Backup Exec 12.5 failing to backup Hyper V virtual machines

To re register vss dlls :

1. Open a command prompt and change directories to \WINDOWS\system32
2. net stop vss
3. regsvr32 ole32.dll
4. regsvr32 vss_ps.dll
5. Vssvc /Register
6. regsvr32 /i swprv.dll
7. regsvr32 /i eventcls.dll
8. regsvr32 es.dll
9. regsvr32 stdprov.dll
10. regsvr32 vssui.dll
11. regsvr32 msxml.dll
12. regsvr32 msxml3.dll
13. regsvr32 msxml4.dll
14. Start the Volume Shadow Copy service by running "net start vss"

Again , run 'vssadmin list writers' .  If any of the results have a status of 'failed,' then you may need to restart the server for the DLL registration to take effect.  

http://www.isi.cc/nreeves/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=16

Hi
I ran LiveUpdate yesterday as the backup on the server was failing as soon as it started.  I
checked LiveUpdate today and there are no new updates for Backup Exec.  I also ran Windows
Update on my virtual machine and the physical Hyper V host are both up to date.  The virtual and
physical servers both have plenty of free space. I am using a 60 day eval version of Backup Exec
12.5 which has the agent for MS virtual servers included (not sure if I need to install a separate agent on the virtual machine?)

I ran 'vssadmin list writers' and there were no errors listed.  I then Re-registered the VSS
dll's as you described above anyway, just in case it helped. I did get the following errors when
re-registering some of the files:

The module "eventcls.dll" was loaded but the call to DLInstall failed with error code 0x80000ffff

The module "es.dll" was loaded but the entry-point DllRegisterServer was not found.  Make sure that "es.dll" is a valid DLL or OCX and then try again.

Also, msxml.dll and msxml4.dll were not found, only msxml3.dll was found and re-registered successfully.
 
I ran 'vssadmin list writers' again and again it reported no errors.  I then restarted the Hyper V server and ran the backup again.  The backup still fails but now I get this error:

Error category    : Other Errors
Error             : 8004230c - 0x8004230c (2147754764)
For additional information regarding this error refer to link V-79-32772-8972

The article referred to in the link relates to the VSS service not starting.  I started this service before the backup job ran, but after the backup errored I noticed that the VSS service had stopped again.

Did you tried restarting after re-registering ?

Try to restart and create a test job ?

Have you checked that you have the BE virtual agents installed in your Hyper-V guests ?

I did restart the server after re-registering the DLL's.  I did a test backup which completed successfully, however a full backup of the server including the virtual machine which resides on it fails.

I have just come across this document which looks useful:

http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/other_resources/bother_resources_be_12_5_amvs_faq_102008.pdf

 I have not had a chance to read through it all yet.  But I did check that I don't have any dymamic disks on my virtual machine which is one of the problems the document highlights.

The link you provided is not found, can you attach the pdf file here, please.

Successful backup of what ?

Did you tried to backup just the vm ? when you install remote agent for virtual servers then it allows you select content inside it (directories/partitions etc) did you tried running that ?

Also, is backup exec installed on that same server ? is it inside a vm or on the host ?

what kind of disks do you have in your vms ?

have you done a physical pass through for the disk to be attached to the vm or is it a scsi ?

I right-clicked on my original backup job and selected 'Test Run' and that completed successfully.  I then created a backup of the Hyper V server minus the virtual machine and that failed with the same error I've already mentioned, I then created a backup of just the virtual machine and that failed with the same error.  

Backup Exec is installed on the Hyper V host not the virtual machine. I am running the agent for MS virtual servers in Backup Exec installed on the Hyper V host server, I have the Granualar Recovery Technology option selected.  I am using only local internal storage in the Hyper V server.  I have created 5 virtual hard disks for the virtual machine, 3 are attached as IDE and 2 as SCSI

Im backing up to tape (HP Ultrium 4 SCSI).  All partitions have more than 2GB free.  

I rebooted the server and ran the "vssadmin list writers", no errors reported and the Hyper V VSS writer is listed.

I did not have a backup agent installed on the virtual machine but I have now installed it and I did a full backup of the virtual machine including the SQL database running on it using the agent and the backup completed successfully.  

I have just done a full backup of the Hyper V host server but this still failed with the 8004230c - 0x8004230c (2147754764) error already mentioned.

So the vm itself with SQL gets backed up successfully ;

we can try a few things

First of all check this on the host server :

ensure that Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service (SWPRV) and the Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) services are running. To do so, click Start > run> type services.msc and hit Enter.

In the Services control panel, locate Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider and Volume Shadow Copy. Double click on both services, and set the Startup type to Automatic. By default, the Startup type is manual, and Windows will automatically start them when needed. Set to automatic startup will ensure that the services are always loaded when Windows boots up. If the services are currently disabled, click on Start Service button to start the services immediately.

Once you have made sure these services are set to automatic, reboot (if possible) or start the services ;

create a backup job of just the host server (excluding the vms) include, system state, shadow copies and post the results ; it should work.

The Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service is not installed on my server, any idea how i can install it?

Read the following link and try the procedure again which we did earlier in this thread ; if you still don't see Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Service in services.msc then move on to the next link to download the hotfix.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winservergen/thread/413d4cbe-feb1-4a29-b07f-28e4c80ee814

===========================================

Go on to the following link and download / install the hotfix, read through the instructions carefully so you know what you are doing.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971394

The basics of vss : http://blogs.technet.com/josebda/archive/2007/10/10/the-basics-of-the-volume-shadow-copy-service-vss.aspx

Hope this helps

I re-registered the DLL's and booted the server and Shadow Copy Provider service was showing on the server.  I have done a backup of the server minus any Hyper V elements and the physical drive where the virtual machine files are located, but including the system state and vss components and the backup completed successfully.  

