[RESOLVED] Backup fails quickly when using VSS - Succeeds with Do Not Use VSS selected - SBS 2011 Essentials
Hello All
Just completed a client's migration from an old 2003 SBS to 2011 essentials about 3 weeks ago. Fresh install, new domain & user accounts, just copied data files over. Server roles are Active Directory, Fileserver, Print server. Thats it. No applications, no sharepoint, etc.
Client is dragging his feet on my suggestion for Acronis but we got the trial of ABS 11.5 installed on Friday. Server is a Dell tower with a Raid 1 (2 x 2TB drives) partioned into an OS (C:) and Datapart1 (D:) drives. Presently just trying to get an image of the OS (C:) drive.
Downloaded and install went fine. Created a vault for backups to be stored, which is on a 3TB INTERNAL SATA 3 hard drive. It's been partitioned in two, one to store images (I:) and formatted using the 512k cluster / block size.
Initially all backup attempts failed. Error example is posted below, but references VSS. Using administrator account to run jobs. Verified its specified correctly in all Acronis Services. And pulled up the Acronis User guide and verified the account meets all security / permission requirements.
I ran command: "vssadmin list writers" all came back with no error. I ran command: "vssadmin create shadow" and a shadow copy of the C: drive was created successfully. I do not see any VSS errors in the event logs. Server has been restarted several times and backups are being run after-hours when no users are in the office.
Under the backup options section, VSS subsection, the backups will fail no matter what snapshot provider option I select. *BUT* if i select DO NOT USE VSS then the backup completes fine with no errors or warnings.
I would really like for the MS VSS provider to work with acronis as I need to ensure that the backups are intact and usable. But I'm not sure how big of a deal this is (selecting the Do Not Use VSS).
I have read through several posts but mostly just came up with sharepoint stuff which is not installed on this server as far as I can tell. I also tried searching the Acronis KB for the Error code string but it said there were no results.
...I don't even know if I can contact tech support with a trial and I doubt I'll be able to get the client to commit to a $500+ purchase on the 'hope' we'll get it working...
Can anyone provide some insight on this for me?
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Log Entry Details
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Type: Error
Date and time: 12/15/2012 10:18:21 PM
Backup plan: Server OS Backup
Task: Incremental backup
Code: 20,250,685(0x135003D)
Module: 309
Owner:
Message:
Command 'Backing up' has failed.
Additional info:
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Error code: 61
Module: 309
LineInfo: 4a8728dc8a1c950f
Fields: $module : service_process_vs_32308
Message: Command 'Backing up' has failed.
--------------------
Error code: 3
Module: 329
LineInfo: 1cd98aae889424f9
Fields: $module : disk_bundle_vs_32308
Message: Backup has failed.
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Error code: 1060
Module: 1
LineInfo: b43e776571144dec
Fields: $module : disk_bundle_vs_32308
Message: Failed to commit operations.
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Error code: 33
Module: 7
LineInfo: a5695862aaf8e699
Fields: $module : disk_bundle_vs_32308
Message: Failed to create volume snapshot.
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Error code: 50242
Module: 16
LineInfo: 14181c22ef45b107
Fields: $module : disk_bundle_vs_32308
Message: Failed to start creating the volume snapshot.
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Error code: 9
Module: 0
LineInfo: 2aacb7b2ab852ac
Fields: code : 2147754767, $module : disk_bundle_vs_32308
Message: The shadow copy provider had an unexpected error while trying to process the specified operation.
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Acronis Knowledge Base: http://kb.acronis.com/errorcode/
Event code: 0x0135003D+0x01490003+0x00010424+0x00070021+0x0010C442+0x00000009+0x8004230F
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Issue resolved here.
Hello ChCoHa,
Thank you for posting this message in our forum. I am happy to assist.
First I want to thank Colin B for supporting you.
Please check out this article first, if this solve your issue. If not, please take a look into the application log of Windows (Start -> Run -> eventvwr.exe) if there are more errors. In most contitions you can solve this problem by eliminating these errors.
