Re: NtBackup hangs during scheduled backups

From: Dale Unroe (dale)
Date: 06/11/04 

Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 17:55:32 -0400

Additionally when I go and "view log" for Scheduled Tasks there are these entries:

"Daily M-TH 11PM.job" (ntbackup.exe)
 Started 6/10/2004 11:00:00 PM
"Daily M-TH 11PM.job" (ntbackup.exe)
 Finished 6/10/2004 11:00:15 PM
 Result: The task completed with an exit code of (0).

Really clueless as there are no other backup schedules. Last evening when I watched the task scheduler (remotely) it started up ntbackup but failed to activate and rewind the tape (exactly reflected in the above log timetable). Well I wanted to retest it so I rescheduled it for later times and did that multiple times with the same results. This would have resolved things if there was some kind of timing conflict at 11pm. Yes, I also know there are no error logs. Seems kinda lousy of Microsoft to make a program that not only doesn't work but doesn't log failure information. I am running this from the Start Menu Tree though I have previously tried using the "run" command, as well as, SBS Backup.

As I stated before, the ShadowCopy service is showing up as being stopped (hard to tell if this is always this way though as your description was that it starts on its own sometimes under unknown and untraceable circumstances). This service is set to Automatic and I've set it to restart every 10 minutes when it fails. From what was written earlier this doesn't seem to be the problem. Again when I run NTBackup wizard and run a backup "now" it works fine. This is how I am doing backups now and my wife and I would both enjoy not having to babysit the server at 11pm. :P

As I explained before the SBS Backup routine doesn't provide functionality so that I can sufficiently daily backup Exchange Mail Stores, SQL Server Databases, and the System State, plus all the other systems files and stored user data. I would absolutely be satisfied if there were some way to do this but from what I've read you can do either System State or Exchange but not both. Since SBSBackup tries to do both the VSS fails and reverts effectively nullifying the benefits of VSS. It's hard to believe this was supposed to be acceptible for someone fully utilizing the provided Server services bundled with SBS2k3. ...but I digress and it's late on Friday

Have a good weekend ...maybe someone will think of something over next couple of days :)

Cheers,
Dale
  "Les Connor [SBS MVP]" <les.connor@DEL.cfive.ca> wrote in message news:Ox1Exo$TEHA.3660@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
  Allthough - you should be getting some ESENT ShadowCopy events in the app log right after sbsbackup starts.

  In your logs, ntbackup isn't starting.

  If this is a scheduled event, do you enter a username/password, and is it valid ?
  Are there other scheduled events (specifically backup events) scheduled to run at the same time ?
  You may try deleting them all if they exist, and then try sbsbackup wizard, which will create a scheduled backup.

  --
  Les Connor [SBS MVP]
  -------------------------------------
  SBS Rocks !

   
    "Dale Unroe" <dale at designeers dot com> wrote in message news:OUHloa$TEHA.3988@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
    Here what little information is contained in those three Event Viewer logs:

    Security: Nothing at all
    System: Information entries at scheduled backup time of 11PM (4 total)
      1.. 11:00:01 PM Service Control Manager, Event 7036, User N/A - The Removable Storage service entered the running state.
      2.. 11:00:01 PM Service Control Manager, Event 7035, User System - The Removable Storage service was successfully sent a start control.
      3.. 11:00:45 PM Service Control Manager, Event 7036, User N/A - The Removable Storage service entered the stopped state.
      4.. 11:00:45 PM Removable Storage Service, Event 98, User N/A - RSM was stopped.
    Application:
      1.. 11:00:15 PM Userenv, Event 1524, User Administrator - Windows cannot unload your classes registry file - it is still in use by other applications or services. The file will be unloaded when it is no longer in use.
      2.. 11:00:46 PM Userenv, Event 1516, System - Windows unloaded user S-1-5-21-29354526-522077381-1502503827-500_Classes registry when it received a notification that no other applications or services were using the profile.
    So what do you think?

