Full HyperV Backup - Symantec Backup Exec (any version)

i'm sure favourite topic, wondering if shed light on situation.

we have customer has server 2008 r2 .vhd 1.46tb in size, , fixed disk.  they have 150gb spare on drive seemed enough.  we have had occasional full hyperv backup tape, every other day fails following in backup exec (now 2014):

"v-79-40960-38521 - snapshot technology: initialization failure on: "vrtsrv::\\hg-2008-std\hyper-v?virtual?machine\hg-2011-sbs". snapshot technology used: microsoft volume shadow copy service (vss).
virtual machine snapshot not created.  use event viewer on hyper-v host identify cause.  if virtual machine not configured, may necessary use event viewer in virtual machine identify cause."

in event log of virtual machine itself, there 1 vss error, of i'm told can safely ignore, resolved anyway:

"error: netlocalgroupgetmemebers(spfarm), 0x80070560, specified local group not exist."

i have following error on physical host each time run backup:

"failed create backup of virtual machine 'hg-2011-sbs'. (virtual machine id a5185adc-f34b-4898-927c-784ebc23ea1b)"

symantec it's vss writers (apart 1 support technician admitted product joke) microsoft it's symantecs issue.  i'm inclined believe microsoft in case, i'm getting , our customer isn't getting reliable backup of whole vhd.

is due having less 10% free space on physical host or backup exec being usual self?  does hyperv require have percentage of space free on physical machine process?

for further troubleshooting: happens when windows server backup configured vm backup , ran?

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lenora moss technical support engineer, smb partner support, symantec corporation www.symantec.com

surprise surprise, works fine :-)

ok, have resolved (kind of)

having ese errors when backup tries run , fails after. points exchange vss errors leads down wrong path.  after hours of following false leads, found sharepoint can bibizarrely create these errors after installing sp1 , not running.  i ran following command:

psconfig.exe -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -force -cmd applicationcontent -install -cmd installfeatures

...which resolved of these errors, still got ese information store shadow copy instance aborted errors.  at point, i'm still thinking it's corrupt exchange store and/or logs, suggested microsoft.

long story short, after digging, came across article suggesting check sql writer service permissions having local administrator, , not local system account, decided disable service installed on domain controller doesn't have local admin account use suggested in articles.  all of sudden, in business!!  ese vss events logging , i'm performing full image backup finally.

 

although seems microsoft issue, fact veeam backed fine, along windows server backup, still point be.  i still don't consider resolution because had customer used sql on server (they use sbsmonitoring , instances) there wouldn't backup of sql available can utilize grt, have perform maintenance plans , have added backup routine dr.

hope helps else having these issues.  i advise moving logs manually within exchange drive if have used sbs wizard move actual database, doesn't move logs way.  i've seen other backup software fail reason not give hint issue was.

Windows Server  >  Hyper-V