NTBackup, VSS & Shadow Copy Problem

[Mike]

We have a nightly job that runs NTBackup to dump the system state to a file,
which we then include in our full nightly backups. Suddenly one of our PDCs
have stopped backing up, we end up with a 2K file and the messages below in
the Event Log and the NTBackup log.

This did not happen before we installed SP1 this week. Both servers are
running W2K3 + SP1, but only one is having this problem, however the one
having the problem also has SQL Server installed, but I was not aware that
it was even included in the shadow copy as we do our own daily dumps of
those database anyways.

Does anyone have any advice on what to look for here? I really need to get
this nightly backup working again.

Thanks,
Michael

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Event Type: Error
Event Source: VSS
Event Category: None
Event ID: 6005
Date: 4/7/2005
Time: 8:41:45 AM
User: N/A
Computer: PSBSRV2
Description:
Sqllib error: Database %1 is stored on multiple volumes, only some of which
are being shadowed.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 2d 20 43 6f 64 65 3a 20 - Code:
0008: 53 51 4c 53 4e 41 50 43 SQLSNAPC
0010: 30 30 30 30 30 33 39 39 00000399
0018: 2d 20 43 61 6c 6c 3a 20 - Call:
0020: 53 51 4c 53 4e 41 50 43 SQLSNAPC
0028: 30 30 30 30 30 33 30 37 00000307
0030: 2d 20 50 49 44 3a 20 20 - PID:
0038: 30 30 30 30 35 39 38 38 00005988
0040: 2d 20 54 49 44 3a 20 20 - TID:
0048: 30 30 30 30 35 30 34 34 00005044
0050: 2d 20 43 4d 44 3a 20 20 - CMD:
0058: 43 3a 5c 57 49 4e 44 4f C:\WINDO
0060: 57 53 5c 53 79 73 74 65 WS\Syste
0068: 6d 33 32 5c 76 73 73 76 m32\vssv
0070: 63 2e 65 78 65 20 20 20 c.exe
0078: 2d 20 55 73 65 72 3a 20 - User:
0080: 4e 54 20 41 55 54 48 4f NT AUTHO
0088: 52 49 54 59 5c 53 59 53 RITY\SYS
0090: 54 45 4d 20 20 20 20 20 TEM
0098: 2d 20 53 69 64 3a 20 20 - Sid:
00a0: 53 2d 31 2d 35 2d 31 38 S-1-5-18

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Backup Status
Operation: Backup
Active backup destination: File
Media name: "ADSRV2.bkf created 4/7/2005 at 8:41 AM"

Volume shadow copy creation: Attempt 1.
"MSDEWriter" has reported an error 0x800423f0. This is part of System State.
The backup cannot continue.

Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:800423f0
Aborting Backup.

----------------------

The operation did not successfully complete.

----------------------

[AppliedTime]

I've also just started receiving this error since applying SP1. I found a
similar article ID of 828481, but its for an older version of ntbackup. I
may try calling microsoft back tomorrow and reference this ID again for a
hotfix, and hopefully they can list this as a new bug. I'm on windows 2003
ent sp1, with sql std 2000 edition.

[Mike]

Our configurations sound very simular. We are running Windows 2003 Standard
SP1 and SQL Server developer edition.

Please let me know what you hear back from MS on this, if you need any
second opinion information, feel free to contact me.

Thanks,
mike

"AppliedTime" <Appli...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4F830198-A677-46F5...@microsoft.com...

[SCJ23]

Same problem here.

I have got a resolution from microsoft Product support.

It is a bug with SP1. The resolution is as follows.

Option 1 or Option 2. I found option 2 easier as option 1 requires a server
restart and will mean AD DB & Log are both on C: drive.

1. Moving the AD log files back to the default location (“C:”).

2. Select “D:” (or a file in that volume) to force a shadow copy on it.
This, in turn will suppress the NTDS writer error. (I created a dummy text
file on the drive where my NTDS Log files were and included in the backup
set.)

