Troubleshooting Guide

From SEPsesam

Template:Copyright SEP AG en

Introduction

This guide is intended to help you quickly identify and resolve problems and errors during setup, installation and normal operation of your SEP sesam system. SEP sesam often serves as an indicator that there has been a change or event that impacts overall system performance. Changes in SEP sesam backup performance are often caused by system changes or failures.

SEP sesam provides two guides to help you resolve any problems you may encounter:

  • The Error Messages Guide lists error messages alphabetically, provides explanations of the errors wherever possible and suggestions for correcting the problems. Such messages contain an error number that can be used to access this information.
  • The Troubleshooting Guide describes problems as they may arise during the operation of your SEP sesam system, lists possible causes wherever possible and provides solutions to the problems.

Template:First steps

How to interpret SEP sesam's backup module's error messages?

SEP sesam backup modules are designed to produce extended error messages which may return information from 5 layers: SBC – XBSA – FTP – SMS – operating system. SEP sesam scans the protocol files for warnings and errors after backup and restore. In the event of a warning or an error, the first identified message is printed in the summary at the end of the protocol.

Every backup module uses the X/Open Backup Services API (XBSA) standard. SEP sesam XBSA is based on FTP implementation. The backup module connects to SEP sesam's FTPD daemon implementation – Sesam Transfer Protocol Daemon (STPD). STPD is a service that requests and delivers the backup data from or to the SMS Server and manages the data flow between the SEP sesam Server and a client. During a restore STPD receives the data from the SMS Server and sends it to the client, which then restores the data to the target system. Sesam Multiplex Stream (SMS) is a service that receives the backup data from STPD and writes the data to the backup media. During a restore, it reads the data from the backup media and sends it to STPD. Additionally, the SEP sesam backup client (SBC) module executes backup, migration and restore tasks. SBC collects and consolidates backup data on the client system and delivers it to STPD. A list of all SBC messages (C header file) can be found at SBC Messages.

An error message is composed of the messages from the triggering layer up to the upper layers. If an operating system returns an error, the error code and the operating system message are added to the SEP sesam error message. Because of this, error messages can also help troubleshoot problems that are not caused by SEP sesam (for example, OS problems).

Typical backup protocol

The following example shows a typical backup protocol. It is composed of 4 sections: about module, operational parameters, processing, and a summary.

2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3036: Info:    # SESAM BACKUP CLIENT FOR Windows NT FILE SYSTEMS, VERSION: 3.2A17 Build
Revision: 1.257 (x64), Released: Jun 25 2009 #
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3063: Info:    -------------------- Operation Parameters --------------------
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3019: Info:    OS info:          Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Build: 6001 Service Pack 1 (x64)
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3100: Info:    Program PID:      42900
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3030: Info:    Operation:        BACKUP, Level: COPY
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3031: Info:    Storage Host:     qsbox3:11001,0-0:SESAM_SECURE_AUTHENTICATION:****
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3032: Info:    Control Host:     qsbox3:11001:SESAM_SECURE_AUTHENTICATION:*
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3040: Info:    Device:           SMS:disk1:SHARE:64
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3064: Info:    --------------------- Operation Messages ---------------------
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3002: Info:    Building file list from: [C:\SEPsesam\var\ini]
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3022: Info:    Command line ["sbc" "-b" "-C" "qsbox3:11001" "-S" "qsbox3:11001" "-l" "copy" "-s"
"SF20090626102812" "-d" "SMS:disk1" "-t" "weekly00001:1" "-j" "TEST_BACKUP" "-i" "job=TEST_BACKUP,nod=qsbox3,cmd=sbc,src=C/ /SEPsesam
/var/ini,ptf=WNT,typ=Path,exc=" "C:/SEPsesam/var/ini" ]
2009-06-26 10:28:16: sbc-3003: Info:    Opening saveset: SF20090626102812
2009-06-26 10:28:18: sbc-3104: Info:    Saveset info: [SEGMENT=3]
2009-06-26 10:28:18: sbc-3004: Info:    Begin writing to saveset...
2009-06-26 10:28:18: sbc-3074: Info:    Backup start time [20090626102818]
2009-06-26 10:28:18: sbc-3143: Info:    Starting with drive C:
2009-06-26 10:28:18: sbc-3006: Info:    Saveset size: 98304 bytes. Throughput: 189.820 MB/Hour.
2009-06-26 10:28:18: sbc-3005: Info:    Closing saveset.
2009-06-26 10:28:18: sbc-3052: Info:    Items processed correctly: [25]. Not processed or incorrectly processed items: [0].
2009-06-26 10:28:18: sbc-3007: Info:    Operation successful.
2009-06-26 10:28:19: sbc-3001: Info:    Exiting.

Backup error summary

The error message summary is prefixed by a short information string. The full error message is composed as follows:

{status}/{amount}/{save set ID}/{SBCstart}/{message}

The components of this string have the following meanings:

{status} {amount} {save set ID} {SBCstart} {message}

0 - successful
1 - warning
2 - empty LIS
3 - broken during backup
C - broken before data transfer
X - failed

Amount of data stored on media Automatically generated save set ID Starting time on the client Message about the error

The following example shows a backup error summary with all 5 layers prefixed by a short information string.

X/0/SF20060629233007/20060629232907/Error: XBSA Call BSAEndData (closing saveset) failed:
System detected error, operation aborted. TRANSIENT or PERMANENT NEGATIVE reply:
553 STOR Failed. 1037: Writing data block on tape failed (23): Data error (cyclic redundancy check).
1039: Writing of Saveset Trailer failed.

The amount of details provided for backup or restore is defined by the log level.

How to set a log level

You can control the reporting (verbose) level of the backup and restore protocol by setting a desired log level on a per-task basis. The following log levels are provided:

Setting Log level details

0
1
2
3
4
5

  • print only standard and error messages together with summary
  • display a line for every item when its processing starts: 'sbc-3008: Info: Processing item: [xxx]...'
  • display a line for every item when its processing finishes: 'sbc-3108: Info: Item processed successfully: [xxx]'
  • display backup module processing information (with DB_API modules)
  • display underlying module processing XBSA and detailed DB_API modules
  • display packing data (mtf, cpio, sidf) trace messages

You can also change the logging level for SEP sesam modules in the <SESAM ROOT>/var/ini/debug.ini of the SEP sesam Server installation for specific module by selecting a value between 0-6 (0=ERROR, 1=EMERGENCY, 2=WARNING, 3=NOTICE, 4=INFO, 5=DEBUG, 6=TRACE).

Setting log level for backup

You can set the desired log level for each backup task in its properties:

  1. In the Main Selection -> Tasks -> By clients, select your client and double-click the backup task for which you want to define the log level. The task properties window is displayed.
  2. Click the Options tab and under the Additional call arguments in the Save options field, enter the desired verbose level in the form: -v <No.>. For example, setting the level to -v 3 will write information on the item's processing into the log file.


Setting log level for restore

By default, the log level for restore is set to 1 (-v 1) if 1000 or fewer items are selected. You can set the desired log level for each restore operation in its properties:

  1. From the SEP sesam GUI menu bar, select Activities -> Restore. The New restore task window appears.
  2. In the last Save and start step of the restore wizard, click the Expert options button. Under the Options from the Verbose level drop-down list, select the desired log level for your restore.
Restore log level.png


Backup problems

Client backup error

Problem

  • A client backup did not function properly. How can I determine where the problem is?

Solution

  • Run the following commands to determine the error:

Template:Attention Box

BACKUP SERVER UNIX, CLIENT WINDOWS
 sm_ctrlc -l system  {client name} sbc -b -s -  f:/test  >/dev/null

Data from the F:/ directory on Windows is written over the network to the directory /dev/null on Unix. To display it, append -v 1 to the command above. Everything written to /dev/null will be displayed.

 sm_ctrlc -l system  {client name}   sbc  -b -s  -  -v 1      f:/test  >/dev/null
BACKUP SERVER UNIX, CLIENT UNIX
 sm_ctrlc -l root  {client name}   sbc  -b -s -  /usr  >/dev/null

To display the read data:

 sm_ctrlc -l root  {client name}   sbc  -b -s -  -v  1   /usr  >/dev/null
BACKUP SERVER WINDOWS, CLIENT UNIX
 sm_ctrlc -l root  {client name}   sbc  -b -s -             /usr    > NUL

With backup data logging:

 sm_ctrlc -l root  {client name}   sbc  -b -s -  -v  1   /usr    > NUL

If the test backup is to be run on the target backup client only, execute the following command:

In the Unix directory <sesam>/bin/sesam/:

 sbc -b -s  -  /usr   >/dev/null

In the Windows directory <SESAM_ROOT>\bin\sesam\:

 sbc  -b -s  -  f:/test    > NUL
Enter -v 1 to show the backed up data on your monitor.

Failed to write the data to media during backup

Problem

  • During backup, operating system error "23 (ERROR_CRC)" is displayed.

Possible causes

  • The tape drive cannot write proper blocks onto the backup media.

Solution

  • Check the tape drive and backup media.

Incorrect login or password

Problem

  • During backup, the message "Login incorrect. Password incorrect" is displayed.

Solution

  • Check your name resolution (DNS or etc/hosts file). The SEP sesam Server and SEP sesam Client must be reachable with or without FQDN and should be able to resolve each other correctly, including the reverse lookup. If the resolution is correct, do the following:
  1. In the SEP sesam GUI, go to Main Selection -> Tasks -> By clients, and select the client with the backup problem.
  2. Open the backup properties and click the Options tab.
  3. Type -v 4 at Save options.
  4. Start the backup again, then go to Main Selection -> Job state -> Backups and double-click the backup task to open its properties.
  5. Go to Logging -> Day log and search for the line Login incorrect. Password incorrect then correct the name resolution.

ON WINDOWS

VSS backup failed with error "VSS_E_PROVIDER_VETO" or "VSS_E_VOLUME_NOT_SUPPORTED"

Problem

  • When trying to perform a VSS backup of a volume that is larger than 60 TB or when you create VSS backups of multiple volumes in Windows Server 2008/Windows Storage Server 2008, the VSS backup fails with
ERROR: [CVssServer::CreateSnapshot(): IVssBackupComponents::DoSnapshotSet: WaitForAsyncOperation] - VSS_E_PROVIDER_VETO 
Information sign.png Note
You may receive other similar error messages and/or aborted backups if you try to perform a VSS backup on volumes larger than 64 TB. Note that writable snapshots or snapshots larger than 64 TB produce the same error.

Possible causes

  • Microsoft has a usability limit for VSS and supports only volumes up to 60 TB and snapshots smaller than 60 TB. For details, see Microsoft article limit for Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) in Windows.
  • This error can also occur if a VSS provider blocks the snapshot creation for the following reasons: a software has been installed with its own VSS provider or the existing VSS component is corrupted.
  • HP Device Access Manager (FLCDLOCK service; a part of the HP Protect Tools suite) is preventing VSS operations to properly access drives partitions.


Solution

  • Remove the volumes larger than 60 TB from the VSS snapshot action. Reconfigure all disks with a current size larger than 60 TB to 60 TB or less to prevent VSS from stopping when creating snapshot. Additionally, check and (if required) increase the size of shadow storage on the respective drives. Use the Vssadmin command-line tool from an elevated command prompt (where c: should be replaced with the correct drive):
vssadmin Resize ShadowStorage /For=c: /On=c: /Maxsize=5%
  • Fix VSS problems and then re-register the VSS components. Additionally, check and (if required) increase the size of shadow storage on the respective drives by using the Vssadmin command-line tool, as described above in the previous solution.
  • Uninstall HP Device Access Manager and restart your system. Note that an incomplete uninstallation of HP Device Access Manager may cause problems. You can use the third-party removal tool to correctly and completely uninstall Device Access Manager for HP ProtectTools. For details, see UninstallHelps.com article How to uninstall Device Access Manager for HP ProtectTools?. Note that this link takes you to the third-party site; SEP provides such links for information purposes only and is not responsible for any information, availability or accuracy of such outside resources.

