Open files being skipped with NTBACKUP when /snap:on specified

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ken L
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Ken L

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I am trying to backup a Win2003 Server system (that normally has files open
on it) with Microsoft's NTBACKUP. I am getting the following messages:

Warning: Unable to open "\\KCNGSB\C$\#SYSMAINT\WMBackup.ldb" - skipped.
Reason: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by
another process.

I've specified /snap:on in the command line. I found that the VSS service
wasn't running on this new server build (I don't know why it should have not
been started automatically). I started it, but still get the same error
message..

The Windows docs say that open files should be backed up to a "crash
consistent" state, rather than being skipped.
That form of backup is OK with me . . .

There were no additional messages in the event log (other than the warning
that not all files were backed up).

I found several articles in the KB about errors when running SQL Server, but
it is not installed on that machine.

Can anyone clue me in to what I am doing wrong and why these open files are
being skipped?

Thanks. (Note: additional documentation appears below)

Ken



Add'l Info:

Windows 2003 Server R2 - All service and maintenance available in Windows
Update site has been applied.

Command line for backup:

ntbackup backup @\\KCNGSB\c$\#SysMaint\KCNGSB-TEST.bks /d
KCNGSB_FULL_2007-08-21 /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hc:off /m normal /snap:on /j
KCNGSB_FULL_2007-08-21 /l:s /f G:\#BKUP\KCNGSB-TEST_FULL_2007-08-21.bkf

Backup Log:


Backup Status
Operation: Backup
Active backup destination: File
Media name: "KCNGSB-TEST_FULL_2007-08-21.bkf created 8/21/2007 at 12:57 PM"

Volume shadow copy creation: Attempt 1.
Backup of "C$"
Backup set #1 on media #1
Backup description: "KCNGSB_FULL_2007-08-21"
Media name: "KCNGSB-TEST_FULL_2007-08-21.bkf created 8/21/2007 at 12:57 PM"

Backup Type: Normal

Backup started on 8/21/2007 at 12:57 PM.
Warning: Unable to open "\\KCNGSB\C$\#SYSMAINT\WMBackup.ldb" - skipped.
Reason: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by
another process.

Warning: Unable to open "\\KCNGSB\C$\#SYSMAINT\WMBackup.mdb" - skipped.
Reason: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by
another process.

Backup completed on 8/21/2007 at 12:57 PM.
Directories: 3
Files: 15
Bytes: 46,990
Time: 1 second
 
Re: Open files being skipped with NTBACKUP when /snap:on specified

All:

After much experimentation, I finally found the source of the problem. The
..bks files I was using were transferred over from
an old machine being used to run all backups. It used UNC's to reference
the files and directories to be backed up.

For example, the .bks file on the "backup" server contained the following:

\\KCNGSB\C$\#SYSMAINT\

For volume shadow copy to work, it must run on the machine being backed up.
This is documented in Microsoft's info on the VSC functionality. We had
decided to change over from "pulling" the backups from the backup server to
"pushing" them over to the server from the machine being backed up to take
advantage of the function.

I had copied the .bks file over from the "pull" backup server to the
\\KCNGSB machine where the "push" backup was to be run.

Evidently, then use of a UNC in the .bks file "negates" the volume shadow
copy (even though the UNC points at the same machine where the backup is
being run). When negated, NTBACKUP runs like the old Win 2000 version and
will skip backup of open files. To get my backup to work, I had to change
the .bks file to the following:

C:\#SYSMAINT\

After that change was made, the backup worked like it should, including
backup of the open files.

A suggestion for Microsoft (if any employees are lurking), why don't you
include an error message telling the user that the use of the UNC will
negate the backup of open files (especially when the user has specifically
requested the VSC function with the /SNAP:on parameter).

Ken



"Ken L" <wxmet@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
news:uRn4pOC5HHA.5796@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I am trying to backup a Win2003 Server system (that normally has files open
>on it) with Microsoft's NTBACKUP. I am getting the following messages:
>
> Warning: Unable to open "\\KCNGSB\C$\#SYSMAINT\WMBackup.ldb" - skipped.
> Reason: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by
> another process.
>
> I've specified /snap:on in the command line. I found that the VSS service
> wasn't running on this new server build (I don't know why it should have
> not been started automatically). I started it, but still get the same
> error message..
>
> The Windows docs say that open files should be backed up to a "crash
> consistent" state, rather than being skipped.
> That form of backup is OK with me . . .
>
> There were no additional messages in the event log (other than the warning
> that not all files were backed up).
>
> I found several articles in the KB about errors when running SQL Server,
> but it is not installed on that machine.
>
> Can anyone clue me in to what I am doing wrong and why these open files
> are being skipped?
>
> Thanks. (Note: additional documentation appears below)
>
> Ken
>
>
>
> Add'l Info:
>
> Windows 2003 Server R2 - All service and maintenance available in Windows
> Update site has been applied.
>
> Command line for backup:
>
> ntbackup backup @\\KCNGSB\c$\#SysMaint\KCNGSB-TEST.bks /d
> KCNGSB_FULL_2007-08-21 /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hc:off /m normal /snap:on /j
> KCNGSB_FULL_2007-08-21 /l:s /f G:\#BKUP\KCNGSB-TEST_FULL_2007-08-21.bkf
>
> Backup Log:
>
>
> Backup Status
> Operation: Backup
> Active backup destination: File
> Media name: "KCNGSB-TEST_FULL_2007-08-21.bkf created 8/21/2007 at 12:57
> PM"
>
> Volume shadow copy creation: Attempt 1.
> Backup of "C$"
> Backup set #1 on media #1
> Backup description: "KCNGSB_FULL_2007-08-21"
> Media name: "KCNGSB-TEST_FULL_2007-08-21.bkf created 8/21/2007 at 12:57
> PM"
>
> Backup Type: Normal
>
> Backup started on 8/21/2007 at 12:57 PM.
> Warning: Unable to open "\\KCNGSB\C$\#SYSMAINT\WMBackup.ldb" - skipped.
> Reason: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by
> another process.
>
> Warning: Unable to open "\\KCNGSB\C$\#SYSMAINT\WMBackup.mdb" - skipped.
> Reason: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by
> another process.
>
> Backup completed on 8/21/2007 at 12:57 PM.
> Directories: 3
> Files: 15
> Bytes: 46,990
> Time: 1 second
>
 
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