I will try a full backup of the Hyper V server including the Hyper V/VM elements when I get in next week.

Thanks.

It will work fine now ! (hopefully :-) )

Best of luck for next week, keep us posted

Hi, I tried to do a full backup of the Hyper V server including the Hyper V component and got the following error:

Backup- VRTSRV::\\SERVER01.mydomain.com\Hyper-V?Store\Initial Store V-79-57344-65233 - AOFO: Initialization failure on: "VRTSRV::\\SERVER01.mydomain.com\Hyper-V?Virtual?Machine\VIRTUALSERVER01". Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

Snapshot provider error (0xE000FED1): A failure occurred querying the Writer status.

Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.

Writer Name: Microsoft Hyper-V, Writer ID: {66841CD4-6DED-4F4B-8F17-FD23F8DDC3DE}, Last error: 0x80042319, State: Failed during freeze operation (9).

Can you confirm what you have got selected :

When you double click on your JOB and the property sheet for the job appears, then under "Advanced Open File Option" what settings you have ?

Also, if the server hasn't been rebooted since you got this errors, can you type vssadmin list writers and check through if you see errors and on which ones.

or you can vssadmin list writers > vsswriters.txt and attach it here

The Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer now doesn't come up when I run the "vssadmin list writers" command.  I re-registered the DLL's but it still does not show up, I will restart the server tomorrow and see if that fixes it, although the Hyper V writer does seem a little tempramental and I don't think I will be backing up the virtual machine using this method as one of the virtual machines I am backing up is running SQL so I have to back this up via the backup agent installed on the virtual machine itself in any case.

I have done a full backup of the Hyper V server (selecting everything except the Hyper V backup component) and configured the same job to back up the virtual machine via its backup agent and this job completed successfully.

I've decided to backup my virtual machines using backup agents installed on the virtual machines themselves instead of using the Hyper V agent installed on the media server, as it has proved to be temperamental.  Also I'm only backing up 3 machines and one of those is running SQL, which according to Symantec documentation I have to backup via the locally installed agent anyway.

For the SQL VM, you would have to install the SQL Agent as well on the media server, its activated via the licenses and allows you to see sql databases and select them in your selection lists.

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/System_Utilities/Q_24108652.html

Suggested solution didn't completely solve my problem, I used an alternative backup method of backing up the virtual machines with remote agents installed inside the virtual machines and did not use the virtual agent installed on the media server.

The backup agents that are installed on the VMs are basically pushed by the media server ;

You can try to create separate jobs as you have mentioned, but you were getting errors as you never had the vss installed/activated which we did along this post.

As soon as you had the vss installed and running your hyper-v backups worked fine and so as the sql ones.

I run a terabyte job every night on a Hyper-V Server backing up to tape with 3 VMs and the host ; it works fine and completes, the only time I get these errors are when I am running low on disk space.

Also, sometimes AOFO (Advanced open file options is selected) i have tried deselecting it and it still uses it but works fine ;

The agents are basically activated via the licenses and then when you install the agents they are pushed to the VMs.

So, Your comment :
"Author Comments:
Suggested solution didn't completely solve my problem, I used an alternative backup method of backing up the virtual machines with remote agents installed inside the virtual machines and did not use the virtual agent installed on the media server."

I do not totally agree with that :-) how can you not use the virtual agents installed on the media server and use the agents on the vm itself ; basically, as I have mentioned, Agents for SQL, exchange, virtual servers are activated via licenses and then pushed by the media server allowing those databases and vms in the selection list.

I am sure you would be able to do a full back up fine once you have checked your Job Properties ;

a) Try deselecting Advanced File Option and check the results
b) Try selecting Advanced File Option and select Microsoft VSS Writer.

Hope that helps

Hi mutahir,

Still having problems here unfortunately....

I have tried to restore the vhd. files of one of my virtual machine but although the backup says it completes successfully and the files are selected in the backup, it doesn't seem to be backing up any of the .vhd files or virtual machine config files on the same drive.

As stated previously I've had to try backing up the drive containing the virtual machine's .vhd files through a Backup Exec agent pushed out to the virtual machines from the media server, as I could not get a successful backup using the Agent for Microsoft Virtual Servers installed on the media server.  We have been through re-registering the VSS files previously, which I've done a number of times on the server but every time I run a job with Hyper V agent installed on the media server I get the same error (e000fed1 - A failure occurred querying the Writer status).  I've run the backups with the Advanced File Option selected and deselected with the same result.

You mentioned about licenses... I have a licensed copy of Backup Exec and the SQL agent, but the Hyper V agent (or Agent for Microsoft Virtual Servers) is running under the 60 day evaluation period, I don't want to pay for a license for it until I can verify that it is going to work.

So basically I need one solution:
1, get the backups of the .vhd files working via the agents running inside the virtual machines
or
2. get the Agent for Microsoft Virtual Servers installed on the media server to complete a backup successfully.

Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Basically, the agents are activated via the licenses options in BE Media server and then pushed out to the virtual machines.

Then, when you create a job selection list, it will show you the virtual machines as individual servers so you can select deselect any directories as you may wish from the virtual servers.

you may already have read through the file attached but if you haven't , do read it.

I will post more on this from home.

Hi, yes I've read the document previously.  I think I've got to the bottom of what is going wrong with the Hyper-V agent on the media server...  

I was speaking to a friend about this and apparently when you enter a license key into Backup Exec it helpfully silently (thanks Symantec...) disables any agents running under eval licenses.  So on my media server I had installed licenses for Backup Exec and the SQL agent I still thought I hsd x-number of days remaining on my 60 day eval license for the Hyper-V agent.  I can't say this is definately the problem as I have ordered a paid for license for the Hyper-V agent and will test it again once I have that.