I recently seem to be having problems with our SBS 2003 Server not performing a successful backup. I've been researching quite a few places but can't seem to narrow down the problem so I can fix it, hoping someone here can offer some advice. Essentially, the backup is set to run Mon - Fri at 6pm. I'm backing up approximately 300Gb onto an external 1Tb HDD. The external HDD only ever stores 2 backups, the saving of the backup alternates between the two though out the week days. Prior it was working fine until a few weeks ago it started to constantly fail the backup near the end of the backing up process. The 'Small Business Backup Script.bks' contains the following: SystemState C:\ G:\ F:\ /Exclude F:\Backup\Backup Files\ /Exclude JET SERVER\Microsoft Information Store\First Storage Group\ The 'sbsbackuplogxx.log' containts the following error message: 11/10/2010 18:00 ------------------------------- Date: 11/10/2010 Time: 18:00 User: SYSTEM ------------------------------- Backup Runner started. Launching NTBackup: ntbackup.exe backup "@C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Small Business Server\Backup\Small Business Backup Script.bks" /d "SBS Backup created on 11/10/2010 at 18:00" /v:yes /r:no /rs:no /hc:off /m normal /j "Small Business Server Backup Job" /l:s /f "F:\Backup\Backup Files\Small Business Server Backup (02).bkf" /UM NTBACKUP LOG FILE: C:\Documents and Settings\SBS Backup User\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data\backup02.log =====================<BEGIN NTBACKUP LOG FILE>===================== =======================<END NTBACKUP LOG FILE>===================== NTBackup finished the backup with errors. For more information about failed backups, see the article on troubleshooting your backup at the following Web page: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=18414 Backup ended at 12 October 2010 16:00 Backup Runner finished. I noticed that after I restart the server, performing a NTBackup works fine (I tried this twice) but if I manually do it again afterwards it would fail. If I leave the schedule task to perform the backup at 6pm, it will fail. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, First of all it's not recommended to backup Exchange and Data/System State in a single job, Instead of the current job, Create 3 separate jobs for Exchange / System State / Data. Then let them run -sequentially- , and feed us back aboutthe result.Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/

Thanks for the reply ... Can I ask why it would be better to create 3 separate jobs? So would the 3 separate jobs be, 'System State', 'C:\ & G:\' & 'First Storage Group'? Thank you

Hi, because it simplify the restore process, morever in your case, it will help identify which component generate the error. and yes, you are right: 'System State', 'C:\ & G:\' & 'First Storage Group' Another thing I can't help but noticing... the nested exclusions in the .bks file are questionable (F:\ /Exclude AND F:\Backup\Backup Files\ /Exclude), I beleive that NTBackup don't work with nested selection/exclusion!Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/

The F:/ only has the backups in 'F:\Backup\Backup Files\' and nothing else ... I think 'F:\ /Exclude' is not needed. How do I set the jobs to schedule one after the other in NTBackup? Thanks.

Hi, First of all it's not recommended to backup Exchange and Data/System State in a single job, Instead of the current job, Create 3 separate jobs for Exchange / System State / Data. Then let them run -sequentially- , and feed us back aboutthe result.Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/

Hi, because it simplify the restore process, morever in your case, it will help identify which component generate the error. and yes, you are right: 'System State', 'C:\ & G:\' & 'First Storage Group' Another thing I can't help but noticing... the nested exclusions in the .bks file are questionable (F:\ /Exclude AND F:\Backup\Backup Files\ /Exclude), I beleive that NTBackup don't work with nested selection/exclusion!Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/

From NTBackup natively you can't, but you can do a batch like this: 1- use NTBackup to create the 3 backup jobs and schedule them (any dummy schedule.) 2- go to the Windows Tasks, and disable the 3 created schedule jobes. 3- for each one of the 3 jobs, open the proberities of the schedule job, and in the RUN field you will find a long command started with: C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntbackup.exe backup "@........ 4- Create a batch file with the 3 commands (each command ina separate line) you brought from the 3 schedule tasks. 5- Create a new schedule task to run this batch with enough privilage, and in the day(s)/Time you want the backup to start. Good Luck.Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/

Thank you for the advice ... I'll give it a go and report on the results!

From NTBackup natively you can't, but you can do a batch like this: 1- use NTBackup to create the 3 backup jobs and schedule them (any dummy schedule.) 2- go to the Windows Tasks, and disable the 3 created schedule jobes. 3- for each one of the 3 jobs, open the proberities of the schedule job, and in the RUN field you will find a long command started with: C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntbackup.exe backup "@........ 4- Create a batch file with the 3 commands (each command ina separate line) you brought from the 3 schedule tasks. 5- Create a new schedule task to run this batch with enough privilage, and in the day(s)/Time you want the backup to start. Good Luck.Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/

I haven't had the chance to start the new backup process yet but noticed something from old backup which might help with resolving the problem. In the 'Restore and Manage Media' tab within NTBackup, I located the latest back up and there is an exclamation mark next to 'Mailbox Store (SERVER) within 'SERVER\Microsoft Information Store\First Storage Group'. When I click on 'Mailbox Store (SERVER), it just comes up with 'No entries found. 'C:\ & G:\' seemed to have backed up fine as I can view the files within the backup. Any suggestions on why the first storage group is not backing up properly? NOTE: I also noticed within 'C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\MDBDATA', there is 569 E0006XXX.log files all 5120Kb ranging between 04/10/2010 - 14/10/2010.

Full sucessful backup should have deleted log files. increasing diagnostic logging might help esm\server\servname diag logging \msexchangeis\system \exchange backup restore & vss

Right I see ... Should I repair the First Storage Group? If so, how do I go abouts in repairing it? Where is the saved location of the First Storage Group? Thanks again.

Sorry for late, I had some issues in my work Exchange the past days :) I suggest you follow Khoj suggestion in increasing the diagnostic logging level, and when a backup fail, there should be more clearer logs. For now I see no need to repair anything, because we are not sure where is the problem yet. Note: Storage group log paths can be found by examining the prosperities of the storage group in the ESM. Databases EDB and STM files paths could be found by examining the prosperities of the Databases inside the storage group in the ESM.Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/

Sorry for late, I had some issues in my work Exchange the past days :) I suggest you follow Khoj suggestion in increasing the diagnostic logging level, and when a backup fail, there should be more clearer logs. For now I see no need to repair anything, because we are not sure where is the problem yet. Note: Storage group log paths can be found by examining the prosperities of the storage group in the ESM. Databases EDB and STM files paths could be found by examining the prosperities of the Databases inside the storage group in the ESM.Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/

If you're scheduling the backup at a later time, make sure you disconnect from the server. Give that a try.