I've also got the same issue.

   V-79-57344-34110 - AOFO: Initialization failure on: "[system name]C:". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). Snapshot provider reports "Out of memory".


The System log shows this error:

   The flush and hold operation for volume C: was aborted because of low available system memory.

   For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

   Event ID 21


I'm running the latest version of 11D  6235 on a fully updated 2003 Ent. SP1. I've looking into MS's solutions and defragged and checked the memory usage (it has 8GB) and changed the boot.ini
I've updated from 10D to 11D since this problem first arose, and I've been consistently update the remote agents with every update. None of my other servers have this issue, and that includes another web server.

The error occurs on Full and Differential backups.

Message Edited by Steven Hunter on 06-03-200704:14 PM

Hello,

The condition which causes the out of memory errors are due to failures with Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Services, also known as VSS.

Backup Exec relies totally on these VSS writers to function correctly. When these shadow copy backups are performed, they are done entirely by VSS. If the writers fail, then Backup Exec consequently will fail, and report that VSS has failed.

Microsoft has the following knowledge base article on what can trigger a VSS failure which generates the Event ID 21 from VOLSNAP:

Event ID 21 is logged when you create a shadow copy backup on a Windows Server 2003-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907875

As per Microsoft, "This problem occurs because the available system memory is low. The low system memory is caused by disk fragmentation." In some cases, a hard drive defrag has been known to resolve the issue, at least temporarily.

There are also various hotfixes which Microsoft has to resolve failures with VSS.

Since VSS failing in all of these cases, there is no fix or modification that can be made within Backup Exec to resolve the issue, as Backup Exec is not the cause of the failure.

As for the failures which occur with VSS and Exchange, whenever the Advanced Open File Option is selected in a backup job which contains the Exchange Information Store, it causes the Remote Agent to call on VSS to perform an open file, or ‘snapshot’ backup of Exchange. These snapshot backups can only be performed by VSS. Deselecting AOFO from your Exchange Backups will cause the Remote Agent to perform the backup rather than using VSS to perform the snapshot backup.

Hopefully this will help provide guidance toward a resolution for all.

Collin Goolsby
Technical Support Engineer
Symantec Corporation
www.symantec.com

I have been pointed to this article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907875 umpteen times. Unfortunately if you read it you'll notice it does not apply to sp2 of w2k3. The hotfix I mentioned in my earlier post is the most up to date (as of 4th June 2007) hotfix and includes all previous vss hotfixes.
I am beginning to suspect this is simply a memory issue. It may be that the backup exec remote agent is consuming excessive memory but will have to carry out additional tests to find out if this is the case.
We are not using AOFO to backup exchange - we are using the full Veritas Exchange agent.

As per the tech note, the problem occurs because the available system memory is low, so the issue is definitely a memory issue. You will also see the following on that document:

"Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2"

Unfortunately, since this is not our application which is failing, I not could fairly explain why applying SP2 did not resolve the problem, nor would I be qualified to do so.  

If you would like our assistance in troubleshooting the memory usage of our Remote Agent service, then I would need you to call in for support so we can assist you with that, if you feel it is needed.