Path backup on Windows is not working

Problem

  • SEP sesam Server failed to execute a path backup of a Windows client (however, a path backup without VSS is working). The following error is displayed:
Problem while loading dynamic link library: [WIN32 API error: 1114 - A dynamic link library (DLL) 
initialization routine failed. LoadLibrary() call failed for: [vss.dll]].

Possible causes

  • Typically, when dll cannot be initialised, a running antivirus solution is preventing it.
  • The client's VSS configuration is incorrect.

Solution

  • Disable the antivirus software during backup.
  • Check the client's VSS configuration by running the following commands:
    • vssadmin list writers - check the status of all writers on a daily basis.
    • vssadmin list shadows - check existing VSS copies.
    • vssadmin list shadowstorage - check how much space is reserved and available space for VSS.
    • vssadmin resize shadowstorage - set the reserved space for VSS snapshots to unlimited.

WIN32 API error: "1450"

Problem

  • What should I do when a client backup fails with a WIN32 API error: "1450 - Not enough system resources to execute the requested service"?
  • The backup of a client may end with the following error message in the backup log:
sbc-1148: Error:   W2KSS Error: [WIN32 API error: 1450 - Not enough system resources to execute 
the requested service. Cannot store registry key: [SOFTWARE]. RegSaveKey() call failed in BackupRegistry().].

Possible causes

  • Insufficient size of the registry/paged memory area. This problem affects SEP sesam as well as other backup tools, such as NTBackup.

Solution

System_State backup (RegLoadKey) error

Problem

  • What does the warning "The system cannot find path. RegLoadKey()..." during System_State backup mean?
  • You may see the following output in NOT-log:
C:\Program Files\SEPsesam\var\tmp\usr_wf_S-1-5-21-220523388-1123561945-839522115-1003].
2010-04-13 02:04:20: sbc-2074: Warning: W2KSS Warning: [WIN32 API error: 3 -
The system cannot find path. RegLoadKey() call failed for
file: [C:\Documents and Settings\nn\ntuser.dat] in BackupUserProfiles().].

Possible causes

  • There are inconsistencies in the OS configuration. The reason is that a user profile has been deleted but the user account still exists. System_State backup is looking for files corresponding to the user in the file system but the files no longer exist.

Solution

  • Delete the user in question or restore the profile date in the file system.
  • Check the following in your registry to see whether it still includes references to usernames which no longer exist:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Access denied during Microsoft Windows backup via VSS

Problem

  • Why does a Microsoft Windows backup via VSS stop with the message "[CVssBaseObject::CreateVssBackupComponents] - Access denied"?

Possible causes

  • SEP sesam is not allowed to create a snapshot with the current user.

Solution

  • Check the user running the SEP sesam daemon and make sure that the user has all permissions to access the volume(s).

Stream data length exceeds buffer capacity

Problem

  • What does the warning "Stream data length bigger than buffer can accept. Input buffer length = [65536], Stream data size = (High part)[0] (Low part)[65564]" ?

Possible causes

  • SEP sesam uses 64 kB to back up Windows ACL files and folders and one object exceeds this buffer. You can use the Windows command icacls to display the ACL of a file or folder. The output looks like this:
C:\>icacls "C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temp"
C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temp NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE:(I)(F)
                                                           NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE:(I)(OI)(CI)(IO)(F)
                                                           NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(F)
                                                           NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(OI)(CI)(IO)(F)
                                                           BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(F)
                                                           BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(OI)(CI)(IO)(F)
Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

If you get several hundred or thousand lines, there is something wrong with the ACL.

Solution

  • Reset the permissions of the file's respective folder by using the command:
C:\>icacls "C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temp" /reset

This command inherits the permissions of the parent object. You may have to adjust the permissions after running this command if manual settings have been applied for this object.

Backup on Windows 7 did not complete successfully

Problem

  • When you perform a Windows 7 backup, the backup might fail with one of the following errors.
sbc-1146: Error:   DB Module: [WIN32 API error: 55 - The specified network resource or device is no longer available.
sbc-2040: Warning: Cannot read item [\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy730\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-sort_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_ab9479767ad67fd7\sort.exe: (2) WIN32 API error]:[ 2 - The system cannot find the file specified. ]. Padding remaining bytes...
smk-3506: Info:     Backup finished. Status: ERROR Error: Item generator returns [WIN32 API error: 2 - The system cannot find the file specified. ] for item [\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy136\Windows\winsxs\FileMaps\]
smk-3506: Info:     Backup finished. Status: ERROR Error:   DB Module: [Not all items have been processed]
  • To see more detailed error, view the Event Log on your Windows client: Event Viewer -> Windows Logs -> System. The Event Id 33, volsnap shows the following message:
The oldest shadow copy of volume C: was deleted to keep disk space usage for shadow copies of volume C: below the user defined limit.

Possible causes

  • There was not enough disk space for the Volume Shadow Service to take a snapshot; consequently, the operating system automatically deleted the snapshot due to the lack of space.
  • This error occurs if the snapshot size exceeds the snapshot Maximum size: Use limit configured for the volume.


Solution

  • Check the Maximum size: Use limit on your Windows 7 client: Open a Windows Explorer on the client and right-click the drive letter to open the drive properties. Select the Shadow copies tab -> Settings -> check the Maximum size: Use limit:
    • If you select No limit, Windows will not delete the snapshot regardless of how much space it consumes. Note, however, that in case of a large snapshot the process might be failing to create the snapshot because there is not enough disk space left on the respective drive.
    • If you specify Use limit, change the maximum size limit to a large enough value to contain the snapshot with room to spare. According to Microsoft it is recommended to set the maximum size limit to a value that equals 10% of the volume size. For example, if the C:\ drive has 100 GB of data, the limit should be set to 10 GB. Or, you can store the shadow copy data on another disk. For details, see [Microsoft forum answers Shadow Copy].

ON LINUX

GVFS error during Linux backup

Problem

  • If a user is logged on to the gnome or kde session and makes use of the GVFS layer, the directory ~/.gvfs is created. This directory cannot be entered by any other user (even root).
  • Additionally, the system call "stat" also errors out on this directory. The directory cannot be excluded, because while creating the file list and looking at the excludes, sbc_find once does a "stat()" call on the directory and receives an error.

Solution

  • Create a new file named /etc/profile.local with the contents below /etc/profile.local:
GVFS_DISABLE_FUSE=1 
export GVFS_DISABLE_FUSE
  • Run the following command for each affected folder
    • fusermount -u /home/$USER/.gvfs
    • test with stat /home/$USER/.gvfs

Disaster recovery on Linux

The recovered system does not boot

Problem

  • The system does not boot because /root/dev/console cannot be found.

Possible causes

  • Certain distributions rely on the existence of the directory /dev/ while booting
  • Certain static devices must exist before the udev daemon creates them.

Solution

  • Include the /dev/ file system in your backup.
  • If the restore cannot restore /dev/:
  1. Boot from the SEP sesam LIVE CD
  2. Mount the ROOT partition of the restored system
  3. Manually create the /dev/ directory
  4. Manually create the /dev/console entry with:
mknod /path/to/target/mount//dev/console c 0 0

No bootable operating system can be found

Problem

  • The system is not able to find a bootable OS instance after the restore.

Possible causes

  • There may have been problems during the installation of the GRUB boot loader.

Solution

  • The restore protocol includes a statement whether or not the installation of the boot loader was successful:
2009-12-14 14:48:27: sbc-3500: Info:     Reinstall boot manager
[/sesam/bin/sesam//sbc_grub_auto /mnt/disk/ AUTO]

  • It is also possible to boot the system again from the live-CD, mount the target partitions and use grub-install to install the boot loader correctly.

The device does not have a corresponding BIOS drive

Problem

  • During the restore, the following error occurs:
/dev/sda1 does not have any corresponding BIOS drive

Possible causes

  • Check the file /boot/grub/device.map on the target system. If there are entries referring to the disk through /dev/by-disk/... as shown in the example below, the entry is most likely the reference to the hard disk partition of the broken system. GRUB will not find the proper device:
hd(0) /dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_SP2504C_S09QJ1GLA14263-part1

Solution

  • Reboot from the live-CD
  • Mount the root and boot partitions to /mnt/disk (and /mnt/disk/boot, if necessary)
  • Restart grub-install with the following options:
grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/disk --recheck hd0

Output:

grub-probe: error: Cannot open `/boot/grub/device.map'
/usr/sbin/grub-install: line 374: [: =: unary operator expected
Installation finished. No error reported.
This is the contents of the device map /mnt/disk/boot/grub/device.map.
Check if this is correct or not. If any of the lines is incorrect,
fix it and re-run the script `grub-install'.

(hd0)   /dev/hda
(hd1)   /dev/hdb

You can ignore the error line 374: [: =: unary operator expected.
More important is the result Installation finished. No error reported.

No corresponding BIOS drive for /dev/cciss/c0d0p2

Problem

  • You receive the message: /dev/cciss/c0d0p2 does not have any corresponding BIOS drive in restore log.

Solution

fsck.ext3: File system has unsupported features

Problem

  • During a restore of a system with kernel version 2.4 the system may not boot because the Live-CD creates a file system with features which are not supported by kernel 2.4.

Possible causes

  • Most likely the file system options resize_inode,dir_index,large_file,ext_attr are causing the problem and making the system unbootable.

Solution

  • Reboot from the Live-CD image, which includes the tool debugfs.
  • Show the file system features with debugfs:
root@recover#: debugfs -w /dev/sda2
debugfs 1.41.1 (01-Sep-2008)
debugfs:  features
Filesystem features: has_journal ext_attr resize_inode dir_index filetype needs_recovery sparse_super large_file
quit

Replace /dev/sda2 with the corresponding partition names on your system.

  • To remove file system features:
root@recover#: debugfs -w /dev/sda2
debugfs:  features -resize_inode -ext_attr -dir_index -large_file -needs_recovery -sparse_super
Filesystem features: has_journal filetype
quit

After removing the options, the system should boot correctly.

Incorrect inode size (256)

Problem

  • After a successful restore the boot process stops with incorrect inode size (256).

Possible causes

  • Older kernel versions (2.4) may use a different inode size than the one the file system's created through the Live-CD (which includes kernel 2.6). For example, this happens during the restore of SLES8 based systems which use an inode size of 128k.

Solution

  • This can only be solved by formatting the devices manually from the Live-CD, using the proper mkfs options:
mkfs.ext3 -I 128 /dev/sda1

After this step, remount the partition to /mnt/disk and repeat the restore operations. Changing the inode size is only possible by reformatting the devices.

Missing root file system

Problem

  • The restored system can't find a root file system and fails during resume.

Possible causes

  • The /etc/fstab file was configured with the root file system as UUID.

Solution

  • Specify the root file system device name in conventional device names if you are using a different physical disk. After booting, use YAST to reconfigure your boot loader or edit your /boot/grub/menu.lst manually:
root=/dev/sda2

Missing network cards

Problem

  • The restored system does not find any network cards.

