Veeam Agent SQL Errors

[cbritton1978]

I installed Veeam Agent Free on a desktop a few months ago. It was backing up fine for a couple month but the last few days the backups have been failing.

In the Windows logs there is a SQL VSS Writer Error. There's a version of SQL Server installed on the computer. If I stop the SQL service the backup works. I looked at the SQL error logs and I see several lines of this after each time I try to run a Veeam backup.

2019-09-11 20:18:00.30 Backup Error: 3041, Severity: 16, State: 1.
2019-09-11 20:18:00.30 Backup BACKUP failed to complete the command BACKUP DATABASE LK_Insp_SA015_CRIC_NPN_3_FINAL_modus. Check the backup application log for detailed messages.
2019-09-11 20:18:00.30 Backup Error: 3041, Severity: 16, State: 1.
2019-09-11 20:18:00.30 Backup BACKUP failed to complete the command BACKUP DATABASE LK_Insp_SA015_CRIC_NPN_3_FINAL_modus_20190821_120439. Check the backup application log for detailed messages.

I am not sure if it's a coincidence but I had another PC fill up the backup target location and it messed up this PC's backup.

I've tried removing Veeam, removing the job, changing the login of the SQL service from Local System to Local Service. Any suggestions of what to try?

[wishr]

Hi Corey,

When you encounter a technical error it's always recommended to raise a support case immediately to get a solution asap, as our ability to troubleshoot through the forum is limited. Please, let us know your case ID once you have it for reference purpose. Also note, that according to our forum rules any topic not having a case ID mentioned might be deleted.

Thank you

[cbritton1978]

Sorry about that
Veeam Support - Case # 03762191

[mcbsys]

I was seeing the same errors with Veeam Free 3.0.1.1039 on a Server 2016 running SQL Server 2016. Any comment/fix on your support case?

I found a KB article that I thought might be related:

SQL Log Truncation and Log Backup Silently Fails After Installing Veeam 9.5 Update 3
https://www.veeam.com/kb2447

Basically this points to the user executing the SQL backup not having sufficient permissions to finish the SQL backup. While I couldn't find the message mentioned in that article, I decided to change the service user. That seems to have resolved the issue. Suggested procedure:

1. Open your backup job wizard and note down all settings including the job name on the first page . These will be lost when you change users.
2. In SQL Server Management Studio, under Security > Logins, identify a user that has sysadmin privileges on the SQL server as well as full admin rights on the file system. (I already had a user defined for other reasons; you may need to add a SQL Login and grant permissions.)
3. In services.msc, change the Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows logon from Local System to the user identified in step 2. Restart the service.
4. Go back in to Veeam and configure a backup job using settings noted in step 1. If you give it the identical name, it will be able to continue the incremental backup chain from the previous backup.
5. Test the job. The 3041 errors should not appear.

[mcbsys]

Step 4 should read, "it *may* be able to continue the incremental backup chain from the previous backup." I was unable to test this properly as I had already given it a different name.

[wishr]

Hi Mcbsys,

Not yet. Corey has not responded yet, but the issue mentioned in the KB you linked is a different one and the solution won't help in Corey's case. Most likely (let's wait until the investigation is done) the issue he is experiencing is purely related to underlying issues with VSS on the guest OS layer of the VM. Currently, our engineers have advised running a Windows-based image backup to narrow down the root cause and are waiting for results.

Thanks