Looking for SBS 2011 Guru for help

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Grundignz

35 posts

Geek

# 205709 23-Nov-2016 20:45

I have got a customers SBS 2011 system that i cannot get online backup software running on.

I also got a local company to look at it and all that got me was a $500 bill!(told me to update sever to latest SP's)

Here is the error messages

Exchange VSS Writer (instance 0d40b7a5-929d-40fe-9aff-7b3facbcef01) failed with error code -2147221233 when preparing components (databases) for backup.

Exchange VSS Writer (instance 0d40b7a5-929d-40fe-9aff-7b3facbcef01) failed with error code -2147221233 when preparing for backup.

Exchange VSS Writer (instance 0d40b7a5-929d-40fe-9aff-7b3facbcef01) failed with error code 1295 when preparing for Snapshot.

Exchange VSS Writer (instance 0d40b7a5-929d-40fe-9aff-7b3facbcef01) failed with error code 1295 when freezing the database(s).

I'm sure its to do with the sharepoint/windows 2008 interaction

i have spent so many hours and hours on this that its now getting ridiculous

Backup for everything else is fine but Exchange

Thanks

David

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641 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 1676411 23-Nov-2016 21:08

Hi,

What is the backup software?

Does the SBS backup work fine? If not then the issue would seem to be with the VSS writer

Regards
Clint

clinty

641 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 1676426 23-Nov-2016 21:15

Also does the error always occur - even when you run a manual backup, and is there any other software that could possibly be locking the exchange DB

Clint

cisconz

cisconz
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# 1676429 23-Nov-2016 21:18

For $300 you can log a ticket with MS directly - They will work on "Exchange VSS Writers Failing" until it is resolved.

Hmmmm

Dynamic

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# 1676434 23-Nov-2016 21:37

One person supports this post

VSS issues are often resolved by a reboot. Tried this?

Have you applied the service packs?

Give up and migrate them to Office365 email?

"4 wheels move the body. 2 wheels move the soul."

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

networkn

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# 1676436 23-Nov-2016 22:38

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We have seen issues like this before. Make sure there are no limits set on the Shadowcopy.

Also, try this (At your own risk). I recommend hiring someone properly qualified if you don't feel comfortable. There are people who would get this fixed for $500 guaranteed :)

http://www.careexchange.in/how-to-re-register-vss-volume-shadow-copy-service-in-windows-server-2008-r2/

I am unsure if you have tried different backup software as a test, but given the VSS writers look upset I am unsure if it would help.

In the meantime, if you can't get a full backup, I'd recommend shutting down the Exchange services and taking a "cold" backup of the DB's etc.

It's worth noting that even if you have cloud-based email, unless you are specifically paying for backups, you should be doing your own anyways (and I don't trust people who say they do backups, so I do them myself anyways).

This problem should be easily solvable with an hour or two with a properly experienced engineer. I'd be embarrassed to charge $500 and not have a solution for you (Unless it's hardware etc of course but then at least you'd know what was required to fix it).

gjm

754 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 1676439 23-Nov-2016 22:43

One person supports this post

I remember having continuous headaches with VSS in SBS. Ended up virtualising the server, running it in HyperV and just backing up the whole VM. Had to turn on circular logging in Exchange to stop disk fulling up which is far from ideal but at least I could back the server up.

[Amstrad CPC 6128: 128k Memory: 3 inch floppy drive: Colour Screen]

networkn

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# 1676440 23-Nov-2016 22:46

gjm:

I remember having continuous headaches with VSS in SBS. Ended up virtualising the server, running it in HyperV and just backing up the whole VM. Had to turn on circular logging in Exchange to stop disk fulling up which is far from ideal but at least I could back the server up.

We have had about 30-40 SBS Servers being backed up in our customer base, to both disk and tape, and had very few issues. Generally, it comes down to a few very recurrant issues, which are easily fixed once you determine which of the 3-4 things that commonly go wrong.

Grundignz

35 posts

Geek

# 1676471 23-Nov-2016 23:04

clinty: Hi,

What is the backup software?

Does the SBS backup work fine? If not then the issue would seem to be with the VSS writer

Regards
Clint

The backup software is a white-label software that i license out of the US to online backup to my own cloud located in NZ.

This software works fine for all my other customers(ranging from windows 2000 to windows 2012 but no other sbs customers)

I have been unable to get onsite to try SBS backup i have been working remotely on this!!

Grundignz

35 posts

Geek

# 1676473 23-Nov-2016 23:07

clinty: Also does the error always occur - even when you run a manual backup, and is there any other software that could possibly be locking the exchange DB

Clint

i have not had chance to get onsite to try manual backup!!

it is completely standard install of SBS!!

Grundignz

35 posts

Geek

# 1676474 23-Nov-2016 23:10

cisconz:

For $300 you can log a ticket with MS directly - They will work on "Exchange VSS Writers Failing" until it is resolved.

From what i have read in all the forums Microsoft blame it on the third party software!!

