Should I use VSS to backup SQL Server

[bunger]

I just changed a server backup to use "application-aware image processing" and the backup is now failing with VSS issues. In reading various posts, I saw a mention that I shouldn't enable this option for servers running SQL. Is that true?

Thanks
Bill

[jpeake]

What errors are you seeing? Curious about this one. I use VSS for our SQL servers and it seems to work fine...

[Vitaliy S.]

I saw a mention that I shouldn't enable this option for servers running SQL

If you want to backup your SQL Server VM in a consistent state you simple have to enable this option See our sticky F.A.Q. for additional information.

As to the error messages you observe, then please contact our support team for further troubleshooting as it described when you click New Topic. Thanks!

[veremin]

Hi, Bill.

For the purpose of complete understanding may I ask you to provide a full description of error. Your issue seems to be confusing for me, since this function ("application-aware image processing") was created deliberately to guarantee a transactionally consistent backup of a VM running VSS aware applications (such as Active Directory, Microsoft SQL, Microsoft Exchange, Sharepoint) without shutting them down. It is Veeam’s proprietary technology that ensures successful VM recovery, as well as proper recovery of all applications installed on the VM without any data loss. So, it should work fine without any issues.

Please also make sure the user account you are providing has local administrator privileges on guest OS.

Best regards, Vladimir.

[Cokovic]

I've always came along with two possible solutions in such a case:

1. If SharePoint is present on that server and after installing the latest Servicepack for SharePoint it's necessary to run following line once:

psconfig –cmd upgrade –inplace b2b -wait

After that VSS backups went fine again.

2. Can't tell you exactly why but i do have one SQL server that needs to get some services shutdown and restarted in a specific order to get the backup working again. Have to do it after every reboot (for example after installing Windows patches). I've mentioned the necessary steps in an older post here.

Thanks,
Haris