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10 Replies Last post: Nov 11, 2009 2:00 AM by AlbertWT

Issue backing up VM posted: Nov 5, 2009 5:20 AM

quaium

4 posts since
Nov 5, 2009

If this is in the wrong section then apologies, it's my first post here.

We currently have a virtual environment setup with 3 ESX servers, vCentre, a SAN and a backup solution including a HP MSL2024 and a backup to disk SAN. We are using Symantec Backup Exec 12.5D and back up individual VM's. There are a total of 10 VM's and all are backing up fine apart from one server which keeps giving the following error message:

The job failed with the following error: An error occurred while running the VMware 'vcbMounter' command to back up a virtual machine. See the job log for details.

The job log has the following entry:

+<vm_vcbmounter_job_start>VMware vcbMounter job started to export
virtual machine 'Server5'. 03 November 2009 at 16:28:16</vm_vcbmounter_job_start>++<vm_vcbmounter_job_failure>VMware vcbMounter job to export virtual
machine 'Server5' failed to execute or complete. 03 November 2009 at
16:28:35</vm_vcbmounter_job_failure>+

<OperationErrors Type="error">

<UMI>V-79-57344-38220</UMI> +- Backup of the virtual
machine 'Server5' failed. VMware VCB framework reported the following error
Error: Other error encountered: Snapshot creation failed: Another task is
already in progress.+

</OperationErrors>

Can anyone shed some light on this and how we go about fixing the error. All the other VM's on the ESX are backing up fine, it's just this one server. Could it be an issue with the server itself?

Thanks in advance.

Tags: backups, vcbmounter

Re: Issue backing up VM

1. Nov 5, 2009 9:10 AM

in response to: quaium

dnetz

148 posts since
Dec 5, 2008

Have you tried doing a manual snapshot of the VM "Server5"? vCenter should give you a better error message atleast, there could be some outstanding snapshot operation since last backup that didn't finish properly.

Re: Issue backing up VM

2. Nov 5, 2009 12:17 PM

in response to: dnetz

mully

17 posts since
Nov 25, 2008

We struggled with this same issue for weeks with BE 12.5. Symantec and VMWare both played the blame game for awhile and then VMWare made a change to the ESX server configuration to change the lease timeout value so the backup wouldn't quit on us...see change below:

. <leaseTimeSecs>180</leaseTimeSecs> - gives 3 minutes

Worked like a charm...hopefully it will fix your issue with BE too.

Re: Issue backing up VM

3. Nov 5, 2009 2:26 PM

in response to: quaium

quaium

4 posts since
Nov 5, 2009

Sorry but we're still new to this...

dnetz - How would we do manual a snapshot of the VM "Server5"?

mully - How would we change the lease timeout value?

Thanks again.

Re: Issue backing up VM

4. Nov 5, 2009 5:36 PM

in response to: quaium

MattMarcos

11 posts since
Jun 11, 2009

In your vCentre -> Inventory -> Hosts & Clusters.

Highlight the VM in question. On the toolbar above click on the Snapshot manager (little spanner looking icon).

See if there's any snapshots in the, VCB usually has VCB prefix to the snapshot name. Sometime's snapshots get stuck. It's a PITA.

cheers,

Matt.

Re: Issue backing up VM

5. Nov 6, 2009 3:39 AM

in response to: quaium

mully

17 posts since
Nov 25, 2008

I don't remember the exact name of the configuration file....but I know Vmware installed Putty to SSH to the files on the ESX servers. You may have to call VmWare and get the paths...sorry.

Re: Issue backing up VM

6. Nov 6, 2009 4:15 AM

in response to: MattMarcos

quaium

4 posts since
Nov 5, 2009

Checked the servers Snapshot Manager and there are no snapshots in there. We've even tried a few things suggested from a lot of online research (such as restarting ESX services, restarting server VMware services and moving the server to a new ESX) and have still had no luck!

Re: Issue backing up VM

7. Nov 6, 2009 5:12 AM

in response to: quaium

rahqa

39 posts since
Jul 14, 2009

When you, as mentioned, are able to backup other VMs on the other hosts fine, then it could be something to do with this host / VM.

Since it says " another task in progress", have a look through the hostd / vpxa logs if there is anything that is accessing the vmdk in question or any operation happening on the VM in question.

vpxa : /var/log/vmware/vpx/vpxa.log

hostd: /var/log/vmware/hostd.log

This mostly looks like a same snapshot operation is initiated twice on the VM , may be, through 2 different sources. Just a possibility.

Thanks

Rahul

Re: Issue backing up VM

8. Nov 6, 2009 9:17 AM

in response to: quaium

jsteppe

8 posts since
May 5, 2009

I am currently having the same issue also.. I am also working with a lead tech with Symantec on this issue also.. What I have seem to fine is if my vm's have 2 virtual disks I can not backup and get the same error.. If I have a vm with only 1 vmdk it works fine.. But hey I am still working with Symantec on this and hope they can resolve it..

Justin

Re: Issue backing up VM

9. Nov 11, 2009 1:23 AM

in response to: jsteppe

quaium

4 posts since
Nov 5, 2009

Still haven't managed to resolve this issue. We're also working on this with a Backup Exec "Expert" but not got very far. The worrying this is we still haven't got a backup of that server!

Re: Issue backing up VM

10. Nov 11, 2009 2:00 AM

in response to: quaium

AlbertWT

456 posts since
Apr 7, 2009

Hi All,

Has anyone try logon to SSH console and then issue this command:

services.sh restart

That's what I usually do since I'm using ESXi 4

Kind Regards,
AWT

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