Veeam Backup and Backup Exec 2010 Agent VSS Problem

[reto]

Hello,

We backup everyday our SAP servers system disk with Veeam Backup. The database backup is made by Symantec Backup Exec 12.5 (hourly log SQL backups).
VMware Tools VSS Driver is not installed on SAP VMs and Veeam VSS Option is disabled in the job. This has worked perfectly!

Since we have upgraded to Backup Exec 2010 with the new Remote Agent, we have the following problem:

If the Veeam Backup does initiate a snapshot during the backup job, the BeVssProvider (Backup Exec VSS Provider) starts always and make a database backup. (displays many events in the eventviewer)
The hourly log sql backup job from Backup Exec does no longer works after a Veeam Backup has performed, because it checks the last backup job in SQL Server.

Here are an interesting article form symantec: http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/352025.htm

Does anyone have the same experience with backup exec 2010 remote agent?

Thanks for any help.

Regards Reto

[Gostev]

Hello Reto, you should remove Backup Exec VSS Provider if you are using Veeam VSS. Alternatively, you should disable Veeam VSS.
http://www.veeam.com/forums/viewtopic.p ... vss#p14831

[reto]

Hello Gostev

We have already disabled Veeam VSS and uninstalled VMware VSS Driver(see my post above).
The problem with the database backup appears only if in the Veeam Backup Job are running with the option "Enable VMware tools quiescence".

With Backup Exec 12.5 there was no problem and all worked fine. I think, Symantec has added a new VSS Provider with 2010.

Thanks!

Regards
Reto

[Gostev]

Reto, if you have Veeam VSS disabled, and VMware VSS integration uninstalled, then the only other possibility how Backup Exec VSS Provider triggers during the snapshot creation is via VMware pre-freeze script. It could be that Symantec deploys the script when they install their agent. Please look up the VMware pre-freeze scripts location on this VM. Or you could check this by running Veeam job with the option "Enable VMware tools quiescence" cleared (that would disable the use of any pre-freeze scripts). Thanks!

[reto]

Hi Gostev

You are right! Backup Exec has two custom freez script created:

C:\Windows\pre-freeze-script.bat
C:\Windows\post-thaw-script.bat

These scripts call each time the Backup Exec VSS Provider: %Programfiles%\Symantec\Backup Exec\BE VSS Provider\BeVssRequestor.exe

Now we have the .bat files in C:\Windows removed and it works perfectly!

Thank you very much for your help!

Nice weekend!

Regards
Reto

[Gostev]

Great! Thank you for contacting Symantec support
Seriously, they should hire me part-time

[m.novelli]

From this Symantec article: http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/352025.htm

"When installing the Backup Exec Remote Agent on a guest machine for GRT enabled virtual machine backups, the VMware Snapshot provider is automatically uninstalled and the BE VSS Provider installed (this is why a reboot is required). The Backup Exec VSS Provider cannot exist in a guest alongside the VMware Snapshot Provider as having both installed on a guest will cause quiesced snapshots to hang the guest and timeout. Once the Backup Exec Remote Agent is installed, thus installing the BE VSS Provider, do NOT re-install the VMware Tools VSS Provider as this will re-create the conflict condition and cause quiesce and/or snapshot errors. To see which providers are installed, launch Windows Services on the guest machine and confirm one of services from the table above are listed. If more than one provider is installed, determine which provider is needed and follow the steps below to uninstall the other:
http://support.veritas.com/docs/355300 - How perform an automated or manual uninstall of the Backup Exec Remote Agent for Windows Systems (RAWS) - 11d and later
http://support.veritas.com/docs/352184 - How to perform an automated and/or manual uninstall of the VMware Snapshot Provider

To confirm the VMware Snapshot provider is correctly uninstalled, confirm the following:
1) Confirm there is no VMware Snapshot Provider service listed in Windows services
2) Confirm the "VSS" folder is deleted from <volume>:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\Drivers
3) Confirm the VMware Snapshot Provider {564d7761-7265-2056-5353-2050726f7669} is deleted from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Providers
*Note: If steps 1-3 are not confirmed, please review TechNote 352184 above for the manual uninstall steps"

I have Symantec Agent on some VM for data backup but i'm using Veeam for full VM backups

I've checked and the VMware Snapshot provider has been uninstalled by Symantec 2010 on those VM
Should I worry about that? Veeam Backup need the VMware Snapshot provider?

Thanks,

Marco

[Vitaliy S.]

Marco,

Veeam VSS doesn't require it, so you shouldn't worry about VMware Tools VSS Provider if you're using Veeam VSS.

[m.novelli]

Many thanks

Marco

[micwe]

[merged]

Hello I have the last build Veeam Backup & Replication 5.0.2.230
I am trying to backup a windows 2003 sp2 file server
Because this is a files server I use Backup Exec 12.5 and acronis true image 9.1 on same server
When trying to replicate or backup the system with Veeam I get error massage
Freezing guest operating system
CreateSnapshot failed, vmRef "vm-778", timeout "1800000", snName "VEEAM BACKUP TEMPORARY SNAPSHOT", snDescription "Please do not delete this snapshot. It is being used by Veeam Backup.", memory "False", quiesce "False"

I assume this is cause by a duplicate entry of VSS in registry
How can I work around this issue and force the veeam to backup

Thanks
Mickey

[cindermonkey]

Mickey,

For us it was making sure the data store hosting the vmx had a vmfs block size big enough to support the Veeam Snapshot. Size limitations below. After migrating the VM to a different datastore with an 8MB VMFS Block size we have not seen that error (previous datastore had default 1MB Block Sized)..

Cheers

VMFS Size Limitations
The VMFS block size should be chosen carefully when creating VMFS datastores, as there is no way to change the block size of a VMFS datastore once it is created. The datastore must be reformatted with the required block size.

Code: Select all

Block Size	Largest virtual disk on VMFS-2	Largest virtual disk on VMFS-3
1MB	456GB	256GB
2MB	912GB	512GB
4MB	1.78TB	1TB
8MB	2TB	2TB
16MB	2TB	Invalid block size
32MB	2TB	Invalid block size
64MB	2TB	Invalid block size

[Memmo2]

[merged]

Hello everybody,
I don't know whether this question has been asked before.
Is it risky/dangerous running the Backup Exec 2010 Remote Agent in a VM (for Exchange / SQL) which is also covered by a daily Veeam reverse incremental backup?
What is the best way to let them co-exist?
Thank you!