I need a solution
I recently replaced our backup server running Backup Exec 2010 R3 on Windows Server 2003 standard with Backup Exec 2012 running on Windows Server 2008R2. I chose not to upgrade because of a few strange errors in the database that we've never been able to resolve. So I started from scratch, which I would have thought would lead to a cleaner and simpler setup. At the best, it's been frustrating. But we're there. Except that Backup Exec can't backup the backup server itself.
This was a new install of Windows Server 2008R2 SP1, fully patched. I then installed a few tools. Then I connected it via iSCSI to a Thecus N8900 which serves as disk storage for Backup Exec mostly. Then I installed XenCenter, which I used to backup and restore a handful of virtual machines--mostly for non-critical stuff. Critical backup is all handled by Backup Exec.
But it keeps getting VSS errors backing up itself. Other servers work fine.
This is a brand new Dell PowerEdge R320. The C: drive is on a Dell PERC S110 RAID controller using mirroring.
I have tried re-registering the VSS components. That didn't change anything. VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS lists the writers and does not complain of errors.
I have tried using VSSADMIN ADD SHADOWSTORAGE which allowed the backup to work once, then it started failing again.
I changed the shadow storage using the volume properties in Share and Storage Management to set a limit on the shadow copy storage rather than using no limit.
vssadmin list writers:
Writer name: 'Task Scheduler Writer'
Writer Id: {d61d61c8-d73a-4eee-8cdd-f6f9786b7124}
Writer Instance Id: {1bddd48e-5052-49db-9b07-b96f96727e6b}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'VSS Metadata Store Writer'
Writer Id: {75dfb225-e2e4-4d39-9ac9-ffaff65ddf06}
Writer Instance Id: {088e7a7d-09a8-4cc6-a609-ad90e75ddc93}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'Performance Counters Writer'
Writer Id: {0bada1de-01a9-4625-8278-69e735f39dd2}
Writer Instance Id: {f0086dda-9efc-47c5-8eb6-a944c3d09381}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'System Writer'
Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}
Writer Instance Id: {57a30596-1a50-4f58-adc1-4231c2c08664}
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'SqlServerWriter'
Writer Id: {a65faa63-5ea8-4ebc-9dbd-a0c4db26912a}
Writer Instance Id: {c9e8f0fd-ddc4-4adf-8c03-cd5fa8f4f5e8}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error
Writer name: 'ASR Writer'
Writer Id: {be000cbe-11fe-4426-9c58-531aa6355fc4}
Writer Instance Id: {38547cdf-9952-45b4-b0b9-00d2d5cd8554}
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'Shadow Copy Optimization Writer'
Writer Id: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}
Writer Instance Id: {51edec9e-48c0-44c5-9bf9-41a0f1293dc6}
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}
Writer Instance Id: {623b8096-4c1f-4e44-b30f-ff169ba80889}
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}
Writer Instance Id: {03819f02-d29d-4f78-be5c-727a94b7fabc}
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {08fe356e-d0f5-4f9d-9dff-b0da33b7fc66}
State: [7] Failed
Last error: Timed out
vssadmin list shadowstorage:
Shadow Copy Storage association
For volume: (E:)\\?\Volume{5f5003f2-7f61-4074-bf54-29a239c02bc9}\
Shadow Copy Storage volume: (E:)\\?\Volume{5f5003f2-7f61-4074-bf54-29a239c02bc9}\
Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B (0%)
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B (0%)
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: 1.599 TB (9%)
Shadow Copy Storage association
For volume: (C:)\\?\Volume{8009fb57-2dcc-11e2-89ce-806e6f6e6963}\
Shadow Copy Storage volume: (C:)\\?\Volume{8009fb57-2dcc-11e2-89ce-806e6f6e6963}\
Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B (0%)
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B (0%)
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: 46.319 GB (9%)
Here are the errors:
Log Name: Application
Source: VSS
Date: 11/29/2012 9:36:59 AM
Event ID: 8193
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: BK1.hq.gci.org
Description:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine Cannot find anymore diff area candidates for volume \\?\Volume{8009fb56-2dcc-11e2-89ce-806e6f6e6963}\ [1]. hr = 0x8000ffff, Catastrophic failure
.
Operation:
Automatically choosing a diff-area volume
Processing EndPrepareSnapshots
Context:
Volume Name: \\?\Volume{8009fb57-2dcc-11e2-89ce-806e6f6e6963}\
Volume Name: \\?\Volume{8009fb56-2dcc-11e2-89ce-806e6f6e6963}\
Execution Context: System Provider
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="VSS" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">8193</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-11-29T17:36:59.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>6373</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>BK1.hq.gci.org</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>Cannot find anymore diff area candidates for volume \\?\Volume{8009fb56-2dcc-11e2-89ce-806e6f6e6963}\ [1]</Data>
<Data>0x8000ffff, Catastrophic failure
</Data>
<Data>
Operation:
Automatically choosing a diff-area volume
Processing EndPrepareSnapshots
Context:
Volume Name: \\?\Volume{8009fb57-2dcc-11e2-89ce-806e6f6e6963}\
Volume Name: \\?\Volume{8009fb56-2dcc-11e2-89ce-806e6f6e6963}\
Execution Context: System Provider</Data>
<Binary>2D20436F64653A20535052414C4C4F4330303030313137342D2043616C6C3A20535052414C4C4F4330303030303739302D205049443A202030303030333530342D205449443A202030303030333134382D20434D443A2020433A5C57696E646F77735C53797374656D33325C737663686F73742E657865202D6B2073777072762D20557365723A204E616D653A204E5420415554484F524954595C53595354454D2C205349443A532D312D352D313820</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Log Name: Application
Source: VSS
Date: 11/29/2012 9:36:59 AM
Event ID: 12293
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: BK1.hq.gci.org
Description:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Error calling a routine on a Shadow Copy Provider {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}. Routine details EndPrepareSnapshots({c8836e49-2022-4af8-ac77-378fc1d114ff}) [hr = 0x80042302, A Volume Shadow Copy Service component encountered an unexpected error.
Check the Application event log for more information.
].
Operation:
Executing Asynchronous Operation
Context:
Current State: DoSnapshotSet
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="VSS" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">12293</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-11-29T17:36:59.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>6374</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>BK1.hq.gci.org</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>{b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}</Data>
<Data>EndPrepareSnapshots({c8836e49-2022-4af8-ac77-378fc1d114ff})</Data>
<Data>0x80042302, A Volume Shadow Copy Service component encountered an unexpected error.
Check the Application event log for more information.
</Data>
<Data>
Operation:
Executing Asynchronous Operation
Context:
Current State: DoSnapshotSet</Data>
<Binary>2D20436F64653A20434F52534E50534330303030313632342D2043616C6C3A20434F52534E50534330303030313630352D205049443A202030303030333137322D205449443A202030303030343930302D20434D443A2020433A5C57696E646F77735C73797374656D33325C76737376632E6578652020202D20557365723A204E616D653A204E5420415554484F524954595C53595354454D2C205349443A532D312D352D313820</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>