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waldo
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SQL servers will not backup! Failed to prepare guest for hot

Post by waldo »

I am currently trialing Veeam as a solution to replace Symantec but i have been tripped up by the fact that 2 of my SQL servers cannot be backed up. I am only selecting to backup the system drive (no data/logs volumes because they are on volumes presented via iSCSI initiator).
Other SQL servers I have backup fine everytime but not these two servers! I have never been able to get a backup. Can anyone make suggestions as what to look for and possible causes of the error.

The full error message...

Failed to prepare guest for hot backup. Error: VSSControl: -2147212538 Backup job failed. Discovery phase failed. Cannot add volumes to the snapshot set. Cannot add a volume to the snapshot set. Volume name: [\\?\Volume{6ce1f190-57ed-11e1-8503-005056a27d4a}\]. Cannot add volume to the set of volumes that should be shadowed. VSS error: VSS_E_PROVIDER_VETO. Code:0x80042306
Error: VSSControl: -2147212538 Backup job failed. Discovery phase failed. Cannot add volumes to the snapshot set. Cannot add a volume to the snapshot set. Volume name: [\\?\Volume{6ce1f190-57ed-11e1-8503-005056a27d4a}\]. Cannot add volume to the set of volumes that should be shadowed. VSS error: VSS_E_PROVIDER_VETO. Code:0x80042306
Gostev
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Re: SQL servers will not backup! Failed to prepare guest for

Post by Gostev »

Symantec backup agent messes up VSS due to installing proprietary VSS provider. Uninstall it, reboot the server, and try again.
Cokovic
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Re: SQL servers will not backup! Failed to prepare guest for

Post by Cokovic » 3 people like this post

I had this once too and in my case it was also the Symantec VSS provider that messed up my backup. After uninstalling it my backups still failed due to a registry key that was left. In that case open a command promt and type "vssadmin list providers " to check that there is only the Microsoft VSS listed. If not you've got to remove the registry key for Symantec VSS too. But i dont remember the exact location of the key. Just google for it. After removing the key my backups went fine.
waldo
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Re: SQL servers will not backup! Failed to prepare guest for

Post by waldo »

Thanks for your comments guys...

I have checked both of the problem servers... One of them is a old SQL2005 server that has previously been protected using Symantec but the other server is a new SQL2008 server that is still being configured and not yet part of our live environment. The SQL2008 server has never had any Symnatec SQL agents installed on it!

The only common thing between the two servers is that they both use the iSCSI initor to connect to their data/logs volumes on our Dell EqualLogic SAN. Therefore both servers are running the 'Dell EqualLogic VSS HW Provider' alongside the 'Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0'.

But the puzzeling thing is that I have Exchange 2003 & 2 other SQL servers that have the same configuration for there data/logs being located on the EqualLogic and they are backing up fine (system/OS drive only) with Veeam????

I am going to change the data/logs volume model from the iSCSI initiator to using RDM so I have visability of the data/logs volumes within Veeam. When I do this I will uninstall the Dell EqualLogic software and see what effect that has.

Is it also possible to force Veeam to use the Microsoft VSS and therefore not get tripped up by any Dell or Symantec VSS providers that may also reside on the same server?
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Re: SQL servers will not backup! Failed to prepare guest for

Post by Vitaliy S. »

waldo wrote:Is it also possible to force Veeam to use the Microsoft VSS and therefore not get tripped up by any Dell or Symantec VSS providers that may also reside on the same server?
To use "application aware image processing" 3rd party VSS providers (such as Symantec VSS) should be uninstalled, there is no other option.
waldo
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Re: SQL servers will not backup! Failed to prepare guest for

Post by waldo »

I have ditched the iSCSI connected volumes and moved the data/logs to a RDM on one of the SQL servers. Then un-installed the Dell Host Intergration Tools (removes the Dell hardware VSS). Ran a veeam backup and it works!

I tried a backup of the other server (still has dell VSS) and it fails as usual. Although I noticed a popup error on the desktop...VeeamGuestAgent.exe - Application Error. The instruction at "0x7c82a5c4 referenced memory at 0x00000000". The memory could not be read. Click on OK to terminate the program.

Im still concerned over the fact that my Exchange server and another 2 SQL servers are all using the Dell EqualLogic volumes and therefore have the Dell VSS installed and they are backing up with Veeam!!! This doesnt make sense, surely they should either all work or none of them work?
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Re: SQL servers will not backup! Failed to prepare guest for

Post by Vitaliy S. »

Are these VMs identically the same? Do they have the same version of Dell Host Intergration Tools installed? Do you run SQL Server 2005 on both VMs?

I guess there might be other factors that prevent us from taking successful "application aware" backup of these VMs, so I would suggest to contact our support team for further assistance.
waldo
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Re: SQL servers will not backup! Failed to prepare guest for

Post by waldo »

Thanks for all your help on this subject... I am now planning to move away from the iSCSI presented volumes so will eventually remove all the Dell hardware VSS providers. Hopefully then I should get 100% backup success.

Cheers :-)
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Re: SQL servers will not backup! Failed to prepare guest for

Post by tgillispie » 1 person likes this post

Had the same issue with an Exchange server.

Use http://www.symantec.com/connect/forums/ ... -installed to find reg key to cleanup.

Must restart server after reg key cleanup.

This fixed my veeam backups of my Exchange server.
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