SharePoint 2013 Shadow Copy issue

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lyonrouge

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#119200 24-May-2013 07:58

Has anyone else encountered an issue with Shadow Copy after installing SharePoint 2013? I first tried it on a clean install Windows Server 2012 guest on a 2008 R2 Hyper-V host and it caused the host to crash (pretty cataclysmic). I've performed another fresh install on a Windows Server 2008 R2 guest, thinking it was some new integration issue with WS2012 guests on a WS2008R2 host, however it's happening again.

I'm using the Windows Server Backup software on the guest and SharePoint 2013. When the backup kicks off, the underlying Hyper-V host crashes and reboots.

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#824899 24-May-2013 17:53

I can't see how a guest can cause a host to crash

Any event logs?

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insane

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#824903 24-May-2013 18:07

Did SP2013 install a new VSS writer? If so try disabling it. I only play in a large VMware environment, but have seen similar issues where 3rd party vss drivers can cause issues with snapshots.

lyonrouge

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#825132 25-May-2013 09:46

nathan: I can't see how a guest can cause a host to crash

Any event logs?

I too was extremely surprised. Both installs did it, one on 2012 guest, the other on 2008. No events, I'm guessing because it's a hard crash.

Disabled Windows Server Backup on the guest and crash has stopped.

lyonrouge

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#825134 25-May-2013 09:47

insane: Did SP2013 install a new VSS writer? If so try disabling it. I only play in a large VMware environment, but have seen similar issues where 3rd party vss drivers can cause issues with snapshots.

I believe it does, can you advise how I would find it? From some of the articles I've read it appears to use VSS as a communications interface.

lyonrouge

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#826821 28-May-2013 09:59

Installed SharePoint 2013 on another Hyper-V in the same configuration (VSS full) and this does not crash which in a way is annoying as it is only repeatable on the production tin.

mrdrifter

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#826918 28-May-2013 12:22

Sorry, can't say I have run into that, I've made twenty plus installs across Server 2008 R2 and 2012, none of the Hyper-V based hosts have experienced any issues as you describe. We haven't been utilising the Windows Server Backup Service though and this is potentially where an issue is occurring as SharePoint I believe will replace/change the existing configuration, the SharePoint 2013's VSS service shouldn't be started by default (as its only used when using the SharePoint Backup/Restore). So possibly a conflict in there.

These types of issues are always the worst ones to troubleshoot as well.

lyonrouge

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#827152 28-May-2013 16:09

I don't think anyone uses Windows Server Backup in real production environments. I use it in my Lab environment becuase it's included in the servers.

lyonrouge

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#874968 10-Aug-2013 09:27

nathan: I can't see how a guest can cause a host to crash

Any event logs?

I moved the guest to another Hyper-V host that has never crashed since installation and it fell over inm 18 hours. I get a 644MB memory dump that visual studio can't open.

lyonrouge

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#874970 10-Aug-2013 09:31

Note: I'm moved it onto a host where it is the only guest operating system. It's been allocated half of the hosts RAM so there is plenty of headroom on the host in regards to memory.

lyonrouge

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#875009 10-Aug-2013 11:01

This SharePoint instance has the TFS extensions installed. I'm will install a clean SharePoint instance, without the extensions and let them run side by side for a while.

lyonrouge

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#896188 16-Sep-2013 09:21

It appears it is a shadow copy issue, i.e. backup, but not SharePoint 2013. I had created the SharePoint server with the default backup schedule (21:00), however, my Exchange Server had the same default. Split them to different backup times and it appears it's actually the Exchange Servers backup that is occasionally (one a fortnight or so) causing the crash.

lyonrouge

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#917310 19-Oct-2013 11:12

A month down the line and I've not had another crash. I now have a backup register for HV so that no guest performs a backup at the same time as another VM.

lyonrouge

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#919505 22-Oct-2013 07:57

No, not the answer, reinstalled SharePoint 2013 on Windows Server 2012 with all updates (incremental March & August) and the crashing returns. The crash occurs during backup process, but unpredictable as to which VM guest backup with exhibit it, Exchange the night before and a terminal server last night, the only commonality is the return of SharePoint 2013 combined with Server 2012. I have other 2012 servers and I've had SharePoint 2013 on Server 2008 R2, however it appears this magical combination brings storm of despair.

mrdrifter

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#919507 22-Oct-2013 08:21

It's sounding pretty painful, I have multiple installs on 2012, but haven't experienced this. We have DPM running on a very large client site that hasn't exhibited any similar symptoms utilising the VSS engine. Must be something magical about that one particular combination.

lyonrouge

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#919568 22-Oct-2013 10:20

mrdrifter: It's sounding pretty painful, I have multiple installs on 2012, but haven't experienced this. We have DPM running on a very large client site that hasn't exhibited any similar symptoms utilising the VSS engine. Must be something magical about that one particular combination.

I'm **guessing** that it's an glitch between the Host (Windows Server 2008 R2) and guest (Windows Server 2012) and SharePoint 2013 (and maybe even SQL Server 2012).

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