SMB3 SOFS VSS failing

[veehexx]

We've recently deployed new systems that are running on 4node S2D, with SOFS for HyperV vhdx's. We've come to configure the existing backup jobs with the new hosts on the SOFS share but are hitting a problem with the VSS writer.
We're on current latest B&R 9.5u4 and configured SMB3 as per the docs: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... l?ver=95u4
the Prereq's point you off to MS: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previo ... 5(v=ws.11) which is where we are having issues.
Under step3 where we 'Add Volume \\SOFS1\HYPER-V_MIRROR\server\', we get the following error. This is done on one of the S2D/SOFS hosts.

The provider does not support volume shadow copies for this volume in this context.
You must either change the context or add a different volume.
Note that changing the context might cause existing volumes in the shadow copy set to become unsupported.

running the backup job in veeam generates a similar error:

Failed to create snapshot (Fileshare Provider) (mode: Veeam application-aware processing with failover) Details: Failed to add volume [\\SOFS1\HYPER-V_MIRROR\] to the VSS snapshot set
The given shadow copy provider does not support shadow copying the specified volume.
--tr:Failed to add volumes to the snapshot set.
--tr:Failed to perform pre-backup tasks.

i understand this is not directly a veeam issue as it happens in powershell on the host, however figured someone here can provide light on resolving this issue to get backups working

[Mike Resseler]

Hi Veehexx,

I assume you are using windows server 2016 (or even 2019) since you are talking about S2D? The documentation that you refer to (the one from MS) is pointing to WS2012

[veehexx]

we're on server 2019.
I did notice the MS doc was for 2012 but figured it'd be somewhere close to what 2019 needs. I haven't found a 2016/2019 specific guide so assumed no changes and info is still valid.

[nmdange]

Are your Hyper-V hosts still on 2012 R2? I have 2 S2D SOFS clusters on 2019 with Hyper-V hosts on 2019 and 2016 that backup fine even with an off-host proxy. I don't have the File Server VSS Agent feature installed either.

[HannesK]

Hello,
to narrow down everything a little bit: did you try to do "normal" backups by just adding the cluster and without configuring the SMB3 server share?

Best regards,
Hannes

[veehexx]

Are your Hyper-V hosts still on 2012 R2? I have 2 S2D SOFS clusters on 2019 with Hyper-V hosts on 2019 and 2016 that backup fine even with an off-host proxy. I don't have the File Server VSS Agent feature installed either.

VM Hosts are on 2012r2. guest is on 2019, as is the s2d nodes (sofs runs on s2d nodes).
We do have a 2016 VM Host i could try but was something i deployed a while ago to play with so not really built for production. Well worth wiping and going with 2019 if thats the solution.
What do others say about this - likely the issue and worth spending the time upgrading the VM Hosts?

to narrow down everything a little bit: did you try to do "normal" backups by just adding the cluster and without configuring the SMB3 server share?

this was how i originally added the new host - just added it the same as any other new guest to backup on an existing job. It failed with the following error which is when i started to look into it and discovered the sofs/smb3 specific information.

Code: Select all

Failed to create snapshot (Fileshare Provider) (mode: Veeam application-aware processing) Details: Unable to perform application-aware processing because connection to the guest could not be established
Error: Unable to perform application-aware processing because connection to the guest could not be established

[HannesK]

VM Hosts are on 2012r2. guest is on 2019, as is the s2d nodes (sofs runs on s2d nodes).

sorry to ask again, but I don't understand it. What is a "VM host"? Is that the Hyper-V server? Because S2D is not available for Hyper-V 2012R2. It's only available on Hyper-V 2016 and later.

this was how i originally added the new host - just added it the same as any other new guest to backup on an existing job

does not compute in my brain I'm talking about how you added the Hyper-V servers to VBR. Not about jobs.

From my point of view, this is the point to hand it over to support. Please post the case number for reference.

[veehexx]

vm host = Hyper-v server.
correct, s2d is not available on 2012r2 however the guests CPU&RAM are running on the 2012r2 HyperV Servers, with the vhdx served over smb3 from the s2d/sofs infrastructure (server 2019)

I misunderstood your second point.
'how were HyperV servers added to veeam' is a bit more complicated.
We have 2 types: standalone and HyperV Cluster.
standalone is obvious and can be ignored for this as these hosts aren't being used for S2D/SOFS - these are true standalone with local storage and compute.
The HyperV Cluster nodes are those that are being used and applicable to this thread. we use a converged design with storage & compute seperated.
- HVCluster storage is currently configured via iSCSI to an HP lefthand SAN. This is EOL and we're working towards decommissioning
- these same nodes in HVCluster also have connections to the S2D/SOFS service via SMB and we are simply moving data between the HP SAN and SOFS storage.
- The HVCluster farm was added in veeam using the 'Microsoft HyperV cluster' option when you add a new server. These have been in veeam for a few years.

hopefully that clarifies things, and I've not misunderstood again!

[veehexx]

Are your Hyper-V hosts still on 2012 R2? I have 2 S2D SOFS clusters on 2019 with Hyper-V hosts on 2019 and 2016 that backup fine even with an off-host proxy. I don't have the File Server VSS Agent feature installed either.

you got it... turns out i rebuilt my 2016 HV hosts onto 2019 which i appear to have forgotten.
backups now work. looks like the entire infrastruture needs to be running on server2019. Doc's looked like SMB3 was the key minimum (so >=2012r2) but seems not.

[Mike Resseler]

Well, it is sometimes the smallest things that we miss right Yep, for S2D in the entire infrastructure to work, the Hyper-V boxes need to be on a higher level also (I do believe that 2016 would have worked also)