Avamar: SharePoint VSS backup fails due to Search Service Application

SharePoint backups may fail, but no errors or warning messages are logged:

avmossvss Info <18389>: Command export-topologies failed for Search Service Application 'Search Service Application'

The SharePoint farm account specified in the dataset may have insufficient permissions to backup the Search Service applications.

It may also indicate an issue with corrupt SharePoint Search databases.

To address the issue, perform the following steps:

1. Verify that the SharePoint service account specified in the dataset is designated as a farm administrator in the SharePoint Central Administration site.

2. Grant the sysadmin role to the account in SQL Server Management Studio. Use the following URL below for instructions on how to do this:
   http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14814798/how-to-add-sysadmin-login-to-sql-server (External Link)

3. Add the SharePoint farm administrator account specified in the dataset to the local Administrators group on both the frontend and backend servers. Restart the SharePoint Server Search service to apply the configuration changes.

4. Run the command from either Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell to check the status of Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) writers:

   vssadmin list writers

   Verify that the Office SharePoint Server Search (OSearch14) VSS writer is present.

5. If it is not, then rebuilding the Search service application databases might be the only available option. For SharePoint, check the following Microsoft TechNet articles:

   • Change the default search topology in SharePoint Server
     http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj862356.aspx (External Link)
   • Create and configure a Search service application in SharePoint Server
     http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg502597.aspx (External Link)