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Frequent errors in creating VSS application-consistent snapshots

0

Hi,

Frequent errors in creating VSS application-consistent snapshots.

The errors occur even on newly created EC2 on AWS, but they occur more frequently on servers migrated from on-premises (vSphere) by AWS Application Migration Service. When these servers were also running on-premise, VSS backups were obtained with a backup product, but there were no particular errors.

We have performed the troubleshooting described in the following site, but have not found a solution. https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ja_jp/AWSEC2/latest/WindowsGuide/application-consistent-snapshots-creating-commands.html

We would appreciate any insight into the following (1) Is VSS backup by "AWSEC2-CreateVssSnapshot" different from backup products（ex. netbackup） that work with windows VSS functionality to obtain backups? (2) What kind of workloads are prone to errors or should not be used?

Best regards,

Topics
StorageManagement & Governance
Tags
AWS BackupAWS Systems Manager
Language
English
rePost-User-20221103
asked a year ago269 views
2 Answers
1
Accepted Answer

I infer that you are not running vmware in the AWS environment and that you migrated the VMware VMs to EC2. From your description, I'm assuming that you also did not remove the VMware services from the EC2 instance. Given that...

I would pursue uninstalling (or at least stopping) those services (especially the VMware VSS writer) which may be interfering with AWS VSS component. (It has been about 2 years since I touched vCenter, but I recall VMware had 3 services that it uses). With an AWS VSS component and a VMware component - both will communicate with the Windows portion. It is possible that the now unused VMware services may not be idle (maybe it does heartbeating to the Microsoft VSS).

AWS
Jimbo Surlo
answered a year ago
  • rePost-User-20221103
    a year ago

    Thank you for your response. I have uninstalled VMware Tools, but is VMware VSS writer still installed unless I do something else?

    In the meantime, I will recheck the VMware components.

  • Jimbo Surlo
    a year ago

    When I last worked on VMware, it was one of the later versions of vSphere 6.x - so am unsure which version you are running, but probably running something more current. So, I can't comment on your particular uninstaller. I would assume it would remove the VSS writer too - but can't be certain. Fire up "services" and see if VMware is still in the list. In the version I ran, there were 3 VMware services, VMtools being one. You'll want to stop them all, if they are there.

  • rePost-User-20221103
    a year ago

    Thank you very much. I have checked and can confirm that VMware services is not present.

  • Jimbo Surlo
    a year ago

    After uninstalling the VMware software, are you still getting the bad VSS behavior?

1

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/WindowsGuide/application-consistent-snapshots.html

from cmd. run below command to verify writers status

vssadmin list writers

to verify writers status

AWS
Hemant Chugh
answered a year ago

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