Re: [Networker] VSS errors backing up Win2008 R2 clients

In October 2009, Microsoft released new guidance on Windows Server 2008
system recoveries via KB article kb249694. This KB article states
Microsoft will support System State Recovery to the same instance of
Windows Server 2008 but does not support System State Recovery after
Full Server restore (without BMR) to the same or different hardware or
System State Recovery after a new installation of Windows Server 2008 on
new hardware or same hardware.

 As a result of Microsoft's guidance for Windows Server 2008 System
State Recoveries, EMC released the following EMC Technical Advisories
and Technical Notes:
   - EMC Technical Advisory esg109074 "NetWorker: Support for Disaster
Recovery of Windows 2008" 
   - Technical Note "Windows Server 2008 Offline System Recovery Using
Windows Server Backup with NetWorker 7.4 Service Pack 2 and Later"  

These document a short term solution for Windows Offline System State
Recoveries which leverages Windows Server Backup to stage system state
backup information for Avamar or NetWorker to backup.

The NetWorker 7.6SP2 release will enter beta later this month
introducing Windows disaster recovery support for Windows Server 2008,
Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7. This support is true bare metal
recovery (BMR). If you have interest in beta testing this new release,
please contact me directly.

Michael Jones
EMC NetWorker Product Management
Michael.jones2 AT emc DOT com

-----Original Message-----
From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] On
Behalf Of Michael Leone
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 6:53 AM
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Subject: [Networker] VSS errors backing up Win2008 R2 clients

NW 7.5.2, on Win2003 SP2. Clients are Win2008 R2, NW 7.5.2.

I'm seeing some errors when backing up my Win2008 R2 clients. The funny
thing is, I see the exact same error about the exact same file, on all
the clients ...

* dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - Get file attributes
returned error 3 for VSS file
\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy24\windows\system32\cba\pd
s.exe
* dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - Error saving file path
C:\windows\system32\cba\pds.exe that is associated with Shadow Copy path
\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy24\windows\system32\cba\pd
s.exe. 
The system cannot find the path specified. 
* dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\
* dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - ERROR: Failed to save
FileGroup files, writer = System Writer
* dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - Error saving writer
System Writer
* dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - ERROR: Aborting backup
of saveset VSS SYSTEM FILESET: because of the error with writer System
Writer.
* dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - Error saving
* dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ /

I've read where this type of error is caused by not having a drive
letter assigned to the MS reserved partition. Unfortunately none of my
servers seem to have this special partition. I do *not* see any such
partition in Disk Management. There is only the 1 partition on the disk.
The server was created using the HP Smart Start tool. I see the same
thing (lack of reserved partition) even on my Win2008 R2 VMs, which are
also exhibiting this error. There is no reserved partition for me to
assign a drive letter on any of my Win2008 R2 clients.

Any other areas to investigate? I only see this particular error (about
pds.exe) from my Win2008 R2 clients. I do have the KB940349 VSS Rollup
Hotfix applied on the server ...

--
Michael Leone
Network Administrator, ISM
Philadelphia Housing Authority
2500 Jackson St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
Tel:  215-684-4180
Cell: 215-252-0143
<mailto:michael.leone AT pha.phila DOT gov>

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and
type "signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to
networker-request AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this
list. You can access the archives at
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or via RSS at
http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and 
type "signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to 
networker-request AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this 
list. You can access the archives at 
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or
via RSS at http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER