System State backup fails and stops VSS Writers running

Created: 04 Oct 2012 | Updated: 06 Oct 2012 | 6 comments

Backup-exec user Partner

This issue has been solved. See solution.

We have Backup Exec 2010 running on a Windows Server 2008 64-bit.

System State backups are failing with the following info:-

Backup- WELLDONPF - AOFO: Initialization failure on: "System?State". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

V-79-10000-11226 - VSS Snapshot error. The Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshot provider selected returned: "Unexpected provider error". Ensure that all provider services are enabled and can be started. Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.

The further info it gives is:-

- AOFO: Initialization failure on: "System?State". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

The following volumes are dependent on resource: "C:" .

Before the backup runs, all the VSS Writers are fine:-

vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool

Writer name: 'System Writer'

Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}

Writer Instance Id: {a1db88db-8adb-4c0d-bdff-8c889802e652}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'SqlServerWriter'

Writer Id: {a65faa63-5ea8-4ebc-9dbd-a0c4db26912a}

Writer Instance Id: {61bc2c2a-9ddb-4484-98ea-f42f14660175}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'ASR Writer'

Writer Id: {be000cbe-11fe-4426-9c58-531aa6355fc4}

Writer Instance Id: {aca2c32d-733f-4aaf-b3f1-4fc5a5c74120}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'FRS Writer'

Writer Id: {d76f5a28-3092-4589-ba48-2958fb88ce29}

Writer Instance Id: {d164abc6-1d87-490b-8fea-c3f89e2b3af3}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Registry Writer'

Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}

Writer Instance Id: {9d64378f-d88a-4a46-ae57-6cc5a86754f1}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Dhcp Jet Writer'

Writer Id: {be9ac81e-3619-421f-920f-4c6fea9e93ad}

Writer Instance Id: {b10f1fc9-64c6-47a5-a858-e9a820711719}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Shadow Copy Optimization Writer'

Writer Id: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}

Writer Instance Id: {6c54a055-8fd4-46f1-9171-0930cbf0289e}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'

Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}

Writer Instance Id: {7742e4ae-4a9d-4668-997e-fd819178d96d}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'BITS Writer'

Writer Id: {4969d978-be47-48b0-b100-f328f07ac1e0}

Writer Instance Id: {58009ed3-d725-4bf4-a28b-222ea6264e78}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'NTDS'

Writer Id: {b2014c9e-8711-4c5c-a5a9-3cf384484757}

Writer Instance Id: {f41d7ef2-6990-4af6-83c3-9d7bd0c67d26}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'

Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}

Writer Instance Id: {e03814e6-d4d8-4949-85a3-70bc725c04d8}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

After the backup, a number the VSS Writers also fail:-

vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool

Writer name: 'System Writer'

Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}

Writer Instance Id: {a1db88db-8adb-4c0d-bdff-8c889802e652}

State: [7] Failed

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'ASR Writer'

Writer Id: {be000cbe-11fe-4426-9c58-531aa6355fc4}

Writer Instance Id: {aca2c32d-733f-4aaf-b3f1-4fc5a5c74120}

State: [7] Failed

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'SqlServerWriter'

Writer Id: {a65faa63-5ea8-4ebc-9dbd-a0c4db26912a}

Writer Instance Id: {61bc2c2a-9ddb-4484-98ea-f42f14660175}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'FRS Writer'

Writer Id: {d76f5a28-3092-4589-ba48-2958fb88ce29}

Writer Instance Id: {d164abc6-1d87-490b-8fea-c3f89e2b3af3}

State: [7] Failed

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'BITS Writer'

Writer Id: {4969d978-be47-48b0-b100-f328f07ac1e0}

Writer Instance Id: {58009ed3-d725-4bf4-a28b-222ea6264e78}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'

Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}

Writer Instance Id: {e03814e6-d4d8-4949-85a3-70bc725c04d8}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Dhcp Jet Writer'

Writer Id: {be9ac81e-3619-421f-920f-4c6fea9e93ad}

Writer Instance Id: {b10f1fc9-64c6-47a5-a858-e9a820711719}

State: [1] Stable

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'

Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}

Writer Instance Id: {7742e4ae-4a9d-4668-997e-fd819178d96d}

State: [7] Failed

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Shadow Copy Optimization Writer'

Writer Id: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}

Writer Instance Id: {6c54a055-8fd4-46f1-9171-0930cbf0289e}

State: [7] Failed

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Registry Writer'

Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}

Writer Instance Id: {9d64378f-d88a-4a46-ae57-6cc5a86754f1}

State: [7] Failed

Last error: No error

Writer name: 'NTDS'

Writer Id: {b2014c9e-8711-4c5c-a5a9-3cf384484757}

Writer Instance Id: {f41d7ef2-6990-4af6-83c3-9d7bd0c67d26}

State: [7] Failed

Last error: No error

The writers can be fixed by re-registering their DLLs, and then restarting the COM+ and VSS services (or by restarting the server). However, when the System State backup runs again, they fail again.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Discussion Filed Under:

Backup and Recovery, Backup Exec - 2010, Backup Exec, Backing Up

Comments RSS Feed

Comments 6 Comments • Jump to latest comment

Backup-exec user Partner

System State backup fails and stops VSS Writers running - Comment:04 Oct 2012 : Link

I tried using SGMON.EXE to debug what is going on. However, there is so much information that I'm not sure what to look for.