Possible causes

  • If the restore was done to dissimilar hardware, SLES based distributions may not configure the network devices correctly. SLESbased systems save their network configuration by using the system's MAC address. Most likely the system will not use eht0 as a device name, but eth1, as it has another MAC address.

Solution

  • Use Yast and reconfigure your network interfaces.

Graphical User Interface (GUI) problems

GUI Server not accessible

Problem

  • SEP sesam cannot access the GUI Server.

Possible causes

  • The network connection to SEP sesam is broken.
  • The GUI Server process is not running.

Solution

  • Make sure that the computer is running.
  • Start the GUI server process by running the command sm main reload rmi.

Database connection failure

Problem

  • SEP sesam cannot connect to the database.

Possible causes

  • The DB or RMI servers are not running.

Solution

  • Run the commands sm main reload db or sm main reload rmi to restart the servers.

GUI does not start

Problem

  • The Graphical User Interface (GUI) fails to start.

Possible causes

  • There is a problem with Java rights.
  • The entry for the computer in sm java.policy is missing. For example:
// NET
permission java.net.SocketPermission "'mypcname:*"',
"'connect,accept,resolve"';

Solution

After updating Java from v. 6 to v. 7, the SEP sesam Server does not start

Problem

  • The SEP sesam Server does not start after updating Java installation from major version 6 to version 7. This mostly concerns customers with SEP sesam installations on Windows based operating systems.

Possible causes

  • The SEP sesam Server configuration file <sesam_install_dir>\var\ini\sm.ini includes a configuration section which initializes the path to the JRE virtual machine detected during installation of SEP sesam:
[JAVA]
java_exit_on_fail=no
java_interpreter=C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\java 

After the update from JRE 6 to JRE 7, the configured path is not present on the system anymore.

Solution

  • Edit the configuration file <sesam_install_dir>\var\ini\sm.ini.
  • Typically, the path is C:\Program Files\Java\jre7\bin\java.
  • Change the configuration file as follows:
[JAVA]
java_exit_on_fail=no
java_interpreter=C:\Program Files\Java\jre7\bin\java 

Once you modified the configuration file and saved the changes, you should be able to start SEP sesam service.

  • You should also check the JRE installation path, specified in the SEP sesam GUI properties in the Start menu and in the shortcut on desktop, as shown in the screenshot below.

Jreupdate.jpg

SEP sesam RMI (GUI) Server does not start up after update to Java 7 update 51

Problem

  • The SEP sesam GUI does not start after updating to Java version 7 update 51 (full version: 1.7.0_51-b13).

Possible causes

Solution

  • Open the file <SESAM_ROOT>/var/ini/sm_java.policy.
  • Go to section
 // NET
 permission java.net.SocketPermission "*:*", "connect,resolve";
 permission java.net.SocketPermission "*:11301", "connect,accept,resolve";
 permission java.net.SocketPermission "*:11401", "connect,accept,resolve";
 permission java.net.SocketPermission "*:21", "connect,accept,resolve";
  • Change the line
permission java.net.SocketPermission "*:11401", "connect,accept,resolve";

to

permission java.net.SocketPermission "*:11401", "connect,accept,resolve,listen";

Solution for new SEP sesam Server installations

  • Completely uninstall SEP sesam Server.
  • Completely uninstall Java JRE 7u51.
  • Download an older Java JRE version (for example, Java JRE 7u45) from the Java Download Archive.
  • Install an older Java JRE Version (for example: Java JRE 7u45).
  • Install SEP sesam Server.

Cannot read or write to the working directory

Problem

  • There is a problem with reading or writing to the working directory.

Possible causes

  • The entry for the working directory in sm java.policy is missing.
Windows example
// FILE
permission java.io.FilePermission
"'D:nsesamnvarn-"', "'read,write"';
Linux/Unix/Tru64 example
// FILE
permission java.io.FilePermission
"'/sesam/var/-"', "'read,write"';

Solution

Online guide not available

Problem

  • The online guide cannot be accessed.

Possible causes

  • Adobe Acrobat Reader is not installed.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed but not configured in the GUI.
  • The PDF file is not configured in the GUI.

Solution

Online help not available

Problem

  • The online help cannot be accessed.

Possible causes

  • There is no browser installed on the system.
  • The browser is installed but not configured in the GUI.
  • The HTML help file is not configured in the GUI.

Solution

  • Install a browser.
Tips:
  • Access rights for missing computers can be entered on the server side java policy file by running sm_setup allow_gui {host} {user}.
  • It is not necessary to restart the GUI Server after making changes to the sm_java.policy. The refresh is explicitely allowed in sm_java.policy with entry permission java.security.SecurityPermission "getPolicy";.
  • The syntax for pathnames in the sm java.policy is platform dependent.
  • To test for problems with Java security, the line permission java.security.AllPermission; can be un-commented by remove leading '//'. This command removes the restriction to explicitly specified rights and switches it off . To avoid security holes, this line should be commented out after the test (i.e. add the prefix '//‘)!
.

Network problems

Network check

Problem

  • Network connection is not working.

Solution

  • Perform the network check. Use the commands ping, nslookup, address resolution etc. Check the connection with the corresponding SEP sesam access program (CTRL/SSH). The address resolution must be consistent, i.e., if for a TCP/IP name the resolution gives an IP-address, then the resolution for that IP-address must give the same TCP/IP name!

Example

  # nslookup decunix
  Server: seplinux2.sep.de
  Address: 193.28.59.40
  Name: decunix.sep.de
  Address: 193.28.59.94
  # nslookup 193.28.59.94
  Server: seplinux2.sep.de
  Address: 193.28.59.40
  Name: decunix.sep.de
  Address: 193.28.59.94

Microsoft SQL Server

Incorrect login

Problem

  • If a restore ends with errors and you find the following information in the log files, an attempt has been made to address a SQL Server instance on a client that is not entered locally on this system. The selected "Trusteed Connection" only allows the registration on a SQL Server where the instance is locally active:
DB Module: [DB-Library: Login failed for user '(null)'. Reason: Not associated with a trusted SQL Server connection.]
DB Module: [DB-Library message: Login incorrect.]

Solution

  • The backup client or end node on the active SQL Server must be changed.

Microsoft SQL Server backup failure

Problem

  • Backup fails with the message "The server principal "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" is not able to access the database "<database>" under the current security context."

Possible causes

  • The user "SYSTEM" is not allowed to connect to the MS-SQL database because the SEP sesam daemon runs as the user "SYSTEM" by default.

Solution

  • Change the SEP sesam daemon to a user account that has permission to connect to the database(s). Open the Windows service management console on your MS-SQL server, edit the properties of the SEP sesam service, switch to Log on tab and use valid credentials, then restart the SEP sesam daemon.

Restore fails with Directory lookup for the file '...' failed...

Problem

  • You receive the following warning:
DB Module: [DB-Library: Directory lookup for the file "e:\Database\SQL Server 2000 SE
\MSSQL\Data\sesam.mdf"failed with the operating system error 21(The device is not ready.).] DB Module: [DB-Library: File 'sesam_db' cannot be restored to 'e:\Database\SQL Server 2000 SE
\MSSQL\Data\sesam.mdf'. Use WITH MOVE to identify a valid location for the file.]

Possible causes

  • The existing path where the database files were located is not on the target system or an entry was made in the "Move" option that used a non-existing path name.

Solution

  • A pathname must be created or the correct path must be entered in the Move option. Entering the correct path name is the easier solution. Using a long path name in the Move option may cause problems, in which case the input can be shortened.

Restore failure due to SQL Server connection

Problem

  • Restore fails with the message "Unable to connect: SQL Server does not exist or network access denied." You receive the following warning:
DB Module: [DB-Library message: Unable to connect: SQL Server is unavailable or does not exist.  
  Unable to connect: SQL Server does not exist or network access denied.; Net-Library message: ConnectionOpen (Connect()).; ]

Possible causes

  • The selected server does not exist. It is possible that an instance was incorrectly entered without the server name.

Solution

  • Check the server name. If necessary, enter the restore target fully qualified as follows:

<HOSTNAME>/<Instance>/<DB Name>

"MOVE" option restore failure

Problem 1

  • Restore using the Move option fails with the warning The physical file name '...' may be incorrect. The following error occurs:
DB Module: [DB-Library: A file activation error occurred. The physical file name 
'c:/temp/sesam_log.ldf' may be incorrect. Diagnose and correct additional errors, and retry the operation.] DB Module: [DB-Library: File 'sesam_db_log' cannot be restored to 'c:/temp/sesam_log.ldf'. Use WITH MOVE to identify a valid location for the file.]

Possible causes

  • The wrong syntax was used in the file name, e.g., / instead of \.

Solution

  • Enter the path with the correct syntax.
Note::

{{{2}}}

Problem 2

  • Restore with "Move option fails with Logical file '...' is not part of database. The following error occurs:
DB Module: [DB-Library: Logical file 'Mgmt_data' is not part of database 'sesam_db2'.
  Use RESTORE FILELISTONLY to list the logical file names.]

Possible causes

  • The wrong logical name was entered in the Move option.

Solution

  • Enter the logical filename correctly. This can be found in the backup log file (NOT-file). For example, in the backup log file, you see the following lines:
DB Module: [DB-Library: Processed 256 pages for database 'sesam_db', file 'sesam_db' on file 1.]
DB Module: [DB-Library: Processed 1 pages for database 'sesam_db', file 'sesam_db_log' on file 1.]

The logical file names in this case are sesam_db and sesam_db_log These should be entered in the Move option.

Restored database remains in the state Restoring

Problem

  • A database remains in state Restoring... after the restore finishes.

Possible causes

  • This happens if the option Auto recover was not selected in the restore wizard.

Solution

  • Select option the option Auto recover in the restore wizard, or
  • Execute sbc in the CLI with the option -a recover for the particular database. For example:

MSSQL restoring.jpeg

  • Call the sbc in the command line with:
sbc -r -a recover sbcmsql:"/MIRACULIX/SECOND/msdb"
Information sign.png Note
During the restore of a database with additional transaction log files (generation restore), the database remains in the state "Restoring..." until the last restore (with the option -a recover) ends.

Microsoft Exchange Server

Exchange backup fails with VSS API error due to missing Microsoft Exchange VSS writer

Problem

When backing up Exchange, the backup fails because the Microsoft Exchange VSS writer required for backup is missing. The following error occurs:

sbc-1178: Error:   VSS API error: CVssServer::CreateSnapshot: No volume could be determined.
sbc-1146: Error:   DB Module: [BackupProcessing: For the specified backup source no volumes could be determined. Sources - \Microsoft Exchange Writer]
sbc-3052: Info:    Items processed correctly: [0]. Not processed or incorrectly processed items: [0]. (SF20160503083743700@BLljg0gnWAa)
sbc-1156: Error:   Operation failed!
sbc-3001: Info:    Exiting.

This error occurs when one or more writers required for backup are missing or not available. Note that this is not the same as VSS error or failed VSS. In the latter case, check Common VSS problems.

A writer is consider missing, if running (as administrator) the Microsoft command-line tool vssadmin list writers shows no available Microsoft Exchange VSS writer. If a VSS writer is missing, all backups that use that writer to perform VSS snapshots will fail. A missing writer is a failure of the Windows operating system. To fix this issue, Windows registry needs to be edited. SEP sesam cannot back up any data until the required VSS writers are available.

Solution

Information sign.png Note
SEP sesam is not responsible for any issue caused by Windows registry editing. Note that only experts should edit the registry, as using Windows registry editor incorrectly can cause serious problems, such as Windows to stop working. For more information on editing Windows registry, see Windows registry information for advanced users.
It is advised to back up the registry before making any change to it. It is also recommended to perform the following procedure outside of working hours as it requires restarting the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.

