Unable to exclude files from snapshot

[jordpangborn]

I successfully got Endpoint Backup to connect to my Veeam B&R server. I have been running backups on a handful of workstations. I am receiving a warning email from one of the workstations stating "Unable to exclude files from snapshot: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer is not available (see Windows event log for more info)."

The backups are completing and I restore files from them. But I can't seems to figure out this error.

[Dima P.]

Hello Jordan,
VSS service might be in stuck state. Does the PC reboot solve this warning?

[Mike Resseler]

Hello Jordan,

This used to be a known issue on servers... I can't really find a reference for workstations but can you check this URL http://blogs.technet.com/b/jonjor/archi ... 70539.aspx to see if it fixes your issue (don't worry about the P2V part... This is just ONE of the causes, there are others but normally the reg fix should be the same

Let us know

Thx

Mike

[jordpangborn]

We rebooted the PC yesterday and then tried another back up. Yielded the same results.

I am seeing some errors in the Application log with the source VSS and CAPI2 during the time the backup is running.

Level: Error
Source: VSS
Event ID: 8193

General: Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine ConvertStringSidToSid(S-1-5-21-2052111302-839522115-854245398-1111.bak). hr = 0x80070539, The security ID structure is invalid.
.

Operation:
OnIdentify event
Gathering Writer Data

Context:
Execution Context: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
Writer Class Id: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}
Writer Name: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
Writer Instance ID: {a6342dbb-c0b5-4481-9b30-6cd91aa722c4}



Level: Error
Source CAPI2
Event ID: 513

General: Cryptographic Services failed while processing the OnIdentity() call in the System Writer Object.

Details:
AddLegacyDriverFiles: Unable to back up image of binary Microsoft Link-Layer Discovery Protocol.

System Error:
Access is denied.

[jordpangborn]

Mike's suggested link worked. I deleted a .bak in the profile list in the registry and then the backup ran successfully with no warnings.

Thanks!!!

[Mike Resseler]

Sweet!

Thanks for letting us know

Mike

[agardiol]

Hello Jordan,

This used to be a known issue on servers... I can't really find a reference for workstations but can you check this URL http://blogs.technet.com/b/jonjor/archi ... 70539.aspx to see if it fixes your issue (don't worry about the P2V part... This is just ONE of the causes, there are others but normally the reg fix should be the same

Let us know

Thx

Mike

It works also for me ! Thanks.

[Dima P.]

Hello and welcome to the forums Antoine! Glad to hear the suggested workaround helped to resolve the exclusion issues.

[agossett]

I am getting this same error since updating to version 1.1.2.119. I have tried the steps in that ling but there are no .bak reg keys in that location. I have checked the event log and there are absolutely no additional details. Thoughts? Is this maybe a bug with the latest release?

[Vitaliy S.]

Did you have this error before? If not, then I suggest opening a support case and investigate the reason for this change with our support team. On top of that, if it is a VSS error, then I would also suggest troubleshooting the VSS writers state.

[Dima P.]

Thoughts? Is this maybe a bug with the latest release?

In latest update we enhanced the mechanism of VSS optimization writer failure detection to let you know that files were not excluded from the backup. That might be the reason this warning suddenly appear after update.

[kmefaw]

Same issue here after most recent update on 2008 R2. Pre update it worked fine running daily jobs. Time to roll back ...

[Dima P.]

If the windows update is not successful it’s usually followed by another update

[anche]

Dear colleagues!

I have the same problem. I backup TMG server with Endpoint backup. And 2 last backups made with an error: 06.11.2015 17:27:48 :: Unable to exclude files from snapshot: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer timed out (see Windows event log for more info). Nothing special in Event Viewer. All of the operations finished successfully. Only one special note was there:

Code: Select all

Описание:
Закончилось время в процессе раскрытия спецификации файла \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy4\Windows\servicing\Packages\*.*.  Это было сделано для подписчика VeeamExcludePaths.

Операция:
   Событие OnPostSnapshot
   Событие PostSnapshot
Контекст:
   Контекст выполнения: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
   Контекст выполнения: Writer
   Код класса модуля записи: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}
   Имя модуля записи: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
   Код экземпляра модуля записи: {267ef930-8832-41f9-a7db-286215c6ec19}
Xml события:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="VSS" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="0">8219</EventID>
    <Level>4</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2015-11-05T14:34:32.000000000Z" />
    <EventRecordID>203012</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy4\Windows\servicing\Packages</Data>
    <Data>*.*</Data>
    <Data>VeeamExcludePaths</Data>
    <Data>
Операция:
   Событие OnPostSnapshot
   Событие PostSnapshot
Контекст:
   Контекст выполнения: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
  Контекст выполнения: Writer
   Код класса модуля записи: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}
   Имя модуля записи: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
   Код экземпляра модуля записи: {267ef930-8832-41f9-a7db-286215c6ec19}</Data>
  <Binary>2D20436F64653A2057525444454C455430303030303830382D2043616C6C3A2057525444454C455430303030303736362D205049443A202030303032373239362D205449443A202030303032373637322D20434D443A2020433A5C57696E646F77735C73797374656D33325C76737376632E6578652020202D20557365723A204E616D653A204E5420415554484F524954595C</Binary>
  </EventData>
</Event>

What I have to do for resolving this problem? I tried to use solution with Registry, but nothing *.bak profiles in that branch of registry.

