NetWorker: NMSQL Error "Invalid SQL virtual server name 'client'", "Invalid option -A"
Summary: This issue occurs when using SQL Agent cmd Job or sql management studio.
Symptoms
Clustered SQL Server backup fails with error:
29100:(pid 2480): Invalid SQL virtual server name optype=pit
38563:(pid 2480): Invalid option -A
Cause
SQL Agent cmd or sql management studio sets up an incorrect environment for nsrsqlsv to run in. They setup the environment so that it views the 'virtual host' name as if it is a physical standalone system.
With this configuration nsrsqlsv -a tries to interact and work with the information it expected. It treats the cluster as if it was a standalone system, but due to the environment, it finds a cluster and not a physical machine. It complains about an invalid configuration as it cannot find the configuration expected. A cluster should appear and act like a cluster.
Resolution
Do not run nsrsqlsv -a over SQL Agent cmd Job or sql management studio.
If client backups are needed, then use the windows Scheduler, this should use the standard environment variables.
Additional Information
If the command is run in an SQL Agent cmd without the -a and the instance treats the 'virtual host' as if it is a standalone in the backup command the backups can be run but there are other side effects when doing this. The recovery process also checks and identifies the structure and will not recover as it cannot recover a clustered instance to a standalone.
When you use the command nsrsqlsv, you are doing a VDI-based SQL backup. Snapshot should be enabled only when you are doing a VSS-based SQL backup.