SMHV-Always having to restart Snap services to get a sucessful backup

[#1]

All,

Why is it that SMHV (Version  1.0.1.1222) and Snapdrive (Version 6.3.0.4718) always have to be restarted before I can get a sucessful guest backup?

Running 4 node HyperV 08R2 cluster with 29 Windows Guests (Windows server 03 & 08).

I run this script on all Cluster nodes prior to running any backup job:

net stop SnapMgrServiceHost
net stop SDMgmtSvc
net stop SWSvc

net start SWSvc
net start SDMgmtSvc
net start SnapMgrServiceHost

exit

I have also noticed if I live migrate a guest to another node within the cluster backups fail. I run the above script and the backups work.

This also happens if you reboot a cluster node and do not restart the Snap services.

Any ideas will be much appreciated, or is there a newer version of SMHV due for relaese shortly?

We have to babysit this cluster just to ensure it backs up every night!

Many thanks

[#2]

What's the actual error you are getting for the backup, if you take backup with out restarting SDW services?.

I am thinking this issue is happening because of storage foot print for the VM is missing for some reasons when SMHV calls

SDW for VM enumeration just before backup. When you restart the SDW service, SDW is reporting the correct storage foot print.

Are these VMs running on CSV?

Thanks,

Vineeth

[#3]

Hi there,

Thanks for your reply.

Configuration is a 4 node Hyper V Cluster with 5 x CSV's

We are only backing up the 4 CSV's as the 5th one is a Sandpit for testing purposes.

I have one job that backs up all VM guests, sometimes it is 100% sucessful, sometimes it failes to backup the contents of one of the CSV's.

I am currently checking if it is one CSV in particular that mostly fails and I will get back to you.

Im also checking the release notes on 2008 R2 SP1 if there are any fixes for VSS and CSV's.

Ill post my findings later in the day.

Cheers

Mark

[#4]

Further information:

From the netapp backup log:

[3/22/2011 11:07:47 AM, (5)] Error: Vss Requestor - Backup Components failed.The shadow copy provider had an unexpected error while trying to process the specified operation.

From the windows event log:

Data ONTAP VSS hardware provider's AbortSnapshot method is called [SnapshotSetId={e4015ab1-f679-4654-9622-2e065a84625f}]. VSS has failed the current shadow copy session because the previous errors are not continuable.

________

Data ONTAP VSS hardware provider failed in CommitSnapshots method [SnapshotSetId={e4015ab1-f679-4654-9622-2e065a84625f}]. SnapDrive failed to create snapshot.

Please check SnapDrive event logs.

The data is the error code.

__________

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Error calling a routine on a Shadow Copy Provider {ddd3d232-a96f-4ac5-8f7b-250fd91fd102}. Routine details CommitSnapshots [hr = 0xc00404d1].

Operation:

Executing Asynchronous Operation

Context:

Current State: DoSnapshotSet

---------------------

Failed to create a consistent Snapshot copy({e4015ab1-f679-4654-9622-2e065a84625f}) of the LUN(s) [\\?\Volume{204d8e86-7802-4def-80d5-3d34ebcd7456}\ \\?\Volume{775e3b08-6918-4dde-b9c7-9f24c6f54038}\ \\?\Volume{b6fc60f8-1d23-4bf4-85ef-3bbd3f2670e8}\ ].

Error code : Unable to create a Snapshot copy. Please check the application event log for more details.

----------------------

Unable to create a Snapshot copy.

Error message : An operation to create Snapshot copy '{e4015ab1-f679-4654-9622-2e065a84625f}' across multiple volumes failed on the storage system 'DC-FAS03'.

Error code: 135. Error description: No more snapshots available Error volume: CSV_2008_PRODVM.

[#5]

Looks like SnapDrive is not able to create snapshot copy on one of the volumes because it has already reached the maximum of 255 snapshots:

No more snapshots available Error volume: CSV_2008_PRODVM.

Storage system is 'DC-FAS03'.

You may want to delete some older backups to free up snapshots on this volume and then retry the backup.

Thanks,

Anagha

[#6]

Also please check your Hyper-V servers for the following hotfixes recommended for Windows 2008 R2.

You can apply these hotfixes if you are facing any of the issues mentioned in the KB.

1. KB975921
   
2. KB974909
   
3. KB975354 V2
   
4. KB979743 V2
   
5. KB974909 V2
   
6. KB2406705 V2
   

Thanks,

Vineeth