[SMB SHARE] Access is possible, backup not

[mahlstedtl]

Hi there,

I'm new to Veeam Backup & Replication. It's installed on a Windows 7 which is a VM on our IBM ESX Host. This machine has only one purpose: To replicate the VMs from one ESX to the other. The software supports Backup as well so we would use this to increase the data-security by additionaly backing up the VMs to our SAN. The SAN is connected to a Mac OS X-Server which offers SMB Shares to the net - so we used a folder as SMB Share for our backups. The access to this folder is possible when using Windows-Explorer. If we try to access this share from Veeam we got the error-code 0x4c3. After "mouting" the folder as a device "B:" to windows it was possible to populate the folder in the backup repositories without errors. But when trying to backup there is only the message: "18.06.2012 11:44:22 :: [SERVER***] Failed to create directory '\\192.168.*.*\***-Backup\Backup Job 1'
Invalid folder path: [\\192.168.*.*].
Cannot create folder. Folder path: [\\192.168.*.*].
Cannot create folder. Folder path: [\\192.168.*.*\***-Backup].
Cannot create folder. Folder path: [\\192.168.*.*\***-Backup\Backup Job 1]."
Why is Veeam trying to create the root-folder of this share? Creating folders and subfolders via Explorer workes fine...

Do I missunderstand the right-management in Veeam? When setting the user/password for the SMB Share are these information for the share itself? Or is there a windows-user on the local machine? I don't understand why it is possible to access the folder via Explorer but there are these problems with Veeam...

I hope that anybody can help me.

[Vitaliy S.]

Have you created a backup repository targeted to this share? Does the account specified in the backup repository settings have read-write permissions on this share?

[mahlstedtl]

Have you created a backup repository targeted to this share?

Yes. I tried to use the SMB Share itself ( \\192.168.*.*\***-Backup ) and the mounted device ( B:\ ) but both failed while running the job.

Does the account specified in the backup repository settings have read-write permissions on this share?

Yes. When trying to access the share via Explorer there is a login-request. I used the same data as I defined them in the repository-configuration - and it worked fine (create (sub-)folders and files, rename them and finally delete them, too).

EDIT:
Version of Veeam: 6.1.0.181 (64 bit) - maybe this is an important information.

[Vitaliy S.]

There is one more thing that I would suggest to double-check in your configuration. As far as I remember user credentials are not verified when you add CIFS-type repository, so make sure you've specified valid credentials in the Veeam backup console.

[mahlstedtl]

First of all: Thanks for the response!

I'm new to Veeam - as I told before - so where can I find the console? Or is the GUI-Tool the "console"? (It's a bit confusing for me because I work a lot on mac, linux and cisco, so a "console" is something like a text-box for me ).

But what I tried out earlier: I added a local windows-user (the computer is not a domain-member) with the same name as the SMB Share (and the same password, too) and added it in "Users and Roles" in Veeam Backup & Replication as "Veeam Backup Administrator". But this didn't help me out...

Is it what you meant?

[Vitaliy S.]

Not really, you need to verify that you've specified correct user credentials for the repository, see our User Guide (page 89) for more details.

[mahlstedtl]

The only thing I can see in the user guide at page 89 is how to use a SMB Share as repository-destination. I did everything exactly like the description told me to do but it doesn't work. It's frustrating that the share workes fine within the Explorer but the Program has problems with it...

[Gostev]

Check NTFS permissions of the account specified in the backup repository settings. If everything looks good, open support case and include support case ID in this topic.

[mahlstedtl]

It's no NTFS-Share, because the share is provided by a Mac OS X. The permissions are fine and with the same login-information through Explorer it works - as I said before. But the Backup-Job failes with the error-message above using the same login-information configured in Veeam B&R.

[Vitaliy S.]

Try using any Windows share as repository to see if the problem may relate to Mac OS X implementation of CIFS. Thanks!