[anche]

Also I wanna ask you: how to open a case for support? There are only two varies for version of Endpoint: "none" or "unsupported 1.0". No one lets me open a case =(

[PTide]

Hi,

In order to open a case please follow this guide. Btw, which version do you use? Please make sure that it's the newest available.

Thank you.

[Dima P.]

Hi Anna,

Unable to exclude files from snapshot

Just to clarify, are you running the entire pc backup / volume level backup mode or it’s a file level backup with enabled exclusions? As Pavel said, the support ticket should be opened thru the Endpoint’s UI (Control Panel > Support tab > Technical Support) - it collects the application logs automatically which makes the troubleshooting a lot easier.

P.S. Please upgrade your Veeam Endpoint Backup to the latest available version. You can download it from the website, all further updates can be installed thru the application's auto update functionality.

[anche]

2Pavel: I have newest version - 1.1.2.119, but I can't to choose it in the case.

2Dmitry: I do the file backup with exclusions, right. I couldn't use that server for opening case in outside web server, excuse me. How could I gather logs by other ways?

[PTide]

I suggest you to choose any version and submit the case. I believe that you will be able to explain everything to your support engineer when he contacts you.

[Dima P.]

Understood – thanks! You can open a case from any other machine connected to the internet and with VEB on board (just highlight it in the case). Another life hack is to open a case at customer care portal but refer to any other Veeam product - just ask to be redirected to Endpoint support team in case details.

To tell the truth there is no need to open the case for this particular error/ warning since backup is eventually created. The error is displayed when specified files cannot be excluded due Microsoft Shadow Copy Optimization writer being inactive or timed out. When it happens VEB cannot leverage it to exclude the specified files from the previously created snapshot and you got this notification in backup session, however created backup file is fully operation.

Thinking of possible workarounds:
- The best way to utilize exclusions is to select several big files. Selecting thousands of smaller files will probably cause Microsoft optimization writer to fail.
- Issue might be fixed by rebooting the OS at some point.
- If the exclusions are not critical, switch to volume level backup / entire pc backup mode or disable the file level exclusions. These to modes support the bare metal recovery while file level recover does not.

[anche]

To tell the truth there is no need to open the case for this particular error/ warning since backup is eventually created. The error is displayed when specified files cannot be excluded due Microsoft Shadow Copy Optimization writer being inactive or timed out. When it happens VEB cannot leverage it to exclude the specified files from the previously created snapshot and you got this notification in backup session, however created backup file is fully operation.

that's nice and most important thing =0)

Thinking of possible workarounds:
- The best way to utilize exclusions is to select several big files. Selecting thousands of smaller files will probably cause Microsoft optimization writer to fail.
- Issue might be fixed by rebooting the OS at some point.
- If the exclusions are not critical, switch to volume level backup / entire pc backup mode or disable the file level exclusions. These to modes support the bare metal recovery while file level recover does not.

I understood, but we can't optimize this backup from file to volume: here is huge volumes and we don't have possibility to storage all of these volumes. That's why we use file level backup for this server.

[Dima P.]

Understood – thanks! And is it possible to change the exclusion list, so it consist of a very limited number of files? Thanks

[anche]

I optimized it. There are a lot of logs, cause it's a TMG.
We restarted this server on weekend. The issue wasn't resolved =( And I wanna ask about incremental backups: is it all right if the backup is only incremental after first full?

[Dima P.]

Hi Anna,

How many files do you have in exclusion list this time? VEB runs forever incremental backup mode so first full is always followed by incremental restore points.

[anche]

Thank you for your help, but I opened a case with logs

[mihalevskiy]

Hi. I make backup with Veeam Agent and got warning:

23.03.2021 1:32:25 :: Unable to exclude files from snapshot: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer timed out (see Windows event log for more info).



vssadmin list writers show me Last error: Inconsistent shadow copy for FSRM Writer.

After restart service my backup gets no warnings or errors, but the next backup again with this warning and a problem with the service FSRM.

How can I fix this?

[Natalia Lupacheva]

Hello Andrei,

Please provide a support case ID for this issue, as requested when you click New Topic.
Moved your post to the existing thread with this error, but the case ID is still required.

Thank you!

[mihalevskiy]

Natalia, #04717623

[Egor Yakovlev]

- You can schedule service restart via simple script
- You can test VSS writer failure outside Veeam products via DiskShadow Utility. If writer fails with manual snapshot, it would be best to check with Microsoft why said service(srmsvc) fails on your system with standard operations
- Check if this KB applies to your case

/Thanks!