Small Business Server backup hangs server...

Hello - hoping that someone can assist here..

I have recently installed a Small Business Server 2003 for a client (not
R2). After configuring the normal SBS backup via Server Management (see log
below)

*****
Backup Runner started.
Launching NTBackup: ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows
Small Business Server\Backup\Small Business Backup Script.bks" /d "SBS
Backup created on 25/12/2009 at 10:36 AM" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hcff /m
normal /j "Small Business Server Backup Job" /l:s /f "G:\Backup Files\Small
Business Server Backup (01).bkf" /UM
*****

.....the backup runs for a while and then hangs the server, requiring a
reboot to recover operability.

This is the only issue I have with the server, i.e. it is setup correctly
with DNS, DHCP, AD, Sharepoint etc. Aside from the initial startup entry in
the Application Log, there is
nothing being written to either the Application or System logs from the
backup to point to a problem, and there appears to be no pattern in the data
as to exactly where it is hanging the server.

However, can someone please comment on my theory?

As part of the server build, I initialised VSS as a pseudo backup strategy.
This also caused the server to hang, so I disabled same on all the volumes.
I know that Small Buiness Server backup uses shadow copy, so I checked the
VSS writers with vssadmin and they report o.k.

The only thing I can think of is that I have removed the SYSTEM account from
the file permissions on the data volumes (E: & F and maybe VSS needs that
to continue? I've looked at the last (incomplete) backup file, @ some 80GB,
and it only contains volume C: in the restore window, which of course is
untouched from default insofar as file permissions are concerned, however
volume C: is only 30GB in size so not sure where the other 50G has come
from?

The server has two Intel RAID1 volumes (2 x 250Gb, C:, E, (2 x 300GB, F,
and backups to 1TB Seagate Free Agent removables (G, runs Trend Micro
Worry Free Business Advanced and is fully patched.

Hopefully this is making sense?

Perhaps I have answered my own question....

Any assistance appreciated, thanks..

Ashley

Have you installed all the the service packs etc., and specifically
the VSS rollups?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940349

On one of our SBS 2003 machines the backups had the same problem -
total lockup when backing up to external HDD. The solution for us was
to backup to a folder on the C: drive, then have a scheduled job to
copy the backup from the C: drive to the external hard drive. There
was something that VSS didn't like about the USB drive that the copy
operation was happy with.



Jim




On Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:40:21 +1030, "Ashley Draper"
<> wrote:

>Hello - hoping that someone can assist here..
>
>I have recently installed a Small Business Server 2003 for a client (not
>R2). After configuring the normal SBS backup via Server Management (see log
>below)
>
>*****
>Backup Runner started.
>Launching NTBackup: ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows
>Small Business Server\Backup\Small Business Backup Script.bks" /d "SBS
>Backup created on 25/12/2009 at 10:36 AM" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hcff /m
>normal /j "Small Business Server Backup Job" /l:s /f "G:\Backup Files\Small
>Business Server Backup (01).bkf" /UM
>*****
>
>....the backup runs for a while and then hangs the server, requiring a
>reboot to recover operability.
>
>This is the only issue I have with the server, i.e. it is setup correctly
>with DNS, DHCP, AD, Sharepoint etc. Aside from the initial startup entry in
>the Application Log, there is
>nothing being written to either the Application or System logs from the
>backup to point to a problem, and there appears to be no pattern in the data
>as to exactly where it is hanging the server.
>
>However, can someone please comment on my theory?
>
>As part of the server build, I initialised VSS as a pseudo backup strategy.
>This also caused the server to hang, so I disabled same on all the volumes.
>I know that Small Buiness Server backup uses shadow copy, so I checked the
>VSS writers with vssadmin and they report o.k.
>
>The only thing I can think of is that I have removed the SYSTEM account from
>the file permissions on the data volumes (E: & F and maybe VSS needs that
>to continue? I've looked at the last (incomplete) backup file, @ some 80GB,
>and it only contains volume C: in the restore window, which of course is
>untouched from default insofar as file permissions are concerned, however
>volume C: is only 30GB in size so not sure where the other 50G has come
>from?
>
>The server has two Intel RAID1 volumes (2 x 250Gb, C:, E, (2 x 300GB, F,
>and backups to 1TB Seagate Free Agent removables (G, runs Trend Micro
>Worry Free Business Advanced and is fully patched.
>
>Hopefully this is making sense?
>
>Perhaps I have answered my own question....
>
>Any assistance appreciated, thanks..
>
>Ashley

Thanks Jim - the server is patched, but not with the VSS rollups.

