SQL Server Backups and VSS

on a win 2003 server SP2 i have SQL Server 2005 - 9.00.2047.00 (Service Pack 2) running Acronis True Image Server® version 9.1 (build 3,920)

I have ATI set to use Volume Shadow Copy, and there have been errors while ATI is trying to back up the DBs. Two questions:

1) Do you usually opt to use ATI with VSS support to backup SQL Server OR do you create a windows task* to backup the DB and exclude *.mdf/*.ldf from the ATI backup with VSS support off?

2) if i choose the former option above, do i have to set the VSS service to automatic? By default it is a manually started service.

thanks!

* in SQL server express you have to create windows tasks to maintain your DBs since "maintenance plans" is not available in this version

 

Upgrade to echo VSS should be fixed there

 

thanks but thats not the solution i'm looking for. i didnt buy a beta.

 

Hello ebarcell,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Server Disk Backup Software.

Could you please clarify the exact text of errors and where/when do they appear?

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov

 

do i need to set VSS to automatic start?

they appear in the event log during the backup process, every night. they are being logged at the same time, to the second.

there are 5 instances of each error (one for each DB)

MSSQLSERVER 3041: BACKUP failed to complete the command BACKUP DATABASE model. Check the backup application log for detailed messages.

MSSQLSERVER 18210: BackupVirtualDeviceFile::SendFileInfoBegin: failure on backup device '{6ADB2128-0A20-4037-B977-447078FEE76D}2'. Operating system error 995(The I/O operation has been aborted because of either a thread exit or an application request.).

SQLWRITER 24583: Sqllib error: OLEDB Error encountered calling ICommandText::Execute. hr = 0x80040e14. SQLSTATE: 42000, Native Error: 3013
Error state: 1, Severity: 16
Source: Microsoft SQL Native Client
Error message: BACKUP DATABASE is terminating abnormally.
SQLSTATE: 42000, Native Error: 3271
Error state: 1, Severity: 16
Source: Microsoft SQL Native Client
Error message: A nonrecoverable I/O error occurred on file "{6ADB2128-0A20-4037-B977-447078FEE76D}5:" 995(The I/O operation has been aborted because of either a thread exit or an application request.).
SQLSTATE: 01000, Native Error: 4035
Error state: 1, Severity: 0
Source: Microsoft SQL Native Client
Error message: Processed 0 pages for database 'master', file 'master' on file 1.

this one occurs 10 times:

SQLDVI 1:SQLVDI: Loc=SVDS::CloseDevice. Desc=Abort detected. ErrorCode=(0). Process=1608. Thread=3900. Server. Instance=MSSQLSERVER. VD=Global\{6ADB2128-0A20-4037-B977-447078FEE76D}5.

 

any word?

 

Yes Volume Shadow Copy Service should be running in the background.

 

thanks, but thats a given: upon request, the service can start running (in the background, as all services do) if it's set to manual start.

my question is does it need to be set to automatic start?

 

Hello ebarcell,

Please note that Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Windows uses Microsoft VSS technology only to prepare the databases for the data capture, and the data capture itself is performed by our own technology without use of VSS. The whole procedure of database backup is:
1) Initialization of VSS;
2) VSS prepares the database for data capture;
3) VSS captures the data;
And since we don't need the 3rd step, our software stops VSS provider when databases are ready for data capture. So when the database preparation is over and Acronis True Image stops VSS, a new error message is appended to Event Log.

You can safely ignore these messages (make sure Acronis True Image's own logs indicate that backing up was successful). We recommend you to set VSS service to automatic.

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov