VMWare ESXi 4 failed to backup x64 Windows VM - Cannot create a quiesced snapshot

[albertwt]

Hi All,

I'm having problem in backing up Windows Server 2003/2008 x64 Edition,

Even after VMWare tools re-install and restart the VM

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

[albertwt]

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 :-)

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&sliceId=1&docTypeID=DT_KB_1_1&dialogID=38752513&stateId=0%200%2038754922 
  

Hope this can be a blessing for all of you.

Kind Regards,
AWT