If you need additional assistance, you can contact support. You will find all available support options in our Customer handbook.
If there is anything else we can do for you, please let me know.
Thank you.
Colin & Peter
Thank you for responding to my post. The article posted does not apply to my situation and there are not errors in the event logs that apply to the failed VSS snapshots.
I'll proceed with contacting support and post as much information as I can about the resolution.
So with a trial I have access only to Email and Live Chat support, no phone support?
My 2 hour chat session with Acronis was less that satisfying. First, I was told that I could call phone support, even though that option was greyed out for me on the support website. ?? Confusing, Acronis, confusing...
I got the tech remote control access to the server. We did discover two errors in the application log pertaining to VSS at the exact same time that Acronis tries to back up. But they don't make any sense to me. Acronis tech basically told me VSS needs to be re-registered and that it's not a problem with the software. However (as stated initially) I ran command: "vssadmin list writers" all came back with no error. I ran command: "vssadmin create shadow" and a shadow copy of the C: drive was created successfully. Does that not mean that VSS is working correctly?
I have no information on "Re-registering VSS" but I'll google it later. For now I'm going to put Acronis aside and run the bulit in Windows Server backup once to see if it completes without issue. I know it uses VSS and if it completes without error I think that's pretty definative proof that VSS is working correctly. Furthermore, this server is not even 30 days old and I find it very hard to believe that VSS is already hosed...
Open to any thoughts on this. Oh, and here are the two errors that I found in the application log. This is what the tech claimed was indicating that VSS is not working:
Modified by Moderator: - Delete the eventlog message from post and attached it as txt file.
Hello ChCoHa,
Thank you for this post.
Unfortunately, I was not able to find your case. You possible used another account for this. Can you provide me the used account or case number? I prefer to drive the existing case for you.
If you have any concern to address to our support management, please mail to our Managers.
If there is anything else we can do for you, please let me know.
Thank you.
Peter
Yes it was under my client's account not this one. I do not have the case with me at the moment, but I will PM you the registered email account that was used to get the trial key and open the case I referred to.
BTW - A full windows backup completed successfully overnight, including system state, all client computer backups, data, etc. without error. Unfortunately this has reformatted the internal backup hard drive I was using for acronis so the one successful backup has been erased. I'm not concerned, just more of an FYI. I know we will have to reformat that drive to try an acronis backup again, which is fine. I really just wanted to see if the backup completed.
Sending PM now.
Peter here is the case: 01760112
Hello Chris,
Thank you for the additional information you've provided.
The VSS errors from application event log you have posted earlier with the error message "Cannot find anymore diff area candidates" means that the VSS does not have enough space in shadow storage for the shadow copies it is trying to create. Recreating the shadow storage should resolve the issue with creating new shadow copies when the old ones cannot be deleted.
You can check whether the shadow storage is activated and how full it is for each volume with the following command:
vssadmin list shadowstorage
To recreate the storage, go to My Computer - Right click on any volume - Shadow Copies. Deactivate the storage for each volume. Confirm that shadow copies can be deleted. Then create the storage for each volume you backup. Make sure to provide enough space for the shadow copies (at least 15% of the volume size).
Check that backups with Acronis Backup and Recovery now run correctly. In case issue persists, please collect the output of the following commands:
- vssadmin list shadowstorage
- vssadmin list shadows
and the new application event log.
Let me know if you have additional questions.
Thank you.
Thank you Dmitry! This has resolved the error and a full backup of the OS (C:) drive completed successfully.
Indeed the shadow copy storage for the C drive was full. I followed your steps exactly, deleting the existing storage then I increased it (and the Data (D:) drive) to 20% of their max size.
I really do appreciate the help. I have only 1 day left on the 2 week trial, I wish I had more time to let it run but I'm happy that we were able to get at least one successful backup before the trial ends. Thank you all, again.