Help with strange backup scenario...

[CTS-Tech]

Have an HP ML350 G6 Server, running ESXi vSphere 5 Essentials with 1 VM (Server 2003). The owner wants to save as much money as possible, and wanted me to try installing a 2nd VM (Windows 7) for Veeam to run on and backup the 1st VM to an external USB drive.

I have the 2nd VM running and Veeam 6 Enterprise installed. Windows 7 and Veeam can see the backup drive and ESXi Server fine, but the backups keep erroring out.

What do I have configured wrong?

[Vitaliy S.]

Please be aware that if you experience technical issues with the product, it is always better to contact our support team. It's hard to say what have you configured wrong, as your scenario looks fine, so full log research is required.

[CTS-Tech]

Thanks, I have already done that and uploaded the log files - just waiting to hear back from them.

[CTS-Tech]

The E: drive is present, and Everyone has full control permissions to the drive. It has 463/465 GB free.

[Vitaliy S.]

Please avoid posting log snippets as requested when you click New Topic, and include your support case ID instead. Thanks!

[CTS-Tech]

Case ID#5162044

[CTS-Tech]

Veeam Support remoted in and looked at the issue. We deleted and re-created the repository and backup job, and the backup was able to run and finish. The job was scheduled to run again that night, and the same USB drive was left in - but the job failed.

The next day, a new USB drive was put in and the same thing happened - had to delete and re-create the repository and job, then the backup worked once and failed that night.

Do I need to create a repository and job for each USB drive? They are all the same size and backing up the same Server ever night.

[Gostev]

I am not prepared to answer, as this scenario with different drives was never tested. I am however curious as to why the job fails on the second run when nothing else changes. Did you ask our support to research this one?

[CTS-Tech]

Whenever we put in a new USB drive, Windows 7 can see the drive in Disk Management but not assign a drive letter to it. I resolved this by installing a free program called USBDLM (http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbdlm_e.html) which runs as a service and can assign the same drive letter each time a new USB drive is attached. So far this is working well.

I can run a full backup manually – but later that night when the job is scheduled to run again, it fails with the same error as before?

[Gostev]

What does our support say regarding the reason for this error?

[CTS-Tech]

Support gave me a hotfix patch - 6.0.0.164. After I applied it, I ran a test scheduled job and it succeeded. Support says this was a known issue?

[Gostev]

All known issues are documented in the corresponding sticky topic in this forum. Glad this works for you now! Thanks.

[CTS-Tech]

Well I thought this was resolved, but it isn't. The scheduled jobs are still failing each night with the original error, but if I create a test job - it runs fine. Even after I leave the same drive in, the scheduled job will fail later that night.

Does Veeam not see the drive as "active" or something?

[Gostev]

If the Windows Explorer sees the drive and can write files there, then this is all we need.

[spgsit5upport]

HP ML350 G6 Server, running ESXi vSphere 5 Essentials with 1 VM (Server 2003).

Sorry, but instead of all these troubles, wouldn't it be just EASIER to run 2003 directly on this hardware with NO need for the other bits?

Seb

[CTS-Tech]

Sorry, but instead of all these troubles, wouldn't it be just EASIER to run 2003 directly on this hardware with NO need for the other bits?

This was a P2V for that 2003 Server, which was running on failing hardware. Now that they are on ESXi - they have reliable, faster hardware and room to grow when new Servers are needed etc.

This issue is still occurring, and Veeam Support has not found a way to figure out the problem. Manual jobs run fine, but scheduled jobs keep failing.

One thing I noticed, when I go back to edit the existing jobs – the Server doesn’t have a green triangle like it does when I create a new job.

Anyone have any ideas to try?