VSS Freezer.

[JMPY]

I have a Veeam Backup with the last version 3.0.1 that release yesterday (17/3/2009) and I will backup a VM that hosted an SQL Express 2005SP2.

I receive on every backup a Warning with this information:

Releasing VM files VSSFreezer: Failed to freeze guest, wait timeout

In this case, it's the Virtual Center in 2.5U3 version on an Windows 2003R2 SP2 Operating System. I doesn't quiesce with Veeam but only an VSS Backup with the Administrator account from the Active Directory and the server in a member from this Active Directory.

Can you give more information, so that I can receive a Success status ?

[Gostev]

Hello, we should be able to give you more information after we review log files. Please send all files from Help | Support information to support@veeam.com. Thanks!

[JMPY]

It's possible to backup the Virtual Center and SQL Express with VSS when it installed on a VM ?

Please have you more information.

[Gostev]

No, you cannot backup the same vCenter that Veeam Backup processes because when vCenter VM is freezed, Veeam Backup will not be able to communicate with it and backup would fail. And it does not matter if you use VSS or not here.

[ssimakov]

Actually it is possible to backup virtualized VC but it requires backup job to be properly configured. First is to add ESX host running VC as a standalone server thus no Vmotion support for VMs on this host and requirement for some additional licenses in current version if there are VMs on this host added to backup as objects in VC. Second - create another job and add VC server and SQL database server to this job as objects managed by newly added standalone ESX host. This job will work just fine backing up your VC/SQL sucessfully and with VSS if needed.

[JMPY]

Thanks ssimakov for your information. I will give a conclusion of the discussion:

But in the Veeam Backup 3.0.1 it's not possible to declare the ESX server that a are already member of a cluster HA/DRS with the Virtual Center. You receive the message:

Server 'srvesxX.domain.local' is already exists in the database.

Perhaps, in a future version, we can declare a ESX standalone that already member of a VC in the same Veeam instance ?

It's sure that it's possible to backup a VM Virtual Center with Network Backup (and not VCB) and you use only VSS and not Quiesce the I/O with the VMware Tools. You only receive a Warning VSS Freeze but the Backup will work.

The case will be closed at this time.

[TheVirtualDude]

@JMPY, I just experienced the same issue. What I did as a work around was add the ESX server that my VC was on using the IP address of the ESX server. It adds a new server entry, but at least you get the server backed up. It worked for me and hope it works for you.

[Gostev]

Yes, adding server using its IP is how you should do it in all cases when you need to add the same server to Veeam Backup tree twice. There are couple of workaround that require this.