To enable Microsoft Exchange VSS writer, on the Exchange server open and edit the registry with the following key value:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem\
"Disable Exchange Writer" DWORD=0

If the key already exists with a value of 1, change the value to 0. (Value 1 disables the Microsoft Exchange Writer.) For more information on enabling VSS Exchange writer, refer to How to turn on the Exchange writer for the Volume Shadow Copy service (it is marked as relevant for Windows Small Business Server 2003, but the procedure can also be applied to later versions).

Then restart the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service:

  1. Log in to the Exchange server and click Start.
  2. Enter services.msc in the search box, and press Enter. The Services window opens.
  3. From the list of services, right-click the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service (MSExchangeIS), and then click Restart. Note that during restart the users will be disconnected from Exchange.

After restarting Exchange, in the command prompt enter vssadmin list writers and verify that the VSS writers are listed. Then run your Exchange backup again.

NetWare

Checking the reachability of the TSA services

Problem

  • Determining all available TSAs of a NetWare/OES Server.

Solution

  • On a NetWare Server (the sbc_smdr command must be executed on a machine with the sesam-novell-client package installed):
 #> /opt/sesam/bin/sesam/sbc_smdr -D -N "nw1:::admin.admins.mydomain:novell:0" "/NetWare"
 2007-03-21 16:42:50: sbc-3500: Info:     ::/NetWare
 2007-03-21 16:42:50: sbc-3036: Info:     # @(#)SESAM BACKUP CLIENT FOR NETWARE FILE SYSTEMS, VERSION: 1.8R3 Build: 1.161 20070320 17:31:00 Linux i386 abas #
 2007-03-21 16:42:50: sbc-3074: Info:     Backup start time [20070321164250]
 2007-03-21 16:42:50: sbc-3500: Info:     Starting Session "SESAM SBC_NLM Session" ...
 2007-03-21 16:42:52: sbc-3500: Info:     NW1.NetWare File System 
 "NW1.NetWare File System" d_ 2000.01.01 00:00:00 2000.01.01 00:00:00 4096 - ,
 2007-03-21 16:42:52: sbc-3500: Info:     NW1.Novell Directory 
 "NW1.Novell Directory" d_ 2000.01.01 00:00:00 2000.01.01 00:00:00 4096 - ,

In this case, the TSAFS (NW1.NetWare File System) and TSANDS (NW1.Novell Directory) are loaded.

  • On an OES(2)-Linux server:
 #> /opt/sesam/bin/sesam/sbc_smdr -D -N "oesnix1::oesnix1:backup:novell:0" "/NetWare"
 2007-03-21 15:55:01: sbc-3500: Info:     ::/NetWare
 2007-03-21 15:55:01: sbc-3036: Info:     # @(#)SESAM BACKUP CLIENT FOR NETWARE FILE SYSTEMS, VERSION: 1.8R3 Build: 1.161 20070320 17:31:00 Linux i386 abas #
 2007-03-21 15:55:01: sbc-3074: Info:     Backup start time [20070321155501]
 2007-03-21 15:55:01: sbc-3500: Info:     Starting Session "SESAM SBC_NLM Session" ...
 2007-03-21 15:55:01: sbc-3500: Info:     OESNIX1.GroupWise System 
 "OESNIX1.GroupWise System" d_ 2000.01.01 00:00:00 2000.01.01 00:00:00 4096 - ,
 2007-03-21 15:55:01: sbc-3500: Info:     OESNIX1.Linux File System
 "OESNIX1.Linux File System" d_ 2000.01.01 00:00:00 2000.01.01 00:00:00 4096 - ,

The TSAFSGW (OESNIX1.GroupWise System) and TSAFS (OESNIX1.Linux File System) are loaded.

Problem

  • Determining the sources (resources) of a Target Service File System.

Solution

  • Depending on your installed services, these TSA's are visible:
    • NetWare File System
    • Linux File System
    • GroupWise System
    • Novell Directory
    • iFolder Store
    • Linux Cluster File System
    • NetWare Cluster File System
Note::
To enable debug mode for TSA, see http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/tip/17179.html 

Unable to browse or backup a NetWare Server

Problem

  • It is not possible to browse or back up a NetWare Server.

Possible causes

  • No TSA is loaded, or
  • The wrong data mover was inserted.

Solution

  • Restart the NetWare file system with unload TSAFS and load TSAFS.
  • Edit the properties of the NetWare Server in SEP sesam and adjust the data mover in the NetWare Access tab.

Sesam Error: Client returns no data

Problem

  • Th following error message appears in /var/log/messages on OES Linux client:
 nds_nss_GetGroupsbyMember: failed to init socket, status = 0
 nds_nss_GetPwdbyName: init sock returned 0
 nds_nss_GetPwdbyName: init sock returned 0
 nds_nss_GetPwdbyName: init sock returned 0

Solution

  • Fix the lum setup so that eDirectory authentication can complete.

Error messages during a backup

Message

  • (0XFFFDFFD7) "Login denied".

Possible causes

  • Invalid username or password.

Solution

  • Edit the properties of the client in SEP sesam and adjust the login data in the NetWare Access and Novell SMS tabs.


Message

  • (0XFFFDFFCD) "A data stream cannot be opened." "Unable to open a data stream."

Possible causes

  • The user does not have permission to access all data.

Solution

  • Change the user name or adjust the permissions.


Message

  • 0XFFFEFFCC) "Could not write an object to NDS or write to a stream", or
  • (0XFFFEFFB1) "Connection to remote host is lost. Remote host might have disconnected."

Possible causes

  • The TSA or the smdr deamon is not running.

Solution

  • Check TSA with opt/novell/sms/bin/smsconfig -t.


Message

  • (0XFFFDFFDC) "An invalid path was used."

Possible causes

  • A wrong backup path was used or the TSAFS was loaded in an incorrect mode.

Solution

  • In the event of --tsamode=dual, it is possible to simply use a Linux path.
  • The source NetWare server backs up all existing volumes respectively.
  • "VOL-NAME:" backs up a specific volume when using --tsamode=netware.
  • The option --tsamode=linux supports path to the volumes/volumename only.
  • In the event of a restore, insufficient access rights could be a reason for this message.

Files are locked after backup, server freezes

Problem

  • Files are locked for several minutes after a backup and the server freezes spontaneously, requiring a reset.

Solution

  • Update the sesam-novell-client to version 3.4.1.78 or higher to solve this problem.

File-based backup is faster than Novell volume backup

Problem

  • The file-based backup is faster than the Novell volume backup.

Solution

  • Disabling the TSA-cache will increase the performance of a Novell-based backup and also decrease the system load.
  • Edit the file /etc/opt/novell/sms/tsafs.conf, change the line "cachingmode=enable" to "cachingmode=disable" and apply the settings with rcnovell-smdrd restart.

Checking the performance and availability of a NSS volume via tsatest on OES2

  • Back up the resource ’/ ’using the supplied credentials.

tsatest -u root -p unsecure


  • Back up the resource ‘/home' using the supplied credentials.

tsatest --path=/home -u root -p unsecure


  • Back up the NetWare target SYS:\SYSTEM on ACME_SERVER using the supplied credentials.

tsatest -s ACME_SERVER -v SYS: --path=SYSTEM -u root -p unsecure


  • Back up the / resource using the supplied credentials and a buffer size of 131072 bytes.

tsatest -b 131072 -u root -p unsecure


  • Back up the resource ’/ ’ on server ACME_SERVER using the supplied credentials. This will perform a remote backup if ACME_SERVER is not the server on which tsatest is loaded/executed.

tsatest -s ACME_SERVER -u root -p unsecure


  • Back up the resource /proc/usb using the supplied credentials. Excludes all datastreams and extended attributes. The value 6144 is arrived by a bitwise ORing of the values for NWSM_EXCLUDE_EXTENDED_ATTRIBUTS (0x0800) and NWSM_EXCLUDE_DATA_STREAMS (0x1000).

tsatest --path=/proc/usb -u root -p unsecure -c 6144


  • Back up the NetWare virtual server node represented by CLUSTER_OBJECT_CLUSTERPOOL_SERVER.

tsatest --cluster -s CLUSTER_OBJECT_CLUSTERPOOL_SERVER


  • Back up the specified volume, ’RESOURCE_ON_THE_CLUSTER_POOL’ on the NetWare virtual server node represented by CLUSTER_OBJECT_CLUSTERPOOL_SERVER.

tsatest --cluster -s CLUSTER_OBJECT_CLUSTERPOOL_SERVER -v RESOURCE_ON_THE_CLUSTER_POOL


To check the performance on a NetWare Server, use these instructions: http://support.novell.com/docs/Tids/Solutions/10092890.html

Oracle

Testing the Oracle extension with sbttest on AIX does not work

Problem

  • Testing the Oracle extension with sbttest on AIX will not work unless the full path to the library with argument -libname is specified.

Solution

  • When running sbttest on AIX, specify the full path to the library with argument -libname, e.g.,
    sbttest test1 -libname /opt/sesam/bin/sesam/libobk.so or ... -libname $ORACLE_HOME/lib/libobk.so.

Errors when attempting to perform a backup on AIX

Problem

  • Running RMAN command on AIX ends with errors.

Solution

  • RMAN command on AIX requires that the full path to the library is set in the script via PARMS SBT_LIBRARY={full_path_to_libobk.so}. For details, see RMAN specific parameters.

Rerunning the sbttest script ends with duplicate key error

Problem

  • When rerunning the sbttest script with the same backup_file_name parameter, SEP sesam returns duplicate key error.

Cause

  • This happens because the sbttest is using the same backup_file_name argument on the next run. SEP sesam interprets backup_file_name as the save_set_id and compares it with the IDs in the results table. When the same save_set_id is found, SEP sesam returns duplicate key error.

Solution

  • When running sbttest, make sure that the backup_file_name argument is set to a different value for each run of the script.

Running bash script on AIX results in bad interpreter: No such file or directory error

Problem

  • When running a bash script, a bad interpreter: No such file or directory error message is shown, for example:
  • -sh: ./sbc_oracle_rman.sh: /bin/bash: bad interpreter: No such file or directory

Cause

  • Typically, on AIX bash is not included in the list of valid shells.

Solution

  • Change the first line in sbc_oracle_rman.sh to
    #!/bin/sh.

ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID variables are not set in the user environment

Problem

  • If ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID are not defined, SEP sesam script cannot connect to the target database.

Solution
Set ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID variables using any of the following:

  • Add the lines
    export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/10gR2/db_1 and export ORACLE_SID=PROD_DB.
  • Use oraenv to set the appropriate environment, for example:
  • export ORACLE_SID=TEST export ORAENV_ASK=NO . oraenv

SAP Oracle: "item from input file does not exist"

Problem

  • brbackup backint log on Windows reports "item from input file does not exist". The following error messages appear:
  • In backint_<SID>.log SSB:(3620): 121043: backint_back.c:( 331):: WARNING: item from input file does not exist: F:\ORACLE\T11\SAPDATA1\ERPUSR_1\ERPUSR.DATA1. In sbc_<SID>.log SSB:(3620): 121242: backint_func.c:(1928):: 2013-06-18 12:12:42: sbc-3008: Info: Processing item: [F:\ORACLE\T11\SAPDATA1\ERPUSR_1\ERPUSR.DATA1]... SSB:(3620): 121242: backint_func.c:(1928):: 2013-06-18 12:12:42: sbc-4000: Trace: GetFileSecurityInfo: Opening file [\\?\F:\ORACLE\T11\SAPDATA1\ERPUSR_1\ERPUSR.DATA1] with CreateFileW() function failed. Error code: 1314 SSB:(3620): 121242: backint_func.c:(1928):: 2013-06-18 12:12:42: sbc-2046: Warning: Cannot get item security data for [F:\ORACLE\T11\SAPDATA1\ERPUSR_1\ERPUSR.DATA1].

