Avamar: SharePoint VSS backup fails with no errors in the log

Summary: Knowledgebase (KB) article that provides troubleshooting steps for SharePoint backup failures with no errors in the log.

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Symptoms

The SharePoint backup fails but no errors are recorded in the log: 
avmossvss Info <13978>: Terminating plugins running on the back-end severs...
avmossvss Info <9772>: Starting graceful (staged) termination, Error occurred during backup. (wrap-up stage)
avmossvss Info <15602>: Final summary generated subwork 14, canceled/aborted 14, snapview 0, exitcode 536870919

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- END avmossvss log 2014-02-14 17:09:09 Eastern Standard Time  (0 warnings, 0 errors, 0 fatal errors)
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Cause

  1. The configuration database server may be registered in the Central Admin site as <SQL hostname\SQL instance>
    • Example:
      • Server alias:  MOSSDEV
      • Server name and SQL instance:  EMCSQL\DEV01
    • The SharePoint plug-in is unable to resolve the SQL alias name to the SQL server hostname. This occurs even if a Domain Name System (DNS)
    • CNAME record for "MOSSDEV" that resolves to SQL backend "EMCSQL" exists.
  2. The SharePoint farm administrator account in the dataset has an incorrect or expired password.
  3. The databases are not in full compatibility mode with the SharePoint Server software. Alternatively, there was a recent SharePoint software/patch installation.
    • This can be confirmed by running the following procedures:
      1. Log in to the Web frontend and application servers (if applicable) using the SharePoint farm administrator account
      2. Open SharePoint Management Shell (run as Administrator).
      3. Run the following command:
(get-spserver $env:computername).NeedsUpgrade


If the result of the command is TRUE, then the SharePoint components on the web and application servers in the farm must be upgraded.

Resolution

1. Create a SQL alias on the frontend and application servers in the SharePoint farm to resolve the alias name to the "SQL server hostname\SQL instance" format. This SQL alias matches how the SQL database backend is registered in the SharePoint farm.  

Below is an example of a SQL alias using the above above-mentioned format:

example of a SQL alias using the above above-mentioned format 

2. If the password or user account is incorrect in the dataset, retype the values for either the username or password.  

3. Run the SharePoint Configuration Upgrade Wizard on the web and application servers.  

Alternatively, run the following command using the SharePoint Management Shell to accomplish the same thing:
 

PSConfig.exe -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -force


Either method should be run after business hours, as it makes the farm temporarily unavailable during the process.

After the process is done, re-run the below command and the result should be FALSE:
 

(get-spserver $env:computername).NeedsUpgrade


 

Affected Products

Avamar
Article Properties
Article Number: 000169772
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 31 Jan 2025
Version:  3
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