The likely reason behind those error messages is that AD is configured such
that it keeps the databases and the logs on separate volumes.
The AD writer (NTDS) will report an error if you try to create a shadow copy
set that has one of the volumes but not the other.
The problem is that in this configuration (AD databases and logs are on a
different volume) NTBackup doesn't pick up the correct set of volumes.
By selecting system state, NTBackup requests for a shadow copy to be created
on the boot volume.
By the time NTBackup requests for the location of the AD database and logs,
the shadow copy has already been created.
Thus, NTBackup will not create a snapshot on “D:”.
This throws the NTDS writer off, thinking that NTBackup is not going to pick
up all its data on D: thus causing an error.

Derek Nathan
----------------------------------------------------

[Mike]

> 2. Select "D:" (or a file in that volume) to force a shadow copy on it.
> This, in turn will suppress the NTDS writer error. (I created a dummy
> text
> file on the drive where my NTDS Log files were and included in the backup
> set.)

Thank you! I tried the option 2 by specifying d:\temp\ntbackup.dummy (a
single byte file I created) on the command line and the backup made is all
the way though the system state backup this time. Its a strange thing to
have to do, but it really does seem to work.

thanks again,
mike

[olec]

I got same problem, I tried option 2 the same way! It works!!

Thank You

Ole

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[James White]

There is more to the solution than meets the eye

Check your scheduled Jobs,
they must reference a bks file in the form "@c:\pathname\filename.bks"
If your job is in the form
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntbackup.exe backup systemstate /n "Monday... you need
to change it to
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntbackup.exe backup "@c:\pathname\filename.bks" /n "Monday

When you apply the changes, you will probably need to add the job password
again.

Next
Use NTBACKUP to load that bks selection file, and in the selections, as well
as SYSTEM State ticked, a file on the same drive as your ADLOGs must be
ticked, optionally tick a dummy file on all drives. If you were not using a
selections file before, you need to save thse selections and go back to step
1 above to reference this file - note the "@" is ESSENTIAL, or you will just
backup the bks file.

Next
Test run your sheduled Job

I note that the Job type should be normal or copy e.g." /m normal" in the
scheduled job command line, otherwise if the file is not changed since the
last archive the attribute will not be set and this MAY cause the file to be
ignored and the System state to fail as well as no shadow was created- I am
not sure.

[Eduardo Petizme]

Hello,

I had almost the same problem.
"Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy: 8004231f"
I had tried the second option of SCJ23 but doesn't work
Can you help me?
--
Eduardo Petizme
IT Pro Administrator
Sao Paulo / Brazil

[henrique]

Hi, I habve a similiar problem. I cannot backup any file at all from NTBACKUP
I get the following error report:

Backup Status
Operation: Backup
Active backup destination: File

Media name: "imperador-system.bkf created 12-08-2005 at 11:19"

Volume shadow copy creation: Attempt 1.

Timeout before function completed

Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:0xffffffff.

Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:ffffffff
Aborting Backup.

----------------------

The operation did not successfully complete.

----------------------

ANybody can help (SBS2003 with SV1 W2003)

[Isaac Koch]

When selecting another file on the volume that holds the Acitve Directory log
files, I selected the folder containing the AD log files, and the backup was
then successful.

[Tonton]

Henrique,

We have the same NTbackup problem on Windows 2003 standard edition.

Have you managed to find a solution to your/our problem? If yes, do you mind
letting me know hwo to resolve it?

Thanks
Kind regards

[znak2001]

Hi All,

We had Windows2003 server std edition which was running SQL2k
database.
I used to backup only D drive as the sql backup files were there.
Last night i installed sp1 for windows and started getting the above
error on ntbackup.
Since we have 3 logical drives C,D,E
i had to select 1 file each from each drive for backing up and then the
backup was successful.

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[richnyc]

I am just using the "Automated System Recovery Wizard" backup. I'm
afraid I'm not so facile with the Active Directory and where it backs
up.

Is there a simple solution for using just the wizard?

RichNYC

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[squeakstar]

Just had this same problem as you guys on windows server 2003.

Tried all your suggestions, apart from one, but prob a language issue
as some of one response included garbled text on my pc, anyway...
here's how i got round the issue and got ntbackup chugging along
again....

in the shadow copy settings of the c drive, even the though c drive
(systemroot) wasn't using shadow copies for previous versions, i
changed the settings so it would save shadow copies to a different
drive other than itself. Then having checked it was working ok with
backup again, changed it the shadow copy settings of the volume back to
the drive itself.

NTBackup is backing-up now as i write - yay!

squeak squeak

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