Re: Ntbackup seems not to start properly 30 to 50% of the time.


"Donald Campbell" <Donald@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"Donald Campbell" <Donald@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"Donald Campbell" <Donald@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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Ntbackup seems not to start properly 30 to 50% of the time.


I have a simple script running from scheduler. The script runs
as
expected, however, the ntback command in it does not always run
properly.

When it fails to run the log file is always empty and has a time
stamp
33
minutes after the start of the script. Also when it fails there
are
no
entries for ntback in the event log.

This happens on two separate Win2003 R2 server machines.

There is a mention in technet that someone being logged in can
cause
random failures. In the case of these machines no-one is logged
in
and
it
is almost every other run that fails.

Anyone any ideas?

Don C


=====
Script:


echo %date% %time% Start of B02 >> D:\ServerBackups\BKlog.log
echo User=%UserName%, Path=%path% >> D:\ServerBackups\BKlog.log

ntbackup backup "@D:\ServerBackups\CFP-BK01.bks" /m normal /P
"4mm
DDS" -j "CFPBackup" -d "CFPBackup" /v:yes /r:no /l:s /rs:no
/SNAP:off
/um

echo %date% %time% End of B02 >> D:\ServerBackups\BKlog.log

=====
Log:

10/04/2008 19:30:00.23 Start of B02
User=Administrator,
Path=C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\Program
Files\Intel\DMIX;C:\Program Files\Gemplus\GemSafe Libraries\Bin;
10/04/2008 20:03:02.37 End of B02


Since this happens quite often, you should try and watch what
happens. Set the scheduled backup time to some reasonable
hour, then start a console session a few minutes before the
scheduled start time, making sure to log on under the same
account as the one used for the scheduled job.

This is a frequent subject in this newsgroup and your feedback
would be appreciated.



Just been away for 5 days holidays, during which time the backups
on
the
two servers failed.

Each night the script ran as a scheduled task, but the ntbackup
routine
itself did not. Again it just seems to think about running for 33
minutes
and then exits. However, there is no entry in the event log.

Last night I RDC into each server in turn and waited. Both backups
ran
without any problems!

Don C



I built a small test server and using AT instead of Windows
Scheduler,
I
had the script successfully run 6 backups per day for the last three
days.

However, in the live environment it still failed, again with this
strange
33 minutes in which ntback does not start properly.

Today I re-booted both live servers and this evening the backups are
running!

Dare I breath? I am sure that one could die of frustration.


Don C


It would appear that a re-boot allows the backup to complete once.
Last
night worked fine. This evening, again a 33 minute gap, no entry in
the
backup log and no "ntbackup" entry in the event log.

Don C

This observation should enable to to sit down in front of the
machine and observe what's going on when it fails.



The particular machines are 25 miles away.
When I watch via RDC, they work.

Don C


A pragmatic solution might be:
- Launch a Remote Desktop connection shortly before the
backup is due to start. You can do this with a scheduled
task. AFAIR, you can use an rdp file that has the password
embedded as a hash value.
This approach will keep your backup going for a while.
- When you get the time, travel to that site to observe the process.



Being on-site for the backups is unfortunately not an option, otherwise
it
would have been done.
The Building is shutup tight at that time.

I was considering just not logging out of the RDC session and seeing if
that had the same effect as being connected.

Don.


Move the backup schedule!



= User disruption, business loss

Don


Mhm. How about running the job while the users are still logged
on? You need to be a little flexible!


.

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  • Re: Ntbackup seems not to start properly 30 to 50% of the time.
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  • Re: Ntbackup seems not to start properly 30 to 50% of the time.
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    ... Ntbackup seems not to start properly 30 to 50% of the time. ... I have a simple script running from scheduler. ... Just been away for 5 days holidays, during which time the backups on the ... I built a small test server and using AT instead of Windows Scheduler, ...
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