IT39710: VSS SNAPSHOT BACKUP FAILS USING CLIENT VERSION 8.1.13.x

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• The IBM Spectrum Protect Windows Backup-Archive client Volume
  Shadow Copy (VSS) snapshot backup can fail after upgrading to or
  installing version 8.1.13.x.
  
  The following messages are seen in the IBM Spectrum Protect
  client error log
  
  <date> <time> ANS1327W The snapshot operation for '<volname>'
  failed with error code: -1.
  <date> <time> ANS5250E An unexpected error was encountered.
    IBM Spectrum Protect function name : BaStartSnapshot
    IBM Spectrum Protect function      : initializeSnapshotSet()
  failed, check Microsoft Application event log for VSS errors
    IBM Spectrum Protect return code   : -1
    IBM Spectrum Protect file          :
  ..\..\common\ba\backsnap.cpp (7065)
  <date> <time> ANS5258E Microsoft volume shadow copy snapshot
  initialization failed.
  <date> <time> ANS5283E The operation was unsuccessful.
  
  The Microsoft Windows VSS snapshot fails when the following
  three conditions are all met:
  1. one Microsoft Windows volume is mounted to two or more
  directories
  For example: volume {4ddad0e8-0000-0000-0000-010000000000} is
  mounted to K:\Mount\Volume-1\ and  K:\Mount\Volume-1.Duplicate\
  The output of the Windows command 'mountvol' shows
     \\?\Volume{4ddad0e8-0000-0000-0000-010000000000}\
         K:\Mount\Volume-1\
         K:\Mount\Volume-1.Duplicate\
  2. the  IBM Spectrum Protect Windows Backup-Archive client VSS
  snapshot backup is enabled (option "snapshotproviderfs VSS" is
  used)
  3. the Microsoft Windows volume mountpoints that reference the
  same Microsoft Windows volume are included in the  IBM Spectrum
  Protect backup (for example option "DOMAIN all-local" is used)
  
  Note: a. The IBM Spectrum Protect Windows Backup-Archive client
  fails to obtain a  Microsoft Windows VSS snapshot but the
  operation will continue without Microsoft Windows VSS snapshot
  support.
  b. If the domain parameter includes "systemstate" then the
  Microsoft Windows system state won't be backed up.
  
  
  IBM Spectrum Protect Server version Affected: IBM Spectrum
  Protect Windows Backup-Archive Client V8.1.13 and later
  
  
  Additional Keywords: TS008058027 snapshot VSS
  

Local fix

• Back up the same Microsoft Windows volume only once by excluding
  duplicate Microsoft volume mountpoints in the domain statement.
  Based on the example above the domain statement will be:
  domain all-local -K:\Mount\Volume-1.Duplicate
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  *  IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client 8.1.13 and       *
  * 8.1.14 on Windows platform.                                  *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * See ERROR DESCRIPTION                                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * This issue is projected to be fixed in the IBM Spectrum      *
  * Protect backup-archive client 8.1.15 version on Windows      *
  * platform.                                                    *
  * Note that this is subject to change at the discretion of     *
  * IBM.                                                         *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

•  If there are Windows volume mountpoints that reference to the
  same Microsoft Windows volume the Spectrum Protect client tries
  to add these volume mount points to the same snapshot set. It is
  not supported and Microsoft API AddToSnapshotSet() fails with
  VSS_E_OBJECT_ALREADY_EXISTS. The subroutine that detects
  duplicate volume mount points was modified to correctly handle
  such configurations.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• DSM      DSMC     DSMCSVC  DSMAGENT
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  TSM CLIENT

• Fixed component ID

  5698ISMCL

Applicable component levels