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