This bit seemed relevant:-

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:16] [4608] MakeValidVolumeName:

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:16] [4608] volume=[\\?\Volume{f5de5a2c-8188-11e0-aa37-806e6f6e6963}] and vol_name=[\\?\Volume{f5de5a2c-8188-11e0-aa37-806e6f6e6963}\]

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] VssSnashotVolume::PrepareToSnapVolumeSet() - done. LastError_: 0

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] VssSnashotVolume::SnapVolumeSet() - calling DoSnapshotSet.

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] VssSnashotVolume::SnapVolumeSet() - waiting for snap to complete...

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] VssSnashotVolume::SnapVolumeSet() - snap complete with hr1: 0

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] Error (0x8004230f) from VSS - VSS_E_UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] after calling function: Async Status from IVssBackupComponents::DoSnapshotSet

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] VssSnashotVolume::SnapVolumeSet() - QueryStatus failed with hr2 error: 8004230f

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] VssSnashotVolume::SnapVolumeSet() - done. LastError_: 8004230f

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] Error SnapshotBackupEngine::snap_file_systems failed.

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] ndmpdSnapshotPrepare2: Snapshot error. ErrorCode: 0x8004230f ErrorLevel: 2 Error Src: 2

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] ndmpdSnapshotPrepare2: sending reply...

BENGINE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [7000] ndmpcSnapshotPrepare2: Snap shot error. ErrorCode: 0x8004230f ErrorLevel: 2 Provider: 2

BENGINE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [7000] Exit NDMPSnapHostBackupEngine::SnapSingleVolume

BENGINE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [7000] Enter NDMPSnapHostBackupEngine::TrackSnappedBSD

BENGINE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [7000] Exit NDMPSnapHostBackupEngine::TrackSnappedBSD

BENGINE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [7000] Exit NDMPSnapHostBackupEngine::ProcessBSDs

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] VSS AbortBackup called successfully

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] Error (0x80042301) from VSS - VSS_E_BAD_STATE

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] after calling function: IVssBackupComponents::BackupComplete

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] Detach from System?State

BKUPEXEC: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [0013] [Info] VSN received: type = ACTJOBEX_UPDATE

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] Detach from Shadow?Copy?Components

BKUPEXEC: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [0013] [Debug] VSN is a MODIFY

BEREMOTE: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [4608] Informational: Component - Path: '' IDs: {542DA469-D3E1-473C-9F4F-7847F01FC64F}|{7742E4AE-4A9D-4668-997E-FD819178D96D}

BKUPEXEC: [04/10/12 08:03:17] [0013] [Debug] VSN added to queues

Is there anything else I should look for?

pkh Trusted Advisor

System State backup fails and stops VSS Writers running - Comment:04 Oct 2012 : Link

You can try explicitly selecting the VSS as the provider.

Since you are using Server 2008, you should not re-register the VSS dll's. See this document

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH173983

Backup-exec user Partner

System State backup fails and stops VSS Writers running - Comment:04 Oct 2012 : Link

Hi pkh

Thanks for your suggestion. I note your comments about re-registering the DLLs.

The backup did not have the Use Advanced Open File Option ticked. I have ticked it as suggested, and chosen the MS Software Shadow Copy Provider.

However, it failed again with the same error. Do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks

pkh Trusted Advisor

System State backup fails and stops VSS Writers running - Comment:04 Oct 2012 : Link

Have you tried the trouble-shooting steps in the document that I have referenced earlier?

Backup-exec user Partner

System State backup fails and stops VSS Writers running - Comment:05 Oct 2012 : Link

Hi there

I have been working through the article you linked to.

However, the majority of the articles seem to describe problems which are different to the one I am having.

VSS Writer Errors:

1st link- the Microsoft article 826936 talks about timeout errors, this is not what I'm seeing.

2nd link - This link does not seem to work - it just says The URL you've tried isn't returning content.

MS VSS Fixes and Updates:-

Windows Server 2008 & SP2

975928 - parallel backups - I only 1 backup running so this probably doesn't apply.

975688 - snapshot corrupted - the snapshot doesn't even get created.

983425 - many volumes - Only 3 volumes on this server.

953531 - stop error 0x0000007E - no stop errors.

However, by chance I happened to enable the Shadow Copy feature for the C drive. I believe this is disabled by default when Windows is installed. None of the other servers I support have this option enabled on the C drive.

The test backup I was running just doing System State now runs ok. I am trying a full backup to see if that completes as well.

I will update this call when I know the answer.

SOLUTION

Backup-exec user Partner

System State backup fails and stops VSS Writers running - Comment:06 Oct 2012 : Link

Backup works fine with Shadow Copy enabled for C drive, including System State.

Will leave it like this.

System State backup fails and stops VSS Writers running

Comments 6 Comments • Jump to latest comment

Would you like to reply?

Links