topic Re: SnapManager For exchange - backup failing due to VSS snapshot timeout in Data Protection

SnapManager For exchange - backup failing due to VSS snapshot timeout

MikeN — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:35:03 GMT

Hello,

We back up an exchagne 2010 DAG with SnapManager for exchange running on VMware.

Recently we've been encountering issues where the backup will fail and entries similar to the following are logged in the system log.

The volumes are LUNs mounted with SnapDrive.

The issues are being caused by a VSS snapshot timeout.

I am new to SnapManager and NetApp in general, i am the exchange admin that took over management of an existing environment.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to resolve this?

Thank You!

Log Name: System
Source: volsnap
Date: 8/6/2015 6:34:52 PM
Event ID: 8
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: mailboxserver1.domain.local
Description:
The flush and hold writes operation on volume M: timed out while waiting for a release writes command.

Log Name: Application
Source: Navssprv
Date: 8/6/2015 6:34:56 PM
Event ID: 4118
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: mailboxserver1.domain.local
Description:
Data ONTAP VSS hardware provider has completed CommitSnapshots for SnapshotSetId {71615b93-aa37-479c-aec9-0565f3b7d013} in 14633 milliseconds. Since it takes more than 10 seconds, this can fail the current shadow copy.

Log Name: Application
Source: Navssprv
Date: 8/6/2015 6:34:56 PM
Event ID: 4110
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: mailboxserver1.domain.local
Description:
Data ONTAP VSS hardware provider's AbortSnapshot method is called [SnapshotSetId={71615b93-aa37-479c-aec9-0565f3b7d013}]. VSS has failed the current shadow copy session because the previous errors are not continuable.

Re: SnapManager For exchange - backup failing due to VSS snapshot timeout

dirk_ecker — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 09:49:12 GMT

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the NetApp community!

I suggest opening a case with NetApp support.

Could you please provide the following information:

Windows OS version, i.e. Windows 2008 R2 SP1 / Windows 2012
SnapDrive version, i.e. SnapDrive 7.1.1
SME version, i.e. SME 7.1
Are the LUNs RDMs or mapped via iSCSI from inside the guest?
Does the backup fail every time or sporadically?
Is this an existing backup job that used to work fine before? If yes, did someone perform any changes (software installation, patch/hotfix installation due to MS patch day)

Best regards

Dirk

Re: SnapManager For exchange - backup failing due to VSS snapshot timeout

dmauro — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 10:59:38 GMT

check the messages on the storage system: if the snapshot creation really takes 14+ seconds, then you are either asking the stotrage system to create a snapshot of too many volumes at once or there is a performance issue on the storage system. either way, you can try to work this around by choosing to backup less databases at once.

if you need further investigation about the perforemances, etc, you need to open a case indeed.

Domenico