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Don_G
Contributor
Contributor

Snapshot Cannot create a quiesced snapshot Solution

We had snapshots failing with the error:

Create virtual machine snapshot

Cannot create a quiesced snapshot

because the create snapshot operation

exceeded the time limit for holding off

I/O in the frozen virtual machine.

result was that "vmware snapshot provider" service was not installed during the SUCCESSFUL vmware tools install. it did not get installed because the Com+ System Application service was disabled during the VMware tools install. after this service was enabled and VMware tools was repaired and the VM rebooted. snapshots now work successfully.

2 services i found need to be running or at minimum not disabled are the Com+ system application and the Distributed transaction coordinator services. Snapshots still work after you disable com+ after the vmware tools install. I am not sure if com+ is needed for anything after setup.

I WISH VMware would and an error msg if the installer fails to install all the selected components as this would have made troubleshooting MUCH easier. I would also like Vmware to add this solution to there Snapshot troubleshooting GUIDE.

VMware support and dell support aparently do not know about this issue, as i have been working with them for the past few weeks on this issue.

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AlbertWT
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Hi There,

Thanks for posting this issue, I was having problem like the following from my Symantec Backup Exec 12.5 SP2:

Job ended: Friday, 21 August 2009 at 6:01:14 PM

Completed status: Failed

Final error: 0xe000954c - *_An error occurred while running the VMware 'vcbMounter' command to back up a virtual machine._ *See the job log for details.

Final error category: Resource Errors

For additional information regarding this error refer to link V-79-57344-38220

Backup- VMVCB::
vCenter\VCGuestVm\(DC)Domain.com(DC)\vm\Windows Server 2003\Win2003x64_vmws04

V-79-57344-38220 - Backup of the virtual machine 'Win2003x64_vmws04' failed. VMware VCB framework reported the following error

Error: Other error encountered: Snapshot creation failed: Could not quiesce file system.

I hope that by reinstalling the VMWare tools after enabling

1. DTC

2. COM+

I can back it up and create snapshot again.

Kind Regards,

AWT

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AlbertWT
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Sadly the problem still exist,

Even after I uninsntall the VMWare tools and restart the VM

and then I've make sure the following services was started and set as automatic running before reinstalling VMWare tools with COMPLETE options:

COM+ System Application

Distributed Transaction Coordinator

after restart then I've turn the following services on and set as automatic running as well:

VMware Snapshot Provider

Volume Shadow Copy

then i got the same error message: Cannot create a quiesced snapshot because the create snapshot operation exceeded the time limit for holding off

I/O in the frozen virtual machine.

and here it is in the Windows VM event viewer log:

Event Type: Error

Event Source: VSS

Event Category: None

Event ID: 12302

Date: 21/09/2009

Time: 1:23:31 PM

User: N/A

Computer: RSA01

Description:

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: An internal inconsistency was detected in trying to contact shadow copy service writers. Please check to see that the Event Service and Volume Shadow Copy Service are operating properly.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Data:

0000: 2d 20 43 6f 64 65 3a 20 - Code:

0008: 42 55 45 43 58 4d 4c 43 BUECXMLC

0010: 30 30 30 30 37 32 39 32 00007292

0018: 2d 20 43 61 6c 6c 3a 20 - Call:

0020: 42 55 45 43 58 4d 4c 43 BUECXMLC

0028: 30 30 30 30 37 32 31 39 00007219

0030: 2d 20 50 49 44 3a 20 20 - PID:

0038: 30 30 30 30 31 35 38 34 00001584

0040: 2d 20 54 49 44 3a 20 20 - TID:

0048: 30 30 30 30 32 34 31 36 00002416

0050: 2d 20 43 4d 44 3a 20 20 - CMD:

0058: 43 3a 5c 57 49 4e 44 4f C:\WINDO

0060: 57 53 5c 73 79 73 74 65 WS\syste

0068: 6d 33 32 5c 64 6c 6c 68 m32\dllh

0070: 6f 73 74 2e 65 78 65 20 ost.exe

0078: 2f 50 72 6f 63 65 73 73 /Process

0080: 69 64 3a 7b 37 30 37 34 id:{7074

0088: 31 41 41 33 2d 35 42 38 1AA3-5B8

0090: 39 2d 34 43 44 43 2d 38 9-4CDC-8

0098: 38 32 31 2d 34 35 45 45 821-45EE

00a0: 41 42 31 37 37 41 35 30 AB177A50

00a8: 7d 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 }

00b0: 2d 20 55 73 65 72 3a 20 - User:

00b8: 4e 54 20 41 55 54 48 4f NT AUTHO

00c0: 52 49 54 59 5c 53 59 53 RITY\SYS

00c8: 54 45 4d 20 20 20 20 20 TEM

00d0: 2d 20 53 69 64 3a 20 20 - Sid:

00d8: 53 2d 31 2d 35 2d 31 38 S-1-5-18

any kind of help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

AWT

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Don_G
Contributor
Contributor

I don't have an answer for you, but i found 2 KB articles that might help you. For one i would focus on the VSS error and not the quiesceing issue at this point.

Take a look at these:

although this apply's to xp and not 2003 per say i would still check it out

Reguards

Don.

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J1mbo
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

I had this with a VM using antivirus in maximum defense mode (a DMZ host) - that also prevented the vmtools being updated corrected and I had to restore from backup!

Please award points to any useful answer.

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krowczynski
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

What kind of applications have you installed on this server?

MCP, VCP3 , VCP4
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AlbertWT
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

It is clean install of Windows Server 2003 VM and 2008 R2 VM.

I don't even put anything inside yet.

Kind Regards,

AWT

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AlbertWT
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

To All,

After fiddling around with new clean install VM of

the same OS. Now the following tricks working without uninstalling the

VMWare tools support for VSS.

The reason why I'm doing this again is that I feel uncomfortable in removing the VSS snapshot provider support in VMWare tools:

  1. Backup the following regkey: *_HKLM\Software\Microsoft\EventSystem\_ *

  2. Erase the regkey _HKLM\Software\Microsoft\EventSystem\{26c409cc-ae86-11d1-b616-00805fc79216} _an below

  3. Reboot.

  4. Verify that things are working by running

vssadmin list writers
* vssadmin list providers.*

and then in the services.msc list of services snap ins, make sure the following services are Started Automatically:

  1. COM+ System Application

  2. Distributed Transaction Coordinator

  3. Volume Shadow Copy

  4. VMware Physical Disk Helper Service

Automatically but not started:

  1. Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider

  2. VMware Snapshot Provider

now the backup is all working great Smiley Happy

This is the solution that i tried around myself without uninstalling the VSS Provider support in VMWare tools.

See

th following KB URL:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=1009073&sl...

Hope this can be a blessing for all of you.

Kind Regards,

Albert

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SplinterG
Contributor
Contributor

Well, in my case this broke the COM+ service and caused it to start but then terminate immediately again with the message that some services are being stopped when they are not being used.

However the ADAM service of the installed VC did not like this and decided not to start causing also VC service to fail.

Had to restore the backup of the reg keys and it fine now again.

However snapshots still not work Smiley Sad

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