[mahlstedtl]

After having the same problem as before I solved it on a share directly on my Windows 7 Pro by adding the local domain-name before the username. The problem now is that the Mac-Server is not a member of the local domain and the format IP\username doesn't work within Windows Explorer so I'm sure it won't work in B&R!? That's an annoying peace of s*** why is the username given not used as a username on the target-machine?? *grrrr* Any hints how this can be solved?

Thanks a lot for the help this far!

[Vitaliy S.]

Well...I'm not sure how it works in Mac Server, but if you have a machine which does not belong to any domain, then specifying HOSTNAME\USER_NAME in the user access field does allow you to add it as a CIFS repository.

Try reaching Apple community, as they might already know how to solve this problem. Thanks!

[mahlstedtl]

So I'll have to do that. Thanks a lot for the help. Trying to access the share with HOSTNAME\USERNAME didn't helped me out. Via Explorer it worked just without HOSTNAME and WITH Hostname I cannot access the share - same problem seems to be the issue with B&R... I'm still looking and if I got an working answer I'll share the solution here.

Thanks a lot!

[cmserver]

Hi mahlstedtl,

You are not the only one that has run across this issue. We did as well. We originall thought that it may be our NetApp filer that was hosting the CIFs shares. When Veeam would try to create the folder for "Backup Job 1" we would get the error that it could not create the folder. After verifying all the settings, repositories, and accessibility as far as connectivity we decided to create the folder for Veeam. So we created the folder "Backup Job 1". This is where we noticied it was not our configuration. Veeam processed its job "Backup Job 1". Veeam went to created the folder and it saw that the "Backup Job 1" folder already existed so Veeam created "Backup Job 1_1" because the target folder already existed. Did you try creating the folder for the job instead of letting Veeam do it? If not I would give it a try. After the initial job created the "Backup Job 1_1" folder each following job even if it had never backed up on the repository would create its folder as needed.

Thanks,

Brent

[mlockwood]

Hey All,

I can confirm that Brent's (cmserver) solution works. Our background:
- Brand new install of 6.1.0.181 on 64-bit W2K8R2
- CIFS share on NetApp (NTFS security style)
- Domain (AD) service account created just for Veeam (Veeam services running under this acct and NetApp CIFS shares 'full control' to this account)

We created brand new CIFS repository in Veeam (\\hostname\sharename with service account specified as above). During the repository setup wizard, on the "Repository" screen, the correct capacity was detected for the share after hitting "Populate" button. At this point I think we're all good. Back at the main "Backup Repository" screen under "Infrastructure" I test by right clicking on new repository and clicking "Rescan repository". I get an immediate error. Test a backup to repository with same errors as other posters listed (failed to create directories/files). I can browse to and map to share under same account without issue. I created a folder on the share (seems like name of folder could be anything) through explorer and immediately i can "rescan repository" and backup jobs run perfectly.

Not sure if you're listening Veeam but it seems like a bug to me. Let me know if i can provide any information that can be of additional assistance.

-Matt

[Gostev]

I cannot do much until somebody opens the support case and this is investigated properly

[foggy]

Similar issues were already addressed in the next major update, but it definitely worth opening a support case to make sure this is not something different.

[tsightler]

I've recently run across this issue at a client with a Dell DR2000 appliance using CIFS, and have had a few other clients report similar problems with various NAS devices using CIFS. Creating a single empty directory seems to get things going. I have been unable to reproduce this issue withing my home lab with my local CIFS devices. Perhaps it is unique to specific CIFS implementations.

[dellock6]

Can probably come from some Samba derived code, and a specific build number. In fact many problems come from NAS appliances, but never from a native Windows Server used as a NAS...

[esalvador]

mlockwood resolution worked on a Netapp FAS2240A cifs share.

Thank you !!

