SMSQL 5.1 Not Deleting Log Snapinfo Snapshots

[#1]

Windows Server 2008 R2

SQL 2008

SD 6.3P1

I recently upgraded SMSQL on a SQL instance from 5.0 to 5.1. I have a job scheduled to run every hour to backup transaction logs. The log backups are spread across 5 mount points. It was working fine in 5.0. Now, in 5.1, the job is no longer deleting old log snapinfo snapshots. Before the upgrade, the log files showed the following which was working:

UPDATE MOST RECENT SNAPINFO DRIVE SNAPSHOT NAME

[18:02:40.033] 
[18:02:40.033]  SNAPSHOT SNAPINFO DRIVE

[18:02:40.034]  Creating Snapshot of LUN(s):
[18:02:40.035]  LUN [J:\sninfo5\]
[18:02:40.036]  Snapshot name: sqlinfo__sql_08-16-2011_18.00.58
[18:02:48.651]  Snapshot SnapInfo drive(s) successfully completed.
[18:02:48.651] 
[18:02:48.652]  UPDATE MOST RECENT SNAPINFO DRIVE SNAPSHOT NAME

[18:02:57.483] 
[18:02:57.484]  SNAPSHOT SNAPINFO DRIVE

[18:02:57.485]  Creating Snapshot of LUN(s):
[18:02:57.486]  LUN [J:\sninfo2\]
[18:02:57.486]  Snapshot name: sqlinfo__sql_08-16-2011_18.00.58
[18:03:05.837]  Snapshot SnapInfo drive(s) successfully completed.
[18:03:05.838] 
[18:03:05.839]  UPDATE MOST RECENT SNAPINFO DRIVE SNAPSHOT NAME

[18:03:14.062] 
[18:03:14.063]  SNAPSHOT SNAPINFO DRIVE

[18:03:14.064]  Creating Snapshot of LUN(s):
[18:03:14.064]  LUN [J:\sninfo3\]
[18:03:14.065]  Snapshot name: sqlinfo__sql_08-16-2011_18.00.58
[18:03:21.557]  Snapshot SnapInfo drive(s) successfully completed.
[18:03:21.557] 
[18:03:21.558]  UPDATE MOST RECENT SNAPINFO DRIVE SNAPSHOT NAME

[18:03:30.091] 
[18:03:30.092]  SNAPSHOT SNAPINFO DRIVE

[18:03:30.092]  Creating Snapshot of LUN(s):
[18:03:30.093]  LUN [J:\sninfo4\]
[18:03:30.093]  Snapshot name: sqlinfo__sql_08-16-2011_18.00.58
[18:03:37.939]  Snapshot SnapInfo drive(s) successfully completed.
[18:03:37.940] 
[18:03:37.941]  UPDATE MOST RECENT SNAPINFO DRIVE SNAPSHOT NAME

[18:03:46.548] 
[18:03:46.548]  SNAPSHOT SNAPINFO DRIVE

[18:03:46.549]  Creating Snapshot of LUN(s):
[18:03:46.549]  LUN [J:\sninfo1\]
[18:03:46.550]  Snapshot name: sqlinfo__sql_08-16-2011_18.00.58
[18:03:54.658]  Snapshot SnapInfo drive(s) successfully completed.

[18:03:54.660]  *** DELETE THE OLDEST TRANSACTION LOG BACKUPS

Now in 5.1, I'm seeing this crazy stuff:

UPDATE MOST RECENT SNAPINFO DRIVE SNAPSHOT NAME

[09:21:13.726] 
[09:21:13.727]  SNAPSHOT SNAPINFO DRIVE

[09:21:13.728]  Creating Snapshot of LUN(s):
[09:21:13.728]  LUN [J:\sninfo1\], [J:\sninfo2\], [J:\sninfo3\], [J:\sninfo4\], [J:\sninfo5\]
[09:21:13.729]  Snapshot name: sqlinfo__sql_08-23-2011_09.19.52
[09:21:38.787]  Snapshot SnapInfo drive(s) successfully completed.
[09:21:38.858] 
[09:21:38.858]  UPDATE MOST RECENT SNAPINFO DRIVE SNAPSHOT NAME