    Thanks,
    Dale

    "Les Connor [SBS MVP]" <les.connor@DEL.cfive.ca> wrote in message news:uudfDD$TEHA.3660@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Dale,
>
> Have a look in the event logs (application, system, and security) and post
> the relavent errors.
>
> --
> Les Connor [SBS MVP]
> -------------------------------------
> SBS Rocks !
>
>
>
> "Dale" <dayton_dale@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uyzevU%23TEHA.3660@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> > As I said I am able to use the tape and drive no problem but the only way
> it
> > works is by using ntbackup manually. It will not run properly as a
> > scheduled task nor by selecting the scheduled task and telling it to
> "run".
> >
> > Thanks for the earlier tips.
> >
> > So what are your thought on what this other guy and myself are both
> > experiencing?
> > "Sean Daniel [MSFT]" <seanda@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:ug11rv9TEHA.3404@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> > > Hi Dale,
> > >
> > > The SBS Backup utility is designed with novice vaps in mind. We found
> > > through our studies that most people just weren't doing a backup
> > > (surprising, but true, these people are probably not the people you see
> in
> > > such newsgroups :) ). Because of this, the simplicity and lack of
> control
> > > in the wizard is by design. For experts, we still assume you can
> continue
> > > to use NTBackup. In fact, you can modify the
> > "%sbsprogramdir%\backup\small
> > > business backup script.bks" file using NTBackup and have SBS backup run
> > the
> > > script of your choice. Keep in mind it will run the same thing every
> day,
> > > thus your breaking system state into a weekly thing still won't be
> > possible
> > > using this concept. However, system state is typically quite small in
> > > comparison to other applications, so it shouldn't matter too much.
> > >
> > > Warning: Keep in mind that if you modify the small business backup
> > > script.bks file, you may be on your own for the restore, meaning our
> > > documentation might not work anymore.
> > >
> > > To answer your question about the VSS Service. This service only runs
> > when
> > > necessary. You'll probably notice a few services doing this now and
> more
> > in
> > > the future. This is primarily for your protection. If the service
> > doesn't
> > > need to be running, it stops itself to reduce the attack service on the
> > > server to prevent hackers from using the services in malicious ways
> > (should
> > > they get onto your server)
> > >
> > > For your actual failure regarding not mounting of the tapes, can you try
> > > going into RSM (my computer, right click, manage, removable storage) and
> > > moving your tapes into the FREE media pool. Perhaps the tapes are stuck
> > in
> > > some fashion.
> > >
> > > Please let us know how it goes.
> > > Sean
> > >
> > > --
> > > Sean Daniel
> > > Windows Small Business Server
> > > http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs
> > >
> > > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> > rights.
> > > "Dale Unroe" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > > news:C367CC88-ECD8-46DA-8B35-1112866E184F@microsoft.com...
> > > >I too have been having this strange problem. I have also noticed that
> > > >although Volume Shadow Service is an "Automatic" service and is set to
> > > >recover on failure by restarting it is always stopped when I check the
> > SBS
> > > >2003 Server Management Monitor. At first I tried using the built in
> > > >"Backup" utility but soon realized it was trying to both backup System
> > > >State and Exchange Data Stores with the Volume Shadow Service and VSS
> can
> > > >only do one or the other. The "Backup" utility doesn't allow for
> > exclusion
> > > >of System State (which I am happy to do weekly under a seperate
> routine)
> > so
> > > >I've turned to NTbackup for better control. It's unfortunate the
> > "Backup"
> > > >utility wasn't better designed as its integration with the server
> > reporting
> > > >sure is a useful feature.
> > > >
> > > > I've applied the KB831664 patch yesterday with no change. It's funny
> in
> > > > that if I go to Task Scheduler, select the Daily Backup routine, and
> > "run"
> > > > it with a right click the tape never mounts; however if I run the the
> > > > NTbackup wizard it will mount the tape and rewind reliably.
> > > >
> > > > Please if someone knows a solution help us out!
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

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