Hey All,

I can confirm that Brent's (cmserver) solution works. Our background:
- Brand new install of 6.1.0.181 on 64-bit W2K8R2
- CIFS share on NetApp (NTFS security style)
- Domain (AD) service account created just for Veeam (Veeam services running under this acct and NetApp CIFS shares 'full control' to this account)

We created brand new CIFS repository in Veeam (\\hostname\sharename with service account specified as above). During the repository setup wizard, on the "Repository" screen, the correct capacity was detected for the share after hitting "Populate" button. At this point I think we're all good. Back at the main "Backup Repository" screen under "Infrastructure" I test by right clicking on new repository and clicking "Rescan repository". I get an immediate error. Test a backup to repository with same errors as other posters listed (failed to create directories/files). I can browse to and map to share under same account without issue. I created a folder on the share (seems like name of folder could be anything) through explorer and immediately i can "rescan repository" and backup jobs run perfectly.

Not sure if you're listening Veeam but it seems like a bug to me. Let me know if i can provide any information that can be of additional assistance.

-Matt

[TobiasF]

Hi,

I have the same problem with our new Dell DR4000 Appliance. I can only limit access via IP adress and must use anonymous login to the CIFS Share.


TobiasF

[dellock6]

I can confirm this, I briefly tested a DR4000 appliance at a customer and the only protection is based on IP, but we were able to do user authentication using the same admin account of the appliance itself.

Luca.

[TobiasF]

Hi,

thx it works

[joe.sansone]

It seems as though after the share is created with the appropriate account credentials you must create a folder on the share to avoid the "failed to create directories/files" error.

Does any know if there has been a permanent solution put in place?

[Vitaliy S.]

Joe, it's better to address this question to our technical support team, meanwhile you should be using the workaround you've mentioned.

[greendx]

I'm having the same issue. My backup target is Riverbed's WhiteWater. Tried both anonymous and via authenticated user account. Tried adding a folder as suggested in this thread. Nothing has worked so far. Opened a support case with riverbed yesterday, they are still going over logs. Just opened a support case with Veeam (00201267).

This is on a new Veeam server (Win 2012) so not yet in production so I can test different options during the day to get this to work.

[TobiasF]

hint:
if you put your DR4000 into an ActiveDirectory you can/must use your Domainadmin (administrator) to connect your DR4000 as a VEEAM repository !

[greendx]

I'm having the same issue. My backup target is Riverbed's WhiteWater. Tried both anonymous and via authenticated user account. Tried adding a folder as suggested in this thread. Nothing has worked so far. Opened a support case with riverbed yesterday, they are still going over logs. Just opened a support case with Veeam (00201267).

This is on a new Veeam server (Win 2012) so not yet in production so I can test different options during the day to get this to work.

All of the advice on this issue is to open a support case. What good is that when all you get is "Do you have any tools to monitor your network?" as a reply without looking at anything.

[nunciate]

Hey All,

I can confirm that Brent's (cmserver) solution works. Our background:
- Brand new install of 6.1.0.181 on 64-bit W2K8R2
- CIFS share on NetApp (NTFS security style)
- Domain (AD) service account created just for Veeam (Veeam services running under this acct and NetApp CIFS shares 'full control' to this account)

We created brand new CIFS repository in Veeam (\\hostname\sharename with service account specified as above). During the repository setup wizard, on the "Repository" screen, the correct capacity was detected for the share after hitting "Populate" button. At this point I think we're all good. Back at the main "Backup Repository" screen under "Infrastructure" I test by right clicking on new repository and clicking "Rescan repository". I get an immediate error. Test a backup to repository with same errors as other posters listed (failed to create directories/files). I can browse to and map to share under same account without issue. I created a folder on the share (seems like name of folder could be anything) through explorer and immediately i can "rescan repository" and backup jobs run perfectly.

Not sure if you're listening Veeam but it seems like a bug to me. Let me know if i can provide any information that can be of additional assistance.

-Matt

This worked for me also. Using a NetApp FAS2240-4. Created a volume setup the repository and job with no errors. Ran the backup job and received and error stating it could not create the folder for the job name. Hit rescan repository and it failed. Did a start Run to my CIFS share on the NetApp and created a folder called "TEMP". Did the rescan repository and it succeeded. Retried the job and it was successful and created the correct folder it needed.

[foggy]

Thanks for confirming, Alan. Much appreciated.