[09:21:40.775]  DELETE SAME TIME LOG/SNAPINFO SNAPSHOT

[09:21:40.776]  Deleting snapshot copy sqlinfo__sql_08-23-2011_09.19.52 of LUN J:\sninfo1\
[09:21:41.342]  Deletion of snapshot copy succeeded.
[09:21:41.343]  SNAPSHOT SNAPINFO DRIVE

[09:21:41.344]  Creating Snapshot of LUN(s):
[09:21:41.345]  LUN [J:\sninfo1\], [J:\sninfo2\], [J:\sninfo3\], [J:\sninfo4\], [J:\sninfo5\]
[09:21:41.345]  Snapshot name: sqlinfo__sql_08-23-2011_09.19.52
[09:22:03.866]  [SnapDrive Error]: Failed to create a consistent Snapshot copy of one or more LUN(s).
Please check the application event log for more information.

(SnapDrive Error Code: 0xc00402c1)

Why is SMSQL creating the sninfo snapshots ok then turning right around and deleting just the first one (the DELETE SAME TIME LOG/SNAPINFO SNAPSHOT)?!! And then tries to create the 5 snapshots again? Crazy. I think because it's erroring out, it never gets to the process of deleting log snapinfo snapshots.

Here's the command being executed:

C:\Program Files\NetApp\SnapManager for SQL Server\SmsqlJobLauncher.exe new-backup  –svr 'SQL'  -d  'SQL', '2', 'DB1', 'DB2' -ver  –verInst 'UTIL' -RetainBackups  160 -lgbkonly -bksif -RetainSnapofSnapInfo 160 -trlog  -noutm  -updmir  –mgmt standard

Erick

[#2]

Hi Erick ,

What is the exact version of SDW and SMSQL are you having ? Have you tried the same Deletion of SnapInfo Snapshots with the latest SMSQL 5.1 P2 release.

Here is the link:

===============

SMSQL 5.1P2 patch released.

Now Site:

http://now.netapp.com/NOW/download/software/snapmanager_sql2k/5.1P2/

Regards,

Abhishek

[#3]

SDW 6.3P1 and SMSQL 5.1

[#4]

Please try SMSQL 5.1P2.

[#5]

I installed SMSQL 5.1P2 this morning. However, the problem still exists. It seems the job never gets the chance to delete snapinfo snapshots because of the line that says "DELETE SAME TIME LOG/SNAPINFO SNAPSHOT". Why is SMSQL doing this? It makes no sense to create a snapshot successfully and then turn around to delete what it just created.

[#6]

After some testing, it seems SMSQL 5.1 doesn't like performing transaction log backups at the same time for multiple volumes/LUNs. This is why I'm seeing the "DELETE SAME TIME LOG/SNAPINFO SNAPSHOT" behavior. This was not a problem with SMSQL 5.0. So now I have to create a separate transaction log job for each volume.  Any chance this new feature can be fixed?

[#7]

Hi Erick ,

Please give me the entire log file and complete environment details . I will look into this further and let you know.

Regards,

Abhishek

[#8]

Abhishek,

I sent you 2 PM's with the log details. Here's my enviornment details:

OS - Windows Enterprise 2008 R2 SP1

SQL - Enterprise 2008 x64 SP1 Active/Passive Cluster

SD - 6.3.1R1

SMSQL - 5.1P2

LUNs - 4 containing one user database each and 1 containing multiple user databases located on NetApp 3160

Thank you for looking at this.

[#9]

I have a correction to my previous post. The issue may be more about performing transaction log backups in a single job with multiple snapinfo directories defined instead of a single snapinfo folder.

[#10]

Abhishek,

It's been a long time since I last posted about this. Did you ever figure out what the problem is? If so, has it been fixed? I appreciate any info you can provide me. Thanks!

Erick