VMware VSS uninstall -> known issues

[H-Milch]

Hi all!

Druing trubleshooting several VSS issues I am not sure if I made everythin correct > can somebody help?

Situation:
- All VMs are w2k3 Servers
- BackupExec2010R3 Agents on VMs installed (SQL LOGs Handling) -> B2T
- Veeam 5.x in Application Aware Mode (required, not truncating SQL LOGs) -> B2T
- VMwareTools VSS Option UNINSTALLED

Question:
- Is uninstalling the VMware Tolls VSS Option a silly way to fix Veeam BackupExec issues?
- Are ther other effects when uninstalling VMware VSS (something not longer working eg. vmotion ...?)

THX al lot for your replys !!!

[Gostev]

Hi, VMware Tools VSS option presence does not affect anything. Removing it will not break anything, however it will not fix anything either. The issue here is that BackupExec agent brings into VSS framework on the VM which makes Veeam guest processing fail. So, the only way to resolve is either uninstalling BackupExec agent, or not using Veeam's application-aware processing. Which is probably safe to do in this case, since you are performing application-level backups of SQL anyway, and can use it in worst-case scenario instead of Veeam backup. Thanks!

[H-Milch]

OK thanks for your answer - but:

There is no issue in the moment!?
After I had uninstalled the VMwareVSS Option I resolved the following issue:
Freezing guest operation system Unfreeze error (over VIX): [Freeze job already stopped]

Please correct me: I your opinion it is not possible to have both VeeamVSS and BackupExecAgent.

regards!

Frank

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Frank, if you take a look at the feedback coming from our customers, you'll see that in most cases coexistence causes a lot of problems.