Reason I haven't done them is I have another two SBS 2003 servers with
nearly identical configurations that don't have this problem.

Also, which way did you end up going with the server you mentioned, applied
the VSS rollups and did it normally therafter, or kept using the workaround?

Ashley

"Jim" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Have you installed all the the service packs etc., and specifically
> the VSS rollups?
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940349
>
> On one of our SBS 2003 machines the backups had the same problem -
> total lockup when backing up to external HDD. The solution for us was
> to backup to a folder on the C: drive, then have a scheduled job to
> copy the backup from the C: drive to the external hard drive. There
> was something that VSS didn't like about the USB drive that the copy
> operation was happy with.
>
>
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:40:21 +1030, "Ashley Draper"
> <> wrote:
>
>>Hello - hoping that someone can assist here..
>>
>>I have recently installed a Small Business Server 2003 for a client (not
>>R2). After configuring the normal SBS backup via Server Management (see
>>log
>>below)
>>
>>*****
>>Backup Runner started.
>>Launching NTBackup: ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Program Files\Microsoft
>>Windows
>>Small Business Server\Backup\Small Business Backup Script.bks" /d "SBS
>>Backup created on 25/12/2009 at 10:36 AM" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hcff /m
>>normal /j "Small Business Server Backup Job" /l:s /f "G:\Backup
>>Files\Small
>>Business Server Backup (01).bkf" /UM
>>*****
>>
>>....the backup runs for a while and then hangs the server, requiring a
>>reboot to recover operability.
>>
>>This is the only issue I have with the server, i.e. it is setup correctly
>>with DNS, DHCP, AD, Sharepoint etc. Aside from the initial startup entry
>>in
>>the Application Log, there is
>>nothing being written to either the Application or System logs from the
>>backup to point to a problem, and there appears to be no pattern in the
>>data
>>as to exactly where it is hanging the server.
>>
>>However, can someone please comment on my theory?
>>
>>As part of the server build, I initialised VSS as a pseudo backup
>>strategy.
>>This also caused the server to hang, so I disabled same on all the
>>volumes.
>>I know that Small Buiness Server backup uses shadow copy, so I checked the
>>VSS writers with vssadmin and they report o.k.
>>
>>The only thing I can think of is that I have removed the SYSTEM account
>>from
>>the file permissions on the data volumes (E: & F and maybe VSS needs
>>that
>>to continue? I've looked at the last (incomplete) backup file, @ some
>>80GB,
>>and it only contains volume C: in the restore window, which of course is
>>untouched from default insofar as file permissions are concerned, however
>>volume C: is only 30GB in size so not sure where the other 50G has come
>>from?
>>
>>The server has two Intel RAID1 volumes (2 x 250Gb, C:, E, (2 x 300GB,
>>F,
>>and backups to 1TB Seagate Free Agent removables (G, runs Trend Micro
>>Worry Free Business Advanced and is fully patched.
>>
>>Hopefully this is making sense?
>>
>>Perhaps I have answered my own question....
>>
>>Any assistance appreciated, thanks..
>>
>>Ashley

We actually kept using the workaround. The patch *seemed* to work for
us, but once we'd reconfigured the backup to go to C: and a separate
job to copy the file, we just left it be.

There's no guarantee the rollup will fix your issue, but I don't see
any harm in trying.



Jim


On Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:32:07 +1030, "Ashley Draper"
<> wrote:

>Thanks Jim - the server is patched, but not with the VSS rollups.
>
>Reason I haven't done them is I have another two SBS 2003 servers with
>nearly identical configurations that don't have this problem.
>
>Also, which way did you end up going with the server you mentioned, applied
>the VSS rollups and did it normally therafter, or kept using the workaround?
>
>Ashley
>
>"Jim" <> wrote in message
>news:.. .
>> Have you installed all the the service packs etc., and specifically
>> the VSS rollups?
>>
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940349
>>
>> On one of our SBS 2003 machines the backups had the same problem -
>> total lockup when backing up to external HDD. The solution for us was
>> to backup to a folder on the C: drive, then have a scheduled job to
>> copy the backup from the C: drive to the external hard drive. There
>> was something that VSS didn't like about the USB drive that the copy
>> operation was happy with.
>>
>>
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:40:21 +1030, "Ashley Draper"
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>>Hello - hoping that someone can assist here..
>>>
>>>I have recently installed a Small Business Server 2003 for a client (not
>>>R2). After configuring the normal SBS backup via Server Management (see
>>>log
>>>below)
>>>
>>>*****
>>>Backup Runner started.
>>>Launching NTBackup: ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Program Files\Microsoft
>>>Windows
>>>Small Business Server\Backup\Small Business Backup Script.bks" /d "SBS
>>>Backup created on 25/12/2009 at 10:36 AM" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hcff /m
>>>normal /j "Small Business Server Backup Job" /l:s /f "G:\Backup
>>>Files\Small
>>>Business Server Backup (01).bkf" /UM
>>>*****
>>>
>>>....the backup runs for a while and then hangs the server, requiring a
>>>reboot to recover operability.
>>>
>>>This is the only issue I have with the server, i.e. it is setup correctly
>>>with DNS, DHCP, AD, Sharepoint etc. Aside from the initial startup entry
>>>in
>>>the Application Log, there is
>>>nothing being written to either the Application or System logs from the
>>>backup to point to a problem, and there appears to be no pattern in the
>>>data
>>>as to exactly where it is hanging the server.
>>>
>>>However, can someone please comment on my theory?
>>>
>>>As part of the server build, I initialised VSS as a pseudo backup
>>>strategy.
>>>This also caused the server to hang, so I disabled same on all the
>>>volumes.
>>>I know that Small Buiness Server backup uses shadow copy, so I checked the
>>>VSS writers with vssadmin and they report o.k.
>>>
>>>The only thing I can think of is that I have removed the SYSTEM account
>>>from
>>>the file permissions on the data volumes (E: & F and maybe VSS needs
>>>that
>>>to continue? I've looked at the last (incomplete) backup file, @ some
>>>80GB,
>>>and it only contains volume C: in the restore window, which of course is
>>>untouched from default insofar as file permissions are concerned, however
>>>volume C: is only 30GB in size so not sure where the other 50G has come
>>>from?
>>>
>>>The server has two Intel RAID1 volumes (2 x 250Gb, C:, E, (2 x 300GB,
>>>F,
>>>and backups to 1TB Seagate Free Agent removables (G, runs Trend Micro
>>>Worry Free Business Advanced and is fully patched.
>>>
>>>Hopefully this is making sense?
>>>
>>>Perhaps I have answered my own question....
>>>
>>>Any assistance appreciated, thanks..
>>>
>>>Ashley

Out of curiosity why did you remove SYSTEM account permissions? Sorry I
don't have a good answer for the hanging server issue.

"Ashley Draper" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Hello - hoping that someone can assist here..
>
> I have recently installed a Small Business Server 2003 for a client (not
> R2). After configuring the normal SBS backup via Server Management (see
> log
> below)
>
> *****
> Backup Runner started.
> Launching NTBackup: ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Program Files\Microsoft
> Windows
> Small Business Server\Backup\Small Business Backup Script.bks" /d "SBS
> Backup created on 25/12/2009 at 10:36 AM" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hcff /m
> normal /j "Small Business Server Backup Job" /l:s /f "G:\Backup
> Files\Small
> Business Server Backup (01).bkf" /UM
> *****
>
> ....the backup runs for a while and then hangs the server, requiring a
> reboot to recover operability.
>
> This is the only issue I have with the server, i.e. it is setup correctly
> with DNS, DHCP, AD, Sharepoint etc. Aside from the initial startup entry
> in the Application Log, there is
> nothing being written to either the Application or System logs from the
> backup to point to a problem, and there appears to be no pattern in the
> data as to exactly where it is hanging the server.
>
> However, can someone please comment on my theory?
>
> As part of the server build, I initialised VSS as a pseudo backup
> strategy. This also caused the server to hang, so I disabled same on all
> the volumes. I know that Small Buiness Server backup uses shadow copy, so
> I checked the VSS writers with vssadmin and they report o.k.
>
> The only thing I can think of is that I have removed the SYSTEM account
> from the file permissions on the data volumes (E: & F and maybe VSS
> needs that to continue? I've looked at the last (incomplete) backup file,
> @ some 80GB, and it only contains volume C: in the restore window, which
> of course is untouched from default insofar as file permissions are
> concerned, however volume C: is only 30GB in size so not sure where the
> other 50G has come from?
>
> The server has two Intel RAID1 volumes (2 x 250Gb, C:, E, (2 x 300GB,
> F, and backups to 1TB Seagate Free Agent removables (G, runs Trend
> Micro Worry Free Business Advanced and is fully patched.
>
> Hopefully this is making sense?
>
> Perhaps I have answered my own question....
>
> Any assistance appreciated, thanks..
>
> Ashley
>