Also Microsoft don't want to help because this is OEM SBS on HP server

Grundignz

35 posts

Geek

# 1676497 23-Nov-2016 23:13

Dynamic: VSS issues are often resolved by a reboot. Tried this?

Have you applied the service packs?

Give up and migrate them to Office365 email?

This server has been rebooted so many times lately i have lost count

yip after the local support company requested it to be updated, i did to latest rollup

I wish i could for the headaches this has given me i would love to move them to cloud hosted but they use extra plugins for calendar production planning which aren't supported in cloud

Grundignz

35 posts

Geek

# 1676498 23-Nov-2016 23:14

networkn:

We have seen issues like this before. Make sure there are no limits set on the Shadowcopy.

Also, try this (At your own risk). I recommend hiring someone properly qualified if you don't feel comfortable. There are people who would get this fixed for $500 guaranteed :)

http://www.careexchange.in/how-to-re-register-vss-volume-shadow-copy-service-in-windows-server-2008-r2/

I am unsure if you have tried different backup software as a test, but given the VSS writers look upset I am unsure if it would help.

In the meantime, if you can't get a full backup, I'd recommend shutting down the Exchange services and taking a "cold" backup of the DB's etc.

It's worth noting that even if you have cloud-based email, unless you are specifically paying for backups, you should be doing your own anyways (and I don't trust people who say they do backups, so I do them myself anyways).

This problem should be easily solvable with an hour or two with a properly experienced engineer. I'd be embarrassed to charge $500 and not have a solution for you (Unless it's hardware etc of course but then at least you'd know what was required to fix it).

I have taken a copy of the exchange manually buy stopping exchange taking copy and starting service again

Yes that is what i want somebody i can work with who will fix it for me, i have worked on servers for 20 years but never SBS was always normal windows

Grundignz

35 posts

Geek

# 1676499 23-Nov-2016 23:18

gjm:

I remember having continuous headaches with VSS in SBS. Ended up virtualising the server, running it in HyperV and just backing up the whole VM. Had to turn on circular logging in Exchange to stop disk fulling up which is far from ideal but at least I could back the server up.

This is for Small company with a server(like SBS was marketed to)so think VM will be overkill

Dynamic

2630 posts

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# 1676503 23-Nov-2016 23:41

Grundignz:

Dynamic:
Give up and migrate them to Office365 email?

I wish i could for the headaches this has given me i would love to move them to cloud hosted but they use extra plugins for calendar production planning which aren't supported in cloud

Have you done your own investigation on this? Occasionally small vendors that no longer actively develop their one-hit-wonder software throw their hands up at the mention of Cloud and say no to be on the safe side. If the plugin plugs in to Outlook, then it shouldn't care whether the server is in-house or or in the outhouse. If it talks to Exchange via SMTP then this would also not be a problem.

@networkn might be worth engaging to have a look. We only have half a dozen SBS2011 servers (and one SBS2008 server that I really want to be rid of) left as most clients have moved on to Server 2012 + Exchange Online P1 plans (Office 365's cheapest plan at $6 per mailbox per month - semi-hidden). I've just searched our notes for the last 18 months and all of the VSS errors we have resolved in that time have been SQL related not Exchange. Increasing the VSS quotas (disk space % allocated) and increasing the VSS timeout has helped on a couple of occasions.

"4 wheels move the body. 2 wheels move the soul."

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

Grundignz

35 posts

Geek

# 1676509 23-Nov-2016 23:59

Dynamic:

Grundignz:

Dynamic:
Give up and migrate them to Office365 email?

I wish i could for the headaches this has given me i would love to move them to cloud hosted but they use extra plugins for calendar production planning which aren't supported in cloud

Have you done your own investigation on this? Occasionally small vendors that no longer actively develop their one-hit-wonder software throw their hands up at the mention of Cloud and say no to be on the safe side. If the plugin plugs in to Outlook, then it shouldn't care whether the server is in-house or or in the outhouse. If it talks to Exchange via SMTP then this would also not be a problem.

@networkn might be worth engaging to have a look. We only have half a dozen SBS2011 servers (and one SBS2008 server that I really want to be rid of) left as most clients have moved on to Server 2012 + Exchange Online P1 plans (Office 365's cheapest plan at $6 per mailbox per month - semi-hidden). I've just searched our notes for the last 18 months and all of the VSS errors we have resolved in that time have been SQL related not Exchange. Increasing the VSS quotas (disk space % allocated) and increasing the VSS timeout has helped on a couple of occasions.

You are correct i need to investigate the calendar side more

It was the extra calender's that get setup which if i understand correctly each one then becomes an extra mail box which would then run into $1000's/year more

which seems like a lot of extra to spend on a system that works perfectly for everything they want, just no automatic offsite backup of exchange!

I have almost been at the point to write a script stop exchange copy files to another location start exchange and backup the other location daily

I do like the 365 system but for most of my customers its not required. Also instead of putting $10000/year into Microsoft's pocket i prefer it to stay in mine

Also had a problem with 365 in the past

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