Possible causes

  • The user starting the brbackup process does not have permission to access the security data (ACL) of the file F:\ORACLE\T11\SAPDATA1\ERPUSR_1\ERPUSR.DATA1 in Windows. Typically, only local group administrators have permission to read or write an object's SACL, which is controlled by the privilege or user right (SeSecurityPrivilege).

Solution

  • Assign the user to the local administrator group of the SAP server.
  • Ensure that the user right (SeSecurityPrivilege) is implicitly or explicitly given to the user.
  • It may also be necessary to set the User Account Control Settings to Never notify through the Control Panel.

The RMAN file name is too long

Problem

  • You receive the warning:
ORA-19506: failed to create sequential file, name="full_COMP1_1953897796_55938_1.bck", parms=""

Possible causes

  • The file name of the backup set created by the RMAN is longer than 32 characters. For example, if the Oracle backup file format is set to format 'full_%d_%I_%s_%p.bck', when the parameter %s (backup set number) is integrated into the filename, the backup set number increases with every backup. As a consequence, the count of characters of that string will increase. Increasing the number to over 32 characters will cause the backup to fail.

Solution

  • Make sure that the character length of the backupset does not exceed 32 characters.

Informix

General troubleshooting

  • Ensure that the following environment variables are correctly set:
    • INFORMIXDIR
    • INFORMIXSERVER
    • ONCONFIG
    • ROOTPATH
  • Make sure to check the messages on the SEP sesam Server.
  • Additional information can be found in the ONBAR and SIB log files.
  • SEP recommends using a single log file for ONBAR and XBSA messages. You will then be able to see all calls from the database and SEP sesam in the correct order for this set environment variable:
XBSA_LOGFILE=<complete path to bar_act.log> and  XBSA_TRACE=1.
  • All SIB (sesam) messages have the prefix SIB.
  • For more information, set XBSA_TRACE to 2, but then the log files can become quite large.
  • To activate the ONBAR log, edit the following line in the onconfig file:
BAR_DEBUG       2    \# where 'num' = 0-9; 9 producing heaps output defaults to /tmp/bar_dbug.log

Specific error messages

  • Error message when executing oninit
Allocating and attaching to shared memory...FAILED
oninit: Fatal error in shared memory creation

Solution

  • Error during first backup attempt
Begin backup of critical file 'C:\PROGRA~1\IBM\Informix\11.70\etc\ixbar.0'.
(-43078) Open or close failed on file 'C:\PROGRA~1\IBM\Informix\11.70\etc\ixbar.0', errno = 2 .

Solution

  • Create the missing file here: C:\PROGRA~1\IBM\Informix\11.70\etc\ixbar.0.

(See IC50591: IXBAR.FILE IS REQUESTED DURING AN EXTERNAL RESTORE ALTHOUGH NO BACKUP WAS CREATED)

  • Error 131 during first logical logs backup attempt
 Unable to start the logical log backup: Log backup to device 'nul' not allowed
 ...
 C:\PROGRA~1\IBM\Informix\11.70\bin\onbar_d complete, returning 131 (0x83)

Solution

Lotus Domino Server

Lotus Domino Server backup reports recovery failure

Problem

  • Backup reports "Recovery may fail" during backup of the SEP sesam extension for Lotus Domino Server. During the backup, the following warning appears for several or all Notes databases:
sbc-2076: Warning: Item [D:\notus03data\mailboxes\mail1\cruoff.nsf] is not logged. 
Recovering may fail.

Possible causes

  • There may be two reasons for this:
  1. Transactional logging was not turned on or is not in Archived mode.
  2. Transactional logging is running in Archived mode but is explicitly turned off for this database in the options of the database.

Solution

  • This message is a warning of the Notes Backup API and is only forwarded by SEP sesam. Turn on Transactional logging in general or just for this database.

Other than that, the message can be ignored. The warning is given during the backup for safety reasons because only the admin can determine if administrative intervention is necessary.

Insufficient temporary space

Problem

  • Temporary space may not suffice because every database must first be copied to the client.

Solution

  • Change the path gv_rw_tmp in <SESAM_VAR>/ini/sm.ini to a directory with sufficient space.

Transactional logging not active

Problem

  • The INCR backups fail.

Solution

  • Activate Transactional logging in Archived mode for Notes.

Transaction logs already in progress

Problem

  • This message appears in the SEP sesam:
DB Module: [Archiving of transaction logs already in progress.]

Possible causes

  • The Lotus Notes API sends this message to show that the transactional logs are already in the state Backup. The state cannot be set twice. If a backup could not be completed successfully, this state mat appear.

Solution

  • To finish the backup status, all logasio processes should be removed from the Notes system:
 UNIX:     killall -9 logasio
 WINDOWS:  sm_kill logasio
  • Alternatively, you can reboot the Notes server.

Backup reports incorrect transactional logging

Problem

  • After the restore of Transactional logging, Notes reports incorrect Transactional logging.

Solution

  • Delete the nlogctrl.* files in the log directory then restart the Notes server.

Server fails to restart after a Notes server crash

Problem

  • After a crash of the Lotus Notes server, the server cannot be started without rebooting.

Solution

  • If a server crash occurs during a log backup ,logasio processes may remain active. These processes must be stopped. The server can be restarted after running the following command:
 UNIX:     killall -9 logasio
 WINDOWS:  sm_kill logasio

Backup with missing options

Problem

  • The restore of Notes on a Linux client ends with:
 "RESTORE STATUS: Restore failed. 2007-05-02 08:52:32:
  sbc-1146: Error:    DB Module: [Notes API NotesInitExtended() failure"

Possible causes

  • The restore options are not identical to the backup options.

Solution

  • Set the restore options according to the task. Additionally, the options can be set in the restore wizard under Expert options in the Options tab. For example:
 -v 3 -a USER=nadmin -a NOTESINI=/srv/notedata/notes.ini

Abnormal termination of the sbc.exe process

Problem

  • Lotus Domino Console repeats: "C:\..\SEPSesam\bin\sesam\sbc.exe Process has terminated abnormally".

Possible causes

  • If there is a backup failure that causes the SEP sesam backup client to terminate abnormally, the failure will be notices by the Lotus Domino server API and repeat this error message every minute in its logging. If this persists over multiple reboots, please read this article from IBM on how to remove the message from the Domino logging: http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21252974

Solution

  • Stop the Domino server forcibly by running nsd -kill.

Restoring Notes database files to different location doesn't work

Problem

  • When doing a restore of database files as a Notes restore to a different file location under Notes_Data, all databases are skipped.

Possible causes

  • Notes denies an access to an existing database with the same replica-id, e.g.:
Item [\JOBSCHED.NJF] not included. Skipped...

Solution

  • In the SEP sesam restore wizard, select a file location outside of Notes_Data and store the database file there. This makes it possible to copy the file to the Notes data directory structure.

VMware vStorage API

VMware backup fails with error due to unrecognized extended LUN connected to a Linux data mover

Problem

  • VMware backup fails with error, such as: Error while reading data. Error: VixDiskLib: VixDiskLib_Read: Read 2048 sectors at 0 failed. Error 16000 (One of the parameters supplied is invalid) (DiskLib error 4096062: One of the parameters supplied is invalid) at 5024.

Cause

  • On the Linux data mover in VMware environments, when you extend LUN while online (without restarting your Linux system), the extended LUN will not be instantly visible from the Linux operating system. The extended disk is automatically adjusted on Windows, while on Linux you need to rescan SCSI bus manually. Consequently, the backup will fail.

Solution

  • To rescan SCSI bus on Linux without restarting it, use the following command when adding a new disc (X is the number of SCSI host to scan):
echo  “- – -” > /sys/class/scsi_host/hostX/scan
  • Use the following command when expanding an existing disc:
echo 1 > /sys/class/scsi_device/device/rescan

Version 4.4.3.22 and previous

Single item restore of migrated save sets does not work with version 4.4.3.22

Problem

  • Single item restore of migrated save sets does not work with version 4.4.3.22.

Workaround

  • This issue is solved with the patch. Contact support or Upgrade to a higher 4.4.3.x version.

Version 4.4.2.87 and previous

Restoring VMware vSphere 6 does not work with SEP sesam 4.4.1

Problem

  • Backup of vSphere 6 works with capabilities of VDDK 5.5. But restore does not work at all with 4.4.1 due to check of vSphere version of SEP sesam GUI.

Workaround

  • No workaround exists for version 4.4.1. Upgrade to SEP sesam version ≥ 4.4.2 to be able to restore vSphere 6.

VM configuration restore uses a lot of hard disk space

Problem

  • If only the configuration of a VM containing thick provisioned VMDKs is restored, the new VMDKs will have the same size as the original VMDKs. This is because SEP sesam creates empty VMDKs during the restore and uses the full disk size for thick provisioned disks. (For thin provisioned disks 0 bytes are reserved.)

Workaround

  • Make sure that there is enough space in the target data store for restoring thick provisioned VMDKs related data.

Backup of VMs using VDDK 5.1.1 on Linux occasionally fails

Problem

Workaround

Backup of VMs with two VMDK files with the same file name does not work

Problem

  • If a virtual machine (named vmware) uses the VMDK files with the same name, e.g., [Datastore1]/vmware/vmware.vmdk and [Datastore1]/vmware_org/vmware.vmdk , the backup will fail.

Workaround

  • Rename one of the virtual disks to a name different than the first one.

SSL handshake error during browse of vSphere server

Problem

  • The name "VMware vSphere:" appears again after expanding it.
  • A pop up opens, which refers to this page

Possible causes

  • This issue is related to VMware vSphere 5.5 and IBM Java due to changes in OpenSSL.

Solution

"Error: VM Exception: [HostCommunication]."

Problem

  • A VADP backup ends with the error message "Error: VM Exception: [HostCommunication].".
  • In the event log of the hyper visor, the following error message occurs at the same time if
    • a snapshot should be created or deleted on this host
    • a virtual machine should be migrated to or from this host
    • a virtual machine on this host should be cloned
An error occurred while communicating with the remote host.

Possible causes

  • One of the management services on the hypervisor is not or not correctly running.

Solution

  • Log onto the ESXi server via ssh
  • Restart the vpxa Service
/etc/init.d/vpxa restart

See also: Restarting the Management agents on an ESXi or ESX host

"Execution error of set_vddk.ps1 according vmware-vdiskmanager.exe"

Problem

  • The required msvcr90.dll for this application is not available.

Solution

GUI reports Login denied during browsing the vSphere farm

Problem

  • When vCenter user and password have been verified and the error is still running, you can check the VMware farm access without a graphical user interface (GUI).

Possible causes

  • Occasionally, there are problems with special characters in passwords. For a better analysis of these problems, it would help to check the VMware vSphere farm connection using the command line.

Solution

  • In the following command you have to replace the vCenter server name, username and password with your own environment's variables.

