Backup of an Exchange Server using the Exchange APM but is receiveing an "Failed to create VSS snapshot on server" error.
Environment details...
NetVault Server Windows 2008 R2 64-bit with NVBU 8.6.1
NetVault Client Windows 2008 R2 64-bit with NVBU 8.5.3
Exchange Plugin 4.5.17 installed as cluster virtual client.
Exchange 2010
Exchange Databases are stored on the NetApp Filer and it is attached via iSCSI to the Exchange Server.
I can confirm the following error in the writers.txt file:
Writer name: 'Microsoft Exchange Writer'
Writer Id: {76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7}
Writer Instance Id: {578fc66c-bbee-4c1b-8778-653f6b3297e0}
State: [10] Failed
Last error: Timed out
I can also confirm the following messages and errors from the Binary log:
Information 2012/02/03 08:31:03 3342 Data Plugin WVPMAIL1A Selected the VSS Writers on server 'WVPMAIL1A' required for Backup
Job Message 2012/02/03 08:31:03 3342 Data Plugin WVPMAIL1A Selected the VSS components required for backup on server 'WVPMAIL1A'
Error 2012/02/03 08:31:42 3342 Data Plugin WVPMAIL1A Failed to create VSS Snapshot on server 'WVPMAIL1A'
With sub text:
VSS snapshot creation failed. Possible reasons could be:
1. A failed previous attempt of creating snapshot on databases involed
in current backup.
2. No databases in the current backup are online
3. A snapshot is already in progress.
Check Windows Event logs for possible cause of error
Error 2012/02/03 08:31:42 3342 Jobs WVPBACKUP1 Job Status: Backup Failed
This could have been a VSS issue as previous failed attempts to snapshot left shadows that conflicted with the new attempts? So we performed the following command on the Client to clear them:
vssadmin delete shadows
We also made sure that al
NetApp analysed the logs that we took from the filer and they noticed a potential problem was with the SnapDrive (a NetApp component), which they suggested upgrading to a later version. As the successfull backup of the Exchange Cluster had the latest version.
Here are the logs that NetApp provided...
From the snapdrive log:
Possible reasons: this disk is not formatted, or this disk is under delete/disconnect/restore operation. Storage system 'wvpnetapp1a', path '/vol/sdw_cl_vol_mail1a_db_0/lun_mail1a_qt', s/n 'W-ScOZi1IKam'. HRESULT 0xc0040379.
From the System Event log:
2012-02-06 14:28:38 wvpmail1a.pct.xwolverhampton.nhs.uk Service Control Manager 7034
The Data ONTAP VSS Hardware Provider service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 9 ti
From the Application Event log:
2012-02-06 14:27:55 wvpmail1a.pct.xwolverhampton.nhs.uk Navssprv 4104
ONTAP VSS hardware provider service has started.
2012-02-06 14:27:55 wvpmail1a.pct.xwolverhampton.nhs.uk Navssprv 1239
Data ONTAP VSS hardware provider is loaded.
2012-02-06 14:28:35 wvpmail1a.pct.xwolverhampton.nhs.uk Application Error 1000
Faulting application name: navssprv.exe, version: 6.3.0.4601, time stamp: 0x4c85f5e Faulting module name: USER32.dll,
version: 6.1.7601.17514, time stamp: 0x4ce7c9f Exception code: 0xc000000 Fault offset: 0x0000000000039e8 Faulting process id: 0x1a5 Faulting application start time: 0x01cce4db843621f Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\NetApp\SnapDrive\navssprv.ex Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\USER32.dl Report Id: d9abc812-50ce-11e1-93f7-002219abb26a
The SnapDrive was updated to the latest 6.4 version and all Exchange backups completed successfully.
Here's the link for Snap Drive for Windows:
http://www.netapp.com/uk/products/management-software/snapdrive-windows.aspx
Just to reiterate the fix, if you see the "Cannot create VSS snapshot" error in NVBU and the Client Event log says "The Data ONTAP VSS Hardware Provider service terminated unexpectedly" and you're running a NetApp filer is to check the version of SnapDrive on the client and upgrade it to the latest version.
