backup, but they are excluded from the SystemWriter. This workaround doesn't require a reboot, just the added key.

Regards

Rickard

June 17th, 2015 07:00

Ok, finally we did it.

The thing is that described in this article that you tell me https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/980794 is what it has to be, but we did not apply the asked hotfix first... we only make the Registry change, and it does not work if your system does not have the hotfix applied. This hotfix is installed in Service Pack, but we didn't have it installed.

So, install hotfix (reboot is required) and change Registry (no reboot needed) and voilá! It worked!

In Windows Server 2012, it works as well if you follow my 7 post steps.

So we can say that finally we managed to handle with VSS of all scenarios.

Thank you all!!!

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