Exchange 2007 backup/VSS problem

[Rearview]

When backing up my Exchange databases using the Exchange Agent in Symantec BackupExec 11d, I receive an error (many actually) stating:

Final error: 0xe000fed1 - A failure occurred querying the Writer status.
Final error category: Resource Errors

For additional information regarding this error refer to link V-79-57344-65233 (that link is

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com...arch_forms/umi.asp?id=EvtID=V-79-57344-65233)

Everything i can find about this problem, and the underlying Windows problem with the "Microsoft Exchange Writer" having its status as a "retryable error" points me to the following Microsoft Q articles: 903234 and 913648. One is old, and the other says to install the latest service pack (already done). There is another article 833167 which does not have a download for the x64 edition of server 2003.

Can anyone point me in a useful direction? Thanks.

 

[xmsre]

A call from the backup software to VSS has left VSS in a Freeze state. All subsequent calls then fail with a retryable error.

You could:

1. Do as Symantec recommends and reboot the server.

2. Ask Symantec for any updates.

3. Ask MS for the latest VSS update (940041)

 

[Rearview]

You know, I tried all that. Rebooting worked until I started a backup job, and I got the VSS error again. I tried to get a VSS update from M$, but the only 64 bit OS it was for was Enterprise (and I use 2003 64 standard). *sigh*

I'm not sure exactly what fixed my problem, but there was a new Symantec update a couple weeks ago, plus I went in and manually removed remnants of an old VSS shadow copy. I forget exactly how I did this actually. Anyway, backups are great now.

 

[xmsre]

I spent quite a bit of time tracing this issue. It's the interaction between a backup program that calls the Software VSS provider and VSS that leaves VSS in a freeze state. Once VSS is stuck, all subsequent calls that use any VSS provider fail. At the time, from my point of view, the product I was worried about was the victim of the freeze and not the cause.

The same issue was observered with other products than Symantec calling the software VSS provider. The issue was reproduced with even NTBackup. Do you have a link to the Symantec fix? I'm curious as to what the changes were.