VDR and Windows Server 2008 R2

[landen]

I have been unable to use Data Recovery to successfully backup a Windows Server 2008 R2 VM. I consistently get the error: "Cannot create a quiesced snapshot because the create snapshot operation exceeded the time limit for holding off I/O in the frozen virtual machine."

It seems to work fine on 'regular' Server 2008 VMs.

[admin]

Are you able to create a manual snapshot of the same VM through the Vi Client?

[landen]

Yes. A manual snapshot works fine.

[Asit Desai]

Data Recovery perform file system quiesced snapshot, so make sure to check "Quiesce guest file system" when manually creating the snapshot to test the behavior when Data Recovery creates the snapshot. You may want to check the system and application event logs in the Windows 2008 R2 VM. That may give you a clue on what is causing the quiescing to fail. If you do not have any applications that need quiescing, you can uninstall VSS component from the VMware Tools so that it would perform crash consistent quiescing. But if you have applications such as SQL/Exchange that need quiescing, it is better to figure out what is causing the quiescing to fail.

[landen]

I did check "Quiesce guest file system" when I manually created the

snapshot, and the manual snapshot worked fine.

[RParker]

Yes. A manual snapshot works fine.

I don't think so... Do the snapshot again this time make SURE you are using the "quiesce guest file system" option, I think you will find that it STILL does NOT work.

By default a snapshot taken manually does not enable this option.

[Dworkins]

Hello,

I got the same issue but i resolve it following that KB: KB Article: 1009073

Hope this help

Gabriel

[landen]

Just tried a manual snapshot again, making sure "quiesce guest file system" is checked. It worked fine. It only fails when using Data Recovery for backup.

[Asit Desai]

When you try to create the snapshot manually, "Snapshot the virtual machine's memory" option is selected by default. If this option is not unselected and both the "Quiesce guest file system" option and "Snapshot the virtual machine's memory" option are selected, the "Quiesce guest file system" option is ignored.

The same workaround as KB 1009073 can be used on ESX 4.0 also.

[admin]

The error you're seeing is usually propogated from Windows. It basically means that there was too much I/O going on at the time VSS was invoked. Is it possible the VM is doing something at the time you're trying to backup that's different when you attempt to create a manual snapshot? Another thing is to look in the Event Viewer in Windows and see if there are any VSS-related messages/errors in there.

[landen]

It's a basic Server 2008-R2 VM that I just installed. Nothing is

running on it. There are no errors or warnings in either the System or

Application logs. I'm curious to hear if anyone has successfully backed

up a Server 2008-R2 virtual machine with Data Recovery.

[GT5700]

I'm having exactly the same issue. VM is not doing anything special, and the error message appears almost immediately...I'm not sure what the timeout duration it is referring to is, but it must be very short. The only way I have backed up the VM is by shutting it down first...not an ideal situation..

[RParker]

The error you're seeing is usually propogated from Windows. It basically means that there was too much I/O going on at the time VSS was invoked. Is it possible the VM is doing something at the time you're trying to backup that's different when you attempt to create a manual snapshot?

A) I don't think this whole 'blaming it on Windows thing' flies has any relevance, for one thing I have done this on VM's that ARE busy. So why do they succeed, hmmmm?

B) Snapshots are an ESX thing NOT a Windows thing, and snapshots work (guest OS is OFF for example) regardless of the state of the guest.

So in the end, I don't know where this information is from but it's NOT accurate. I/O state of the VM makes ZERO difference, since the snapshot needs no such confirmation from the guest OS or to get approval to proceed from that same guest OS, therefore I claim this "usually propogated from Windows." as bunk!

Not real nor is it accurate, and show me the source, because that is counter to how snapshots work.

Another thing is to look in the Event Viewer in Windows and see if there are any VSS-related messages/errors in there.

There are no such correlating events for a snapshot, and in fact Windows is clueless as to the snapshot even taking place.

[admin]

RParker-

When you create just a plain snapshot (i.e. do not check the 'Quiesce guest file system"), you are correct that it is an "ESX" thing and the state of the GOS is largely irrelevant. However, once you initiate a quiesced snapshot, the file system in the guest is

quiesced using VMware snapshot provider or sync driver installed in the guest along with the VMware Tools. In Windows 2003/Vista/2008, VMware Tools use VSS (Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service) to create the quiesced snapshot. On Windows 2003, VMware Tools perform application as well as file system quiescing when creating the quiesced snapshot. On Windows Vista/2008, it performs only the file system quiescing when creating the quiesced snapshot. During the quiescing operation the VMware Snapshot Provider waits for a notification from VSS that the applications/file system in the guest is quiesced and it is okay to create a snapshot. At this time, VSS holds all writes to the file system and VMware Snapshot Provider has 10 seconds to communicate with the ESX host to create the snapshot of the VM and notify VSS of the snapshot completion. The failure to create the snapshot in this case can happen if VSS fails the snapshot creation because it could not quiesce the file system or if it takes ESX host more than 10 seconds to create the snapshot after VSS is done quiescing the file system. The failure to quiesce the file system can happen if an application such as a database is writing a very large number of transactions at a very high rate. The failure to create the snapshot within the 10 second interval can happen if the ESX host or the ESX storage stack if overloaded at the time of snapshot creation.

Windows Server 2008 R2 is not yet officially supported on ESX 4.0 and hence as a workaround, till it is officially supported, VSS/sync driver can be uninstalled from the guest as described in KB 1009073 to fall back to unquiesced snapshots.

[davidb1234]

Any recommendations for backing up a 2008 r2 domain controller since we can't really quiesce the file system until VMWARE resolves this issue?

[Dworkins]

Make 2 disks, backup the system state of your DC on the second disk and backup the first disk with vdr, you restore the first disk with vdr and after you restore the system state of your DC.

Hop this is clear !

Gabriel

[ceemour]

2008 r2 is x64 only. vmware vss driver is not supported on x64 2008 still I think. so any backup wont be absolutely consistent

plese correct me if i am wrong

[GT5700]

You may be correct, but I do have a 2008 x64 being backed up by VDR with no issues...its only 2008 R2 that's having this issue...

[landen]

Same here. It's only R2 that I'm having the trouble with.

[black88mx6]

Bump - Same issue here with 2008 R2. I able able to create a snapshot from the vCenter Gui

[Veral]

Exactly the same issue here using VCB

[Veral]

The only workaround I found so far is uninstalling the mware tools vss driver or shutting down the guest before creating the snapshot.

I hope there will be a better solution available quickly.

[Kreuger3434]

I called support and was told that R2 in there eyes is experimental, and they do not know when the support will be built in to VCB framework. So for now we wait, and try to push the issue. The only way I have been able to back it up is enable VSS on the VM shut it down and then do the backup, but for many of us including me this is not really an option or a solution we can live with.

SO VMWARE TEAM WE NEED R2 AND WINDOWS 7 SUPPORTED IN THE NEW VCB FRAMEWORK ASAP

[davidb1234]

Yes we do need support for 2008 R2. We are having the same problems and cannot back up 2008 R2.

[Dworkins]

double post sorry

[landen]

Are you using ESX 4.0? KB 1009073 does not apply to ESX 4.0.

[Dworkins]

Yes i'm using ESX 4.0, i know it's not for it but still working, i uninstall the VSS driver from the VMTools and VDR do the backup fine.