Pattern:

sbc_vadp -D -a username=<vCenter username>,password=<password>,url=https://<vCenter Hostname>/sdk,ignorecert=ignorecert "/VMware vSphere:"

For example:

sbc_vadp -D -a username=Administrator,password=mypassword,url=https://ws2008x64/sdk,ignorecert=ignorecert "/VMware vSphere:"

It should then be listed in the configured VMware Data Center. If that is not the case, then set the password without special characters. If the access test to the farm is successful, then the original password contained a character that caused the problem accessing the VMware farm.

Error: At least one snapshot exists before CBT was enabled, which is not possible

Problem

  • You receive the warning: "Error: At least one snapshot exists before CBT was enabled, which is not possible"

Possible causes

  • VM is suspended.
  • Manual snapshots available.

Solution

  • Restart or shut down VM
  • Delete manually created snapshots and then perform a reset CBT

VIX_E_FAIL

Problem

  • An error occurs during thr backup of the second VMDK.

Possible causes

  • Timeout in vCenter connection.

Solution

  • Update the VDDK library to version 1.2.1.

VIX_E_FILE

Problem

  • You receive one of the following warnings:
    • VIX_E_FILE_NOT_FOUND:
    • VIX_E_FILE_ACCESS_ERROR:
    • You do not have access rights to this file:
    • Thin/TBZ/Sparse disks cannot be opened in multi writer mode.

Possible causes

  • Wrong VMDK file has been linked for backup.

Solution

  • Start backup with the option -a qui=0. The system will boot in the normal state and show a message regarding safe boot. The screenshot below shows how to add this option:

Qui.jpg

Backup fails with error on a 64 Bit system even though VDDK is already installed

Problem

  • You receive the warning Backup fails with error on a 64 Bit system even though VDDK is already installed.

Possible causes

  • VDDK is only installed as a 32-bit version.

Solution

Error: Load VDDK library failed: Cannot load: vixDiskLib.dll

Problem

  • You receive the warning Error: Load VDDK library failed: Cannot load: vixDiskLib.dll.

Possible causes

  • VDDK is only installed as a 32-bit version.

Solution

Backup stops with sbc-1500 error message

Problem

  • Backup stops with the message: sbc-1500: Error: VixDiskLib_Open() failed: [sesam] sesam_vm/sesam_vm.vmdk:Cannot connect to the host.

Possible causes

  • The file vixDiskLib.dll does not exist in the directory <SESAM_ROOT>\bin\sesam of the VMware data mover.

Solution

  • Copy the file C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit\vixDiskLib.dll to <SESAM_ROOT>\bin\sesam of your VMware data mover.

Encrypted backup failure

Problem

  • Encrypted backup stops with the warning: "Encryption/decryption operation failed".

Possible causes

  • Backup was done with bf64 (blowfish 64) encryption.

Solution

  • The encryption must be changed from bf64 to aes256.

VM Exception: [InvalidRequest]

Problem

  • During VM creation with OVF config file, you receive the warning: VM Exception: [InvalidRequest].

Possible causes

  • The OVF file used to create VM during restore is invalid. For example, the virtual CD-ROM with the ISO file is no longer available.

Solution

  • Restore only VM config files.

New Restore Task VM config.jpg

  • Remove the virtual CD-ROM with the ISO from the OVF file.
  • The file can be found in the SEP sesam directory: <SESAM_ROOT>/var/tmp/_vadp_/<vm name>/<saveset of backup>
CD-ROM specification part of ovf file
    <Item>
      <rasd:AddressOnParent>0</rasd:AddressOnParent>
      <rasd:AutomaticAllocation>true</rasd:AutomaticAllocation>
      <rasd:ElementName>CD/DVD Drive 1</rasd:ElementName>
      <rasd:HostResource>ovf:/file/file2</rasd:HostResource>
      <rasd:InstanceID>7</rasd:InstanceID>
      <rasd:Parent>4</rasd:Parent>
      <rasd:ResourceType>15</rasd:ResourceType>
    </Item>
  • Start the same restore task and restore VM with VMDK

New Restore Task VM VMDK data.jpg

  • Edit the OVF file of the VM and remove all virtual devices that prevent the creation of the VM.
 svp-3980: Info:    Create VM from OVF file: 'C:\ProgramData\SEPsesam\var\tmp\_vadp_\EX-SERVER\SC20130423113643791@70RYUkBmDGz\EX-SERVER.ovf'
 svp-1901: Error:   VM Exception: [VM creation failed  (error)].

VM creation breaks with an error

Problem

  • VM creation breaks with the error:
svp-3980: Info:    Create VM from OVF file: 'C:\ProgramData\SEPsesam\var\tmp\_vadp_\EX-SERVER\SC20130423113643791@70RYUkBmDGz\EX-SERVER.ovf'
svp-1901: Error:   VM Exception: [VM creation failed  (error)].

Possible causes

  • Wrong video RAM size. Must be set to 4MB in auto-detect mode. The error message in host.d is:
opID=49F494FA-000001D6-6a-7b-3e-ec-f4] Video Ram size edit not supported when auto-detect is True ./var/log/hostd.log:2013-04-23T14:43:56.923Z [61B7EB90 info 'vm:/vmfs/volumes/5087d83e-bbbbd91c-4218-001999da71cf/testEX-SERVER/testEX-SERVER.vmx' 
opID=49F494FA-000001D6-6a-7b-3e-ec-f4] Reconfigure failed: vmodl.fault.NotSupported

Solution

  • Analyse the VMware logs:
    • Use vCenter <Administration>, <export system logs> to select the affected ESX-Server as source. Choose <Logs> only from system logs and specify the desired export location.
    • Once the export is complete, unzip the tgz file from the export directory then locate the host.d file and search for errors.

Cannot display VMX file

Problem

  • Error occurs during download of VMX file.

Possible causes

Solution

  • Update your version of vCenter. This problem is not related to SEP sesam but to vCenter only.

Error: Could not load default plugins from /usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64/libdiskLibPlugin.so

Problem

  • A VADP backup ends with: "Error: VM Exception: [Exit code from sbc: [1] - warning]”
  • In the log file you see the warning:
Could not load default plugins from /usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64/libdiskLibPlugin.so.

Possible causes

  • The incorrect LD_LIBRARY_PATH has been set.

Solution

  • Edit /etc/sesam2000.ini and add/modify the LD_LIBRARY_PATH line:

For 32-bit Linux:

  VERSION=4.2.1.41
  SM_BIN_SESAM=/opt/sesam/bin/sesam/
  ...
  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib32:/usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/plugins32:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

For 64-bit Linux:

  VERSION=4.2.1.41
  SM_BIN_SESAM=/opt/sesam/bin/sesam/
  ...
  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64:/usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/plugins64:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
  • If the problem persists after modifying the sm.ini and restarting the SEP sesam service, check if the libexpat.so.0 actually exists on the selected system:
vcenter:/usr/lib64 # ldd /usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64/libdiskLibPlugin.so
       linux-vdso.so.1 =>  (0x00007fff539ff000)
       libpthread.so.0 => /lib64/libpthread.so.0 (0x00007fdab6937000)
       libstdc++.so.6 => /usr/lib64/libstdc++.so.6 (0x00007fdab662d000)
       libdl.so.2 => /lib64/libdl.so.2 (0x00007fdab6428000)
       libcrypto.so.0.9.8 => /usr/lib64/libcrypto.so.0.9.8 (0x00007fdab6089000)
       libssl.so.0.9.8 => /usr/lib64/libssl.so.0.9.8 (0x00007fdab5e35000)
        libexpat.so.0 => not found
        
       libz.so.1 => /lib64/libz.so.1 (0x00007fdab5c1e000)
       libtypes.so => not found
       libvmomi.so => not found
       libvmacore.so => not found
       libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib64/libgcc_s.so.1 (0x00007fdab5a07000)
       libc.so.6 => /lib64/libc.so.6 (0x00007fdab5692000)
       /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007fdab70b0000)
       libm.so.6 => /lib64/libm.so.6 (0x00007fdab5419000)
  • Search for the file libexpat.so.0:
       vcenter:/usr/lib64 # ls -lart libexp*
        -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 196944 May 29  2009 libexpect5.44.1.11.so
        -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 170984 Feb 20  2010 libexpat.so.0.5.0

Result: The file libexpat.so.0 does not exist

  • Resolve the issue:
ln -s libexpat.so.0.5.0 libexpat.so.0
  • First control after generating the soft link:
vcenter:/usr/lib64 # ls -lart libexp*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 196944 May 29  2009 libexpect5.44.1.11.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 170984 Feb 20  2010 libexpat.so.0.5.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root     17 Jul  2  2012 libexpat.so.0 -> libexpat.so.0.5.0
  • Second control after generating the soft link:
       vcenter:/usr/lib64 # ldd /usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64/libdiskLibPlugin.so
       linux-vdso.so.1 =>  (0x00007fff90f39000)
       libpthread.so.0 => /lib64/libpthread.so.0 (0x00007f83497de000)
       libstdc++.so.6 => /usr/lib64/libstdc++.so.6 (0x00007f83494d3000)
       libdl.so.2 => /lib64/libdl.so.2 (0x00007f83492cf000)
       libcrypto.so.0.9.8 => /usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64/libcrypto.so.0.9.8 (0x00007f8349053000)
       libssl.so.0.9.8 => /usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64/libssl.so.0.9.8 (0x00007f8348f02000)
 libexpat.so.0 => /usr/lib64/libexpat.so.0 (0x00007f8348cd8000) 
       libz.so.1 => /lib64/libz.so.1 (0x00007f8348ac2000)
       libtypes.so => /usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64/libtypes.so (0x00007f834401a000)
       libvmomi.so => /usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64/libvmomi.so (0x00007f83438c6000)
       libvmacore.so => /usr/lib/vmware-vix-disklib/lib64/libvmacore.so (0x00007f8342e34000)
       libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib64/libgcc_s.so.1 (0x00007f8342c1d000)
       libc.so.6 => /lib64/libc.so.6 (0x00007f83428a9000)
       /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007f8349f88000)
       libm.so.6 => /lib64/libm.so.6 (0x00007f8342630000)
       libcrypt.so.1 => /lib64/libcrypt.so.1 (0x00007f83423f4000)


Restore of VMDK with transport mode SAN fails

Problem

  • Error occurs during restore shortly before all data are written. You receive the warning: "Restore of VMDK with transport mode SAN fails with "Write to disk failed: Error 1365799600129 at 4110" or similar message".

Possible causes

  • This issue is related to VMware, not to SEP sesam. Ordinarily, this problem only occurs if a VMDK has been created with a capacity value of MB (megabyte) instead of GB (gigabyte) or TB (terabyte) and in this case only if the value of the size is not a integer number (i.e. the value 16.3 MB is not a integer number, but 16 MB is).

Solution

  • VMware fixed the problem in version 5.5 of ESXi. If it is not possible to upgrade the ESXi, the restore can be done via all other transport modes (NBD,NBDSSL,HOTADD).

Restore of VMware machine via SAN with Windows data mover fails

Problem

  • Restore fails with the following message immediately after starting data transfer: Restore of VMware machine via SAN with Windows data mover fails with "SAN transport error: I/O - Operation failed".
2014-10-13 13:32:45: sbc-3925: Info:    VDDK:    INFO: 2014-10-13T13:32:45.260+02:00 [02192 error 'Default'] Incomplete write to, Wanted 65536 Got 0, Error 2 (19)
2014-10-13 13:32:45: sbc-3925: Info:    VDDK:    INFO: 2014-10-13T13:32:45.262+02:00 [02192 error 'Default'] Incomplete write to, Wanted 65536 Got 0, Error 2 (19)
2014-10-13 13:32:45: sbc-3925: Info:    VDDK:    INFO: 2014-10-13T13:32:45.264+02:00 [11876 error 'Default'] San transport error: I/O Operation failed.
2014-10-13 13:32:45: sbc-1031: Error:   Cannot write to remote archive: [VixDiskLib: VixDiskLib_Write: Write to disk failed: Error 17592452332404352 at 4116.

