I've been having this trouble running stsadm -o backup on my primary site collection. If I run a full farm backup, I get no errors at all. I can even see the one .bak file that would be the site collection due to the size of it compared to everything else. However, if I run the backup command with only the site collection itself, I only get a small portion of the backup and it is the same each time. The backup should be around 45 Gigs in size but normally poops out around 900MB to 1.5Gig. I've tried so many different things. I just yesterday changed it to save to the local disk instead of the UNC of our backup storage server thinking maybe it is permissions related. Despite the change to the local drive it still tapers out at a certain point. Now there is database corruption but it doesn't prevent Backup Exec from backing up and restoring and the farm backup works without a hitch. But why is the solo site collection backup failing. I know there could be an issue with the size of the database being over 15GB but the backup works fine with the farm. Would the size prevent the backups? The corruption's only obvious issue is with the site collection recycle bin because it cannot empty itself out and there is currently stuff in there from July 2010 and it cannot be manually removed. Would this prevent the backup or is something else possibly the problem? There is plenty of space on the hard drive and other backup solutions work including the farm and Backup Exec 2010 R2.

HI, have you tried STSADM export? If not you can try the same. Also do you see any log entries when you execute STSADM backup?Thanks, Rahul Rashu

You're comparing a FULL farm back-up to a site collection back-up? Let's have a look at what a full farm back-up consists: - All web applications SSPs Search Databases All Search Indexes All content databases A site collection back-up, will consist a single site collection only. Of course you'd see a difference in size. If you check out the site collection in Central Administration Site Quota and Locks options, you'll get an idea of how big the site collection actually is. This'll let you determine accordingly what the size of the STSADM output should be.Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/

You're comparing a FULL farm back-up to a site collection back-up? Let's have a look at what a full farm back-up consists: - All web applications SSPs Search Databases All Search Indexes All content databases A site collection back-up, will consist a single site collection only. Of course you'd see a difference in size. If you check out the site collection in Central Administration Site Quota and Locks options, you'll get an idea of how big the site collection actually is. This'll let you determine accordingly what the size of the STSADM output should be.Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/

Steve, I am aware of the difference. I am just annoyed that the farm backup works fine where as the stsadm backup does not. I am pretty sure it is related to the size of the site collection. I wanted to do the backup command over the export command due to the fact that workflows are grabbed with the backup command.

The second half of my first response is still valid. Can you ascertain the size of the collection by having a look at it's current size? I'd also suggest clearing out both the recycle bin and the second stage admin bin. 50% of the second stage admin bin counts towards your storage quote and as such, this'll be include in the STSADM operation. If you clear this and then recheck the size via central admin to find a significant difference, it may be worth trying it again.Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/

The second half of my first response is still valid. Can you ascertain the size of the collection by having a look at it's current size? I'd also suggest clearing out both the recycle bin and the second stage admin bin. 50% of the second stage admin bin counts towards your storage quote and as such, this'll be include in the STSADM operation. If you clear this and then recheck the size via central admin to find a significant difference, it may be worth trying it again. Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/ Unfortunately the corruption has prevented us from clearing out the recycle bins. There is stuff in there over a year old and there is nothing that can be done until I am permitted a time to move some sites into their own site collections. I think I am going to be stuck in this situation until I can take care of the corruption. Even the stsadm export fails. These are the errors: [10/18/2011 11:03:58 PM]: Error: A transport-level error has occurred when receiving results from the server. (provider: TCP Provider, error: 0 - The specified network name is no longer available.) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection) at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject stateObj) at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParserStateObject.ReadSniError(TdsParserStateObject stateObj, UInt32 error) at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParserStateObject.ReadSni(DbAsyncResult asyncResult, TdsParserStateObject stateObj) at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParserStateObject.ReadNetworkPacket() at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParserStateObject.ReadBuffer() at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParserStateObject.ReadByteArray(Byte[] buff, Int32 offset, Int32 len) at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParserStateObject.ReadString(Int32 length) at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ReadSqlStringValue(SqlBuffer value, Byte type, Int32 length, Encoding encoding, Boolean isPlp, TdsParserStateObject stateObj) at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ReadSqlValue(SqlBuffer value, SqlMetaDataPriv md, Int32 length, TdsParserStateObject stateObj) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader.ReadColumnData() at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader.ReadColumn(Int32 i, Boolean setTimeout) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader.GetValueInternal(Int32 i) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader.GetValues(Object[] values) at System.Data.ProviderBase.DataReaderContainer.CommonLanguageSubsetDataReader.GetValues(Object[] values) at System.Data.ProviderBase.SchemaMapping.LoadDataRow() at System.Data.Common.DataAdapter.FillLoadDataRow(SchemaMapping mapping) at System.Data.Common.DataAdapter.FillFromReader(DataSet dataset, DataTable datatable, String srcTable, DataReaderContainer dataReader, Int32 startRecord, Int32 maxRecords, DataColumn parentChapterColumn, Object parentChapterValue) at System.Data.Common.DataAdapter.Fill(DataTable[] dataTables, IDataReader dataReader, Int32 startRecord, Int32 maxRecords) at System.Data.Common.LoadAdapter.FillFromReader(DataTable[] dataTables, IDataReader dataReader, Int32 startRecord, Int32 maxRecords) at System.Data.DataSet.Load(IDataReader reader, LoadOption loadOption, FillErrorEventHandler errorHandler, DataTable[] tables) at System.Data.DataSet.Load(IDataReader reader, LoadOption loadOption, String[] tables) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ListItemObjectHelper.GetNextBatchInstance() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ListItemObjectHelper.GetNextBatch() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ObjectHelper.RetrieveDataFromDatabase(ExportObject exportObject) [10/18/2011 11:03:59 PM]: FatalError: ExecuteReader requires an open and available Connection. The connection's current state is closed. at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.GetOpenConnection(String method) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.ValidateConnectionForExecute(String method, SqlCommand command) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ValidateCommand(String method, Boolean async) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, String method, DbAsyncResult result) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, String method) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior behavior, String method) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior behavior) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SqlSession.ExecuteReader(SqlCommand command, CommandBehavior behavior) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SqlSession.ExecuteReader(SqlCommand command) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ListItemObjectHelper.GetNextBatchInstance() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ListItemObjectHelper.GetNextBatch() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ObjectHelper.RetrieveDataFromDatabase(ExportObject exportObject) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ListItemObjectHelper.RetrieveData(ExportObject exportObject) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ExportObjectManager.GetObjectData(ExportObject exportObject) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ExportObjectManager.MoveNext() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.ExportObjectManager.ExportObjectEnumerator.MoveNext() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPExport.SerializeObjects() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPExport.Run() [10/18/2011 11:03:59 PM]: Progress: Export Completed. [10/18/2011 11:03:59 PM]: Finish Time: 10/18/2011 11:03:59 PM. [10/18/2011 11:03:59 PM]: Completed with 0 warnings. [10/18/2011 11:03:59 PM]: Completed with 2 errors. I will run this again tonight without the halt on error parameter and see how that works out.