Possible causes

  • The SAN volume on Windows data mover is offline, which implies read only access to this volume.

Solution

  • Change the volume status from offline to online by using the Windows disk management tool. Right-click the affected volume and change its status then try again.

svp-1901: Error: VM Exception: [Exception=FileFault,dynamictype=null]. -> CBT-RESET needed

Problem

  • The above rror occurs when a snapshot is not deleted after a CBT backup.

Possible causes

  • CBT is not in a clean state

Solution

  • Reset CBT (see below)

Resetting CBT via CLI or GUI

Soft reset (online)

  • Generally available as of SEP sesam version 4.2.2.26. A soft reset is also possible via GUI and via CLI as of version 4.4.1.x (see below).
  • When executing the following command, the virtual machine does not need to be shut down. The command must be executed in the directory <sesam-root>\bin\sesam:

Example

sbc_vadp -b -a "action=softreset,server=ws2008x64,username=Administrator,password=secret" 
"DC/linuxdbserver"

Soft reset (online via GUI or CLI)

  • A soft reset of CBT is also possible via GUI and CLI as of SEP sesam version 4.4.1.x. This can be done for each task via the GUI. The Reset CBT button is available on the first tab for each task at Tasks -> by Clients when opening the properties of a specified task.
  • The second option is to use the CLI:

Example

sm_cmd resetcbt -S qsbox1 -d "SEP Cloud" -V "cosinus (SEP)"


Hard reset (offline)

  • This command should be used when a soft reset does not work or if it is not available. See the requirements below for further information.

Example

sbc_vadp -b -a "action=resetcbt,server=ws2008x64,username=Administrator,password=secret" 
"DC/linuxdbserver"


Hard reset (offline via CLI)

  • A hard reset is also possible via CLI as of SEP sesam version 4.4.1.x (see below). The syntax for this command is as follows:

Example

sm_cmd resetcbt -S qsbox1 -d "SEP Cloud" -V "cosinus (SEP)" -m hard

The virtual machine must be powered off for this action.


Manual CBT reset

  • Alternatively, a CBT-reset can be performed via the vSphere client:

Online

  • The virtual machine does not need to be shut down to reset CBT:
  1. Open the properties of the affected virtual machine from Tasks > By Clients.
  2. Uncheck Enable Change Block Tracking (CBT) and save the task.
  3. Create a snapshot via vSphere Client of the affected virtual machine (none of the ticks needs to be selected).
  4. Delete the snapshot that was created before.
  5. In SEP sesam, activate the CBT option in the VM client settings and start the VM backup.

Offline

  • This step needs to be performed if a reset of CBT in online mode does not work. The virtual machine must be turned off for this step:
  1. Shut down the VM.
  2. Open the VMware Snapshot-Manager and delete all snapshots.
  3. Right-click VM -> Edit settings -> Options tab -> General -> Configuration Parameters.
  4. Set the value "ctkEnabled" to false.
  5. Set the value "scsi0:0.ctkEnabled" to false (NOTE: set the value to false for each disk).
  6. Open the folder where the VM *.VMDK files exists and delete all *-CTK.VMDK files
  7. Start the VM.
  8. Shut down the VM (this is required for the CTK table update).
  9. Start the VM again.
  10. In SEP sesam, activate the CBT option in the VM client settings and start the VM backup.

Citrix XEN Server

Message "Upload to URL ... failed" appears during restore, "insufficient space" error occurs during backup

Problems

  • Restore fails with an error: "Upload to URL ... failed."
  • SR_BACKEND_FAILURE_44: : There is insufficient space to create snapshot on Storage Repository.

Possible cause

  • There is not enough space available on the default storage.
  • If the "insufficient space" error occurs during the backup, it might be related to the snapshot process. XenServer was unable to create a snapshot for the VM because there was not enough space in your Storage Repository.

Solution

  • Use XenCenter to select another default storage that has enough free disk capacity to store the virtual disk(s).

Other issues

  • Some errors are not reported in detail by XEN API. More information can be found in XenServer in /var/log directory.
  • In some pool configurations all pool members must have their management interface listed in DNS.
  • If the settings below don't agree on asynchronous routing and connection drops and/or 3 second or 80 second delays, opening sockets may occour. This is very similar to having 2 network cards configured with ipv4 to the same subnet and connected to the same switch.
  • If you use Cisco switches and you have configured (Citrix unsupported) lacp bonding 802.3ad, ensureit is very important that both sides agree on the balancing type. The Linux default is layer2 and the Cisco default is layer3+4.
  • Check the bonding mode on the host with >tt>cat /proc/net/bond/bond* for bonding mode: IEEE 802.3ad Dynamic link aggregation

Transmit Hash Policy: layer2 (0) or Transmit Hash Policy: layer3+4 (1).

  • Users have reported that this command and a reboot solves the problem, but this cannot be formally recommended due to its untested and unsupported status:
xe pif-param-set uuid=${UUID_OF_BOND_PIF} other-config:bond-xmit_hash_policy=1 

SAP Hana

Backup finished with error [447]

Problem

  • Backup failed with error.
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+00:00  P11252      1480e025c70 ERROR   BACKUP   SAVE DATA finished with error: [447] backup could not be completed, [110507] Backint exited with exit code 1, Traceback (most recent call last):
 File "/usr/local/sesam/lib/python2.7/site-packages/cx_Freeze/initscripts/Console.py", line 27, in <module>
 File "backint_saphana.py", line 124, in <module>
 File "sm_common.py", line 55, in __init__
IOError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/opt/sesam/var/log/lgc/sbc_backint_NOT DEFINED.log'

Cause

  • The hdbbackint does not have the permissions to write to the logging directory.

Solution

  • Execute chmod 755 (directory) to fix the issue.

SAP Hana backup failure – analyze log files for cause

Problem

  • Backup was unsuccessful and is shown with a red dot in either the SAP HANA Studio or the SEP sesam GUI.

Solution

  • Go to /var/opt/sesam/var/log/lgc and search for the hdbbackint_SID.log or hdbbackint_SID_log.log. These logs contain the logging information for the data connections to the SEP sesam Server and Remote Device Server (if used). On the SEP sesam Server/RDS, <sesam_install>/var/log/sms will contain stpd_pid.log and stpd_pid.com.log files with the server-side logging information. Additional log information on the SEP sesam Server can also be found in <sesam_install>/var/log/lgc in sm_sbc_com*.log files.

Job status displays multiple running jobs

Problem

  • Even though only a single backup or restore is running, multiple jobs are displayed in the Job Status view of the SEP sesam GUI.

Solution

  • This is the usual behaviour. When performing a backup, HANA bundles the data to be saved into a few separate save sets and sends them to the SEP sesam device server. Therefore, multiple jobs will be displayed in the job status. The same in reverse applies to restores.

Log backups running too frequent

Problem

  • Log backups are processed every 15 minutes. The time among log backups should be extended.

Solution

  • Open the backup configuration in the SAP HANA Studio. On the right, there is a box where the interval can be adjusted. But be careful: The log area will grow bigger. If the log area is full, the database will stop performing transactions!

After recovery the hardware key changed

Problem

Solution

  • This is a known issue which can occur even if there is no change in the hardware and hostname with the same configuration: re-installation, restore, recovery, or rename will change the hardware key. Please contact SAP support. For details, see Hardware Key for the HANA Database.

NetApp Volume Backup

FilerView http might be disabled

Problem

  • FilerView might be disabled.

Solution

  • Check if FilerView is enabled. Logon to your NetApp system via ssh and use the following command to check whether your FilerView http is enabled:
options httpd.admin.enable


In clustered environments or Ontap 8 Versions using Vserver:

vserver services web modify -vserver <NODE_NAME> -name ontapi -enabled true

Restore shows permission problems

Problem

  • A restore fails with the following error message in the protocol:
2012-08-20 12:32:27: sbc-2044: Warning: Cannot create item [/var/opt/sesam/var/work/mnt/netapp/VOLUME_NAME/restore/]: Permission denied

Solution

  • Check if the system acting as a data mover has a write access to the NetApp volume the data should be restored to.

Incorrect volume path specification

Problem

  • Usually NFS shares on NetApp systems are exported beneath the:
/vol/

directory. For example the nfs share test is mountable via:

netapp:/vol/test/

This is not the case for all NetApp systems. Some systems export the volume directly via:

netapp:/test/ 

Solution

  • By default, SEP sesam mounts the volume via /vol/ specification. You can adjust the volume_path parameter in the advanced backup options by specifying the following:
-a volume_path=/

Backup fails with Permission denied - user mapping for NTFS style volumes is missing

Problem

  • By default, SEP sesam is accessing the volumes for backup via NFS. If a desired volume for backup has security style set to NTFS, an appropriate user mapping has to be configured on the NetApp system. If not, backup may fail with Permission denied error message.

Solution

  • Map the permission for the administrator user to root as shown in the screenshot below.
Netapp name mapp.png


MySQL Backup

MySQL backup fails with mysqldump: Error 2013: Lost connection to MySQL server during query

Problem

  • MySQL backup fails with
mysqldump: Error 2013: Lost connection to MySQL server during query

Possible cause

  • This error typically occurs when backing up MySQL databases to tape devices. The reason for this is the MySQL settingnet_write_timeout, which defaults to a value of 60 seconds. It can take longer than 60 seconds to open the tape, but after 60 seconds MySQL database resets the connection while the backup is still in progress.

Solution

  • Open the option file /etc/my.cnf and set a higher value for the variable net_write_timeout in section [mysqld] as follows:
[mysqld]
 ... other options ..
net_write_timeout = 180
  • Close the file and restart your mysql daemon for changes to take effect. If a restart is not an option, the setting can also be applied online, via the mysql command:
# mysql -u root -p -e "set global net_write_timeout=180;"

Keep in mind that this setting will reset to its original value during restart if it is not saved in the configuration file.

  • If you have raised the value to 180 seconds, but backups are still failing with the same error message, try to use a higher timeout value. The timeout can get exceeded, for example, if the tape gets swapped during the MySQL backup. Note that some tape libraries require more than 180 seconds to handle the tapes.

The current active value can be determined as follows:

# mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW GLOBAL VARIABLES LIKE 'net_write_timeout'"
+-------------------+-------+
| Variable_name     | Value |
+-------------------+-------+
| net_write_timeout | 60    |
+-------------------+-------+

Problems during MySQL backup if user's password contains special characters – use configuration file to store the password

Problem

  • There may be problems during backup if the password of the user, assigned for executing the backups, contains special characters. In general, the use of apostrophes as well as mutated vowels (umlauts) is suppressed in the GUI.

Solution

  • Store the password (recommended for all MySQL backups) in a special configuration file rather than a task. If a password is stored separately in the configuration file, it will not appear in SEP sesam logging. See 4.2.3.3. Using Option Files for a complete overview about MySQL configuration files on any supported platform. The following example is suitable for Unix and Linux:
  • Create a configuration file named my.cnf. In case SEP sesam runs as user root and to ensure that the SEP sesam Client can read it correctly, store this file in
/root/.my.cnf
  • Enter the following parameters into the file (the entry user is optional):
[client]
user=root
password=mysqlpw
  • The backup tasks options must include the user name if not set:
-a user=username

The password will now be read from the configuration file during the backup.

Shell login of user root is permitted (i.e. on Ubuntu systems), but the variable $HOME does not exist

Problem

  • If the variable $HOME does not exist, then the file my.cnf cannot be found.

Solution

  • Edit the file <sesam-root>/var/ini/sm.ini and add the following lines at the bottom of the file:
[ENVIRONMENT]
HOME=/root

Once you added the required variable, restart SEP sesam service for changes to take effect.

BSR Pro for Windows

No save sets nor clients exist in SEP sesam after clicking Execute BSR Pro Quick-Start option

Problem

  • There are no save sets available at the SEP sesam Server.

Possible cause

  • This error typically occurs when the sm_glbv variable is not set.
  • The resolution in your network does not work as expected, there might be issues with IPv6 and IPv4.

Solution

  • Open a shell on the SEP sesam Server and execute the command below. This command enables you to contact the SEP sesam Server even if the reverse name resolution does not work on the new client.
sm_glbv w gv_stpd_auth NONE

VSS snapshot for the system volume does not work

Problem

  • Typically, VSS is used by default to log changes in data so that unchanged data is included in the backup. But on some systems the VSS snapshot for the system volume does not work.

Solution

  • Start SEP sesam BSR Pro 2.0 with the option -a snap=snapshot. This option creates a special snapshot that does not involve the Microsoft VSS Writer: data changes are logged using the installed filter driver to include the unchanged data in the backup.
Usage: -a snap=vss|snapshot
where <vss> is default

NDMP

NDMP connect error during backup

Problem

  • NDMP server cannot connect to SEP sesam (sbc_ndmp) during NDMP backup. Errors like
  • NDMP error: ERR NDMP4_DATA_CONNECT NDMP4_CONNECT_ERR NDMP error: ERR NDMP4_DATA_ABORT NDMP4_ILLEGAL_STATE_ERR are shown and backup fails.

Possible causes

  • In most cases, this is a firewall issue. Less frequently there are other incorrect network settings preventing connection to sbc_ndmp.

Solution

  • Exclude the sbc_ndmp.exe from the firewall scanner and run the backup again.
  • Check the configuration of your network. Note that your network must be properly configured to allow the connection to sbc_ndmp.

NDMP on NetApp

Restore fails with: "Storing of nlist entries failed."

Problem

  • Restore finishes with error: "Storing of nlist entries failed."

Workaround

  • Instead of commonly used version 4 of the NDMP protocol, start the NDMP daemon in version 3 by entering the following commands:
ndmpd off
ndmpd version 3
ndmpd on
  • Then retry the NDMP restore.

Si3 Deduplication

Si3 stays in "shutting down" state

Problem

  • Manually stopping Garbage Collection (GC) fails and consequently Si3 stays in state "shutting down".

Solution

Other

Windows installer (MSI) installation error

Problem

  • You receive the following warning: "An error occurred during the installation of assembly component... HRESULT: 0x80070bc9."

Possible causes

  • MSI locks the database for the installation of new software after Windows updates were installed.

Solution

  • Reboot the host to unlock the database.

Problem

  • Installation failed after uninstallation - you receive the following Popup:
    • English: "The SEP sesam server was installed using a server installation package. Please retry the update using a server installation package instead of the server package you are using. Update will be aborted."
    • Deutsch: "Der SEP sesam server wurde mit einem server Installationspaket installiert. Bitte wiederholen Sie den Update mit einem server Installationspaket statt des verwendeten server Pakets. Das Update wurde abgebrochen."

Possible causes

  • The uninstallation did not remove HKLM\SOFTWARE\SEP Elektronik GmbH registry key.

Solution

  • Open the MS Windows registry (e.g. call regedit) and remove HKLM\SOFTWARE\SEP Elektronik GmbH.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Problem

  • The following warning occurs on a Windows operating system: "ERROR: SMS0004: The specified device does not exist."

Solution

  • Reinstall the "CBMR x.x SEP Sesam Version" software package.

Hyper-V backup

Message

  • The following message appears:
Error:   DB Module: [ [Failed at thaw] - VSS_E_WRITERERROR_TIMEOUT.  
[Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer] - VSS_E_WRITERERROR_TIMEOUT]

Solution


Message

  • The following message appears:
Error: VSS_E_SNAPSHOT_SET_IN_PROGRESS error and in the Windows Event logs VDS basic provider error

Solution

Powershell script not executed on a target machine

Problem

  • Why is the Powershell script not executed on a target machine?

Possible causes

  • By default, Microsoft installs Windows Powershell with the permission set to Restricted. This setting only allows the execution of commands in Powershell but no scripts.

Solution

  • This can be changed with following command in Powershell:
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

For more information, see http://www.technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176961.aspx

VSS

SEP sesam uses only the VSS components provided by Microsoft. VSS allows rapid "point-in-time" snapshots of a hard drive for backup.

Follow the instructions below if you encounter a VSS error. Run a test after each step to make sure that the problem has been resolved.

1. Windows reboot

Solution

  • Reboot your Windows. A Windows reboot often eliminates various VSS writer problems.


2. Disk space

Problem

  • If there is insufficient disk space, VSS snapshots may fails.

Solution

  • Make sure that sufficient disk space is available.


3. Multiple Backup Jobs with VSS

Problem

  • If multiple VSS jobs are started, the operating system reports the following VSS error message:
VSS_E_SNAPSHOT_SET_IN_PROGRESS

Possible causes

  • It is not possible to run multiple VSS snapshots at the same time. Windows can only start a VSS snapshot for each partition.

Solution

  • Run the backup jobs from a client sequentially, for example:
    • 22:00: Start System Recovery Backup.
    • 23:00: Start Custom Path Backup.
  • If the temporal separation is not possible, try the following solution. These must be set in the sm.ini following settings on the client:
[SBC_OPTIONS]
VSS_WAIT_FOR_ASYNC_OP=180
VSS_DELAY=90
VSS_MAX_RETRY=6

With these settings, the VSS sesam client tries to execute operations sequentially and waits for an active VSS operation. The matching settings may vary depending on system and backup jobs.


4. Third-party Backup software

Solution

  • Check if some other backup software from different vendor is running on the system, for example:
    • Windows Backup, NTbackup
    • Acronis, Backup Exec, ect.

Disable this backup software if necessary.


5. Remove old VSS snapshots

Solution

  • Start the CMD command prompt as administrator and type the following command:
vssadmin delete shadows /all

The command cleans up all VSS snapshots of all volumes.


6. VSS writer status check

Solution

  • Start the CMD command prompt as administrator and type the following command:
vssadmin list writers

If a VSS writer error appears, restart the following services:

  • Volume Shadow Copy Service
  • VSS application writer (Exchange, MS-SQL, Hyper-V)
  • COM+ System Application Service
  • Distributed Transaction Coordinator Service

Run the command vssadmin list writers again and check if the issue has been resolved.


7. Windows event log check

Solution

  • Check the event logs of the Windows Event Viewer. Search for VolSnap errors corresponding to VSS at the time of the SEP sesam backup job.
  • It often helps to search the internet for the event ID of the fault to get an indication of the error cause.


8. Re-register VSS and COM+ components

Step 1:

  • The following scripts re-register all VSS and COM+ components.
  • Copy the commands in a new *.bat file. Start the batch script in the command line as administrator:

For 64-bit and 32-bit systems:

cd /d %windir%\system32
Net stop vss
Net stop swprv
regsvr32 ole32.dll
regsvr32 vss_ps.dll
Vssvc /Register
regsvr32 /i swprv.dll
regsvr32 /i eventcls.dll
regsvr32 es.dll
regsvr32 stdprov.dll
regsvr32 vssui.dll
regsvr32 msxml.dll
regsvr32 msxml3.dll
regsvr32 msxml4.dll
regsvr32 Vssapi.dll
regsvr32 Vssui.dll
net start vss
net start swprv
 

Step 2:

  • Copy the commands in a new *.bat file. Start the batch script in the command line as administrator:

For 64-bit systems:

Net stop vss
Net stop swprv
regsvr32.exe /i %windir%\system32\eventcls.dll
regsvr32.exe /i %windir%\system32\swprv.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\system32\vssui.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\SysWOW64\vss_ps.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\SysWOW64\msxml.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\SysWOW64\msxml2.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\SysWOW64\msxml3.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\SysWOW64\msxml4.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\SysWOW64\ole32.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\SysWOW64\oleaut32.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\SysWOW64\es.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\SysWOW64\comsvcs.dll
vssvc /register
net start swprv
net start vss
net stop winmgmt
regsvr32 wmiutils.dll  
net start winmgmt 


10. VM utility Update

Solution

  • If the system is a virtual machine, uninstall the installed utility version and start the VM then reinstall the latest VM utility version:
    • VMware vSphere: VMware Tools
    • Microsoft Hyper-V: Hyper-V Integration Services
    • Citrix XenServer: XenServer Tools

11. Windows Update

Solution

  • Install the latest Windows updates, service packs and hot fixes from Microsoft.
  • Run a test after the update.

IBM DB2

Problem

  • There are problems with SEP sesam operations.

Solution

  • Check contents of db user's $HOME/sqllib/db2dump/db2diag.log log file.
  • Check the messages on SEP sesam Server.
  • Find more information in the sdb2 log. Log filename is set by XBSA LOGFILE=<Full pathname of sdb2.log> and log level by XBSA TRACE=1.
Information sign.png Note
All sesam XBSA messages have the prefix XBSA. You can set XBSA TRACE to 2 to show more details, but then the log files can become quite large.

MacOS

Problem

  • There are problems with SEP sesam operations.

Solution

The Mac installer has its own log messaging system. To view the log files, proceed as follows:

  • Execute the installation/update of the client or GUI package step-by-step until you get to the last installer step Summary.
  • Go to the Installer Menu and click Window ->Installer Log.
  • Select among the following options: Show Errors Only, Show Errors and Progress or Show All Logs.

AIX

Problem

  • After SEP sesam installation, an error occurs: STATUS=ERROR MSG=Some daemons offline

Solution

By default the sesam sshd daemon is not included in the AIX package. Therefore the command:

/opt/sesam/bin/sesam/sm_main status

will report the sshd as offline:

2016-08-27 16:20:05: sshd               : offline
  • Currently, this error can be ignored as only the CTRL access mode is supported for the AIX systems.
  • To disable the sshd daemon, edit the file:
  • /opt/sesam/var/ini/sm.ini and change the option: sshd=on to sshd=off
  • If any other services are not starting up, contact SEP sesam support.

Tape and tape devices issues

Problem with tape drives

Problem

  • There are problems with LTO tape drives which repeatedly request cleaning tape. Additionally, backups fail with I/O errors.

Solution

There are two possible causes for this:

  • SEP sesam has problems communicating properly with tape devices if hardware vendor's tape diagnostic tools are still installed after the tape read/write diagnostic test is successful. To stop the tape drives from repeatedly issuing the cleaning request and ensure that backups successfully complete, remove the tape diagnostic tools immediately after the diagnostic tests are complete. For example, there are some problems with different tape drives LTO5 and LTO7. In our example, you will disable or remove the following components:
  1. Disable HPE Version Control Agent.
  2. Disable all tape agents for HPE Insight Management Agents as shown below.
  3. HPE Insight-disable tape agent.jpg
  4. Uninstall HP Library and Tape Tools (L&TT) from your server by using the Add/Remove Program in the Window's Control Panel.
  • Similar issues may be caused by common hardware-related problems. Refer to your hardware vendor documentation for details about hardware configuration and troubleshooting.

See also

FAQError Messages Guide