How are you clearing out the recycle bins? Via the GUI or STSADM? You could also try turning off the second stage administration bin, which'll clear out all current stuff. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc261974%28office.12%29.aspxSteven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/

How are you clearing out the recycle bins? Via the GUI or STSADM? You could also try turning off the second stage administration bin, which'll clear out all current stuff. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc261974%28office.12%29.aspx Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/ I've been planning to try that out this weekend to see if it would clear up the problems. A new Virtual environment is being installed here which means the start of my SP2010 setup next week. The thing that I need is to be able to migrate in chunks one department at a time and moving everyone to their own Site Collection and Content database based on department is a part of that. I am thinking that I will continue to have problems until the issue with the recycle bin is cleared up so that was part of my plan this weekend which is our monthly maintenance weekend. I will add that my export still failed and I do think it is the database corruption which seems to be solely in the recycle bin so I will find out this weekend. I may test out the stsadm -o databaserepair -deletecorruption command this weekend as well. Our MOSS environment is totally virtualized so I can snapshot the farm before doing these things. Wish me luck!

Hi Steve, That did not work. My database has corruption and it is located in the recycle bin. If I turn off the recycle bin, it errors after a couple of minutes of working and fails to delete everything. I've been looking for a SQL query that could potentially do the trick of emptying it but no luck yet.

Export is erroring out on me. One thing after another when it comes to this SharePoint environment. I am thinking it is related to the Recycle Bin portion of the database being corrupted.

You must have a lot of stuff in the bin if it's erroring out? I'd advise againt using SQL to delete these as it might invalidate your MS Support. How were you trying to clear the bins, via the GUI or STSADM? The GUI can time out. If STSADM errored, can you get the error text and post here for us?Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/

You must have a lot of stuff in the bin if it's erroring out? I'd advise againt using SQL to delete these as it might invalidate your MS Support. How were you trying to clear the bins, via the GUI or STSADM? The GUI can time out. If STSADM errored, can you get the error text and post here for us? Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/ I did not know there was an stsadm command to empty the bins. I see commands to set quotas, set timeouts, and to turn it off and on but nothing on emptying. This is MOSS 2007. Are you referring to the command to disable the bins via stsadm?

Sorry, yes you're right. I was processing a million things when I responded to this. Are you able to retrieve the error text that you mentioned?Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/

Sorry, yes you're right. I was processing a million things when I responded to this. Are you able to retrieve the error text that you mentioned? Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/ I will not be able to do anything with this until a later date because the environment is production. I am working on getting a dev set up this week that mirrors our production environment so I can work with this stuff. It is killing me that I cannot catch a break. This environment was inherited and it is so screwed up. Every article I see online of what NOT to do with SharePoint this company has done.

Sorry, yes you're right. I was processing a million things when I responded to this. Are you able to retrieve the error text that you mentioned? Steven Andrews | SharePoint Professional | http://www.twitter.com/backpackerd00d | https://baron72.wordpress.com/ I will not be able to do anything with this until a later date because the environment is production. I am working on getting a dev set up this week that mirrors our production environment so I can work with this stuff. It is killing me that I cannot catch a break. This environment was inherited and it is so screwed up. Every article I see online of what NOT to do with SharePoint this company has done.

I now have my dev environment. Due to limited resources I have a duplication of a DC, the Moss 2007 server, and the SQL machine but I do not have the exchange server. It is in an isolated virtual environment and I am ready to start breaking stuff. I have a snapshot created to revert if I break anything. Throw ideas at me so I can see what works or doesn't work.