Hi

We have a Windows 2012 server with Exchange 2013, all is working fine except now i am getting issues with the backup.

'Exchange - The application will not be available for recovery from this backup. the consistency check failed for the component Microsoft Exchange Server'

I have checked the database all is fine, i have created a new db and move all mailbox;s over and then removed the old db, i have enabled circular logging and then disabled it, it seems no matter what i do i cannot get a full backup!

i did have to restore the server once and the backups still worked for about 4 days after that and then stopped, i have also tried to remove and re add the backup role!

i am stumped, any advice would be great!

Hi bluelights,

Is this a standalone Exchange server or a DAG member?

If possible, please create a new database(on a dedicated driver), then do a full backup immidiately, does it work?

"I have checked the database all is fine, i have created a new db and move all mailbox;s over and then removed the old db, i have enabled circular logging and then disabled it"

Could you please dismount the database and move transcation logs to another driver, then mount the database and do a full backup again?

"i did have to restore the server once and the backups still worked for about 4 days after that and then stopped"

Could you please provide detailed information about the error? What's stopped?

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Hi Frank.Wang

Thanks for your reply, yes it is a standalone server, i did try to make a new db on the c: and move the mailboxs and tried a backup straight away but it still failed!

i will try to  move the transaction logs tonight and try a backup! but i doubt it will work because i removed them with circular logging and then tried a backup straight away, i have also tried different backup destinations.

about 2 months ago, i messed something up on the server and did a complete restore to the day before, all restored fine and the backups continued to work for about 4 days after, and for the last 2 weeks just always exchange backup failing... also the backup error logs are empty for some reason, but i can tell you the event id's if that helps?

Log Name:      Application
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Backup
Date:          17/01/2013 17:15:05
Event ID:      565
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      NERDS-DC01.nerds.local
Description:
The consistency check for the component '4843b37c-7b3c-42b2-8b57-1393615c2c15'\'Microsoft Exchange Server\Microsoft Information Store\NERDS-DC01' has failed. The application 'Exchange' will not be available in the backup created at '2013-01-17T17:14:43.298421300Z'. Review the event details for information about consistency check issues.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Backup" Guid="{1DB28F2E-8F80-4027-8C5A-A11F7F10F62D}" />
    <EventID>565</EventID>
    <Version>0</Version>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Opcode>0</Opcode>
    <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-01-17T17:15:05.116139800Z" />
    <EventRecordID>247159</EventRecordID>
    <Correlation />
    <Execution ProcessID="16744" ThreadID="15916" />
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>NERDS-DC01.nerds.local</Computer>
    <Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data Name="ComponentName">4843b37c-7b3c-42b2-8b57-1393615c2c15</Data>
    <Data Name="LogicalPath">Microsoft Exchange Server\Microsoft Information Store\NERDS-DC01</Data>
    <Data Name="ApplicationId">Exchange</Data>
    <Data Name="BackupTime">2013-01-17T17:14:43.298421300Z</Data>
    <Data Name="WriterId">{76FE1AC4-15F7-4BCD-987E-8E1ACB462FB7}</Data>
    <Data Name="ErrorCode">2155479041</Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

• Edited by bluelights Friday, January 18, 2013 1:38 PM

i did try to make a new db on the c: and move the mailboxs and tried a backup straight away but it still failed!

Hi bluelights,

As backups taken with Windows Server Backup occur at the volume level, could you please create the test database on a dedicated driver again? And this time please don't move the mailbox into it(or please don't enable the circular logging if you want to enable it), you can create a test mailbox into it or just backup the new database.

Using Windows Server Backup to Back Up and Restore Exchange Data

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876851.aspx

For more information about Exchange Circular Logging and VSS Backups:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2010/08/18/3410672.aspx

Hi

Ok, i created a test db and tried to back it up right away, it failed, i did not add any mailbox's to it either. i got quite a few events in the windows logs, as well as the same event above i got the following:

Log Name:      Application
Source:        MSExchangeRepl
Date:          21/01/2013 10:16:30
Event ID:      2038
Task Category: Exchange VSS Writer
Level:         Warning
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      NERDS-DC01.nerds.local
Description:
Microsoft Exchange VSS Writer backup failed. No log files were truncated. Instance 75754d0d-8dfe-4909-8beb-5a4f824254a9. Database 4843b37c-7b3c-42b2-8b57-1393615c2c15.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="MSExchangeRepl" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="32772">2038</EventID>
    <Level>3</Level>
    <Task>2</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-01-21T10:16:30.000000000Z" />
    <EventRecordID>261645</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>NERDS-DC01.nerds.local</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>75754d0d-8dfe-4909-8beb-5a4f824254a9</Data>
    <Data>4843b37c-7b3c-42b2-8b57-1393615c2c15</Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

AND

Log Name:      Application
Source:        MSExchangeRepl
Date:          21/01/2013 10:16:30
Event ID:      2038
Task Category: Exchange VSS Writer
Level:         Warning
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      NERDS-DC01.nerds.local
Description:
Microsoft Exchange VSS Writer backup failed. No log files were truncated. Instance 75754d0d-8dfe-4909-8beb-5a4f824254a9. Database db5826f3-1029-4219-ad80-441a0e94537a.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="MSExchangeRepl" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="32772">2038</EventID>
    <Level>3</Level>
    <Task>2</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-01-21T10:16:30.000000000Z" />
    <EventRecordID>261646</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>NERDS-DC01.nerds.local</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>75754d0d-8dfe-4909-8beb-5a4f824254a9</Data>
    <Data>db5826f3-1029-4219-ad80-441a0e94537a</Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

and

Log Name:      Application
Source:        MSExchangeRepl
Date:          21/01/2013 10:16:30
Event ID:      2034
Task Category: Exchange VSS Writer
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      NERDS-DC01.nerds.local
Description:
The Microsoft Exchange Replication service VSS Writer (Instance 75754d0d-8dfe-4909-8beb-5a4f824254a9) failed with error FFFFFFFC when processing the backup completion event.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="MSExchangeRepl" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="49156">2034</EventID>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>2</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-01-21T10:16:30.000000000Z" />
    <EventRecordID>261649</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>NERDS-DC01.nerds.local</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>75754d0d-8dfe-4909-8beb-5a4f824254a9</Data>
    <Data>FFFFFFFC</Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

and

Log Name:      Application
Source:        SPP
Date:          21/01/2013 10:16:30
Event ID:      16389
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      NERDS-DC01.nerds.local
Description:
Writer Microsoft Exchange Writer experienced retryable error during shadow copy creation. Retrying...  More info: .
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="SPP" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="0">16389</EventID>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-01-21T10:16:30.000000000Z" />
    <EventRecordID>261650</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>NERDS-DC01.nerds.local</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>Microsoft Exchange Writer</Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
    <Data>The writer experienced a transient error.  If the backup process is retried, the error may not reoccur. (0x800423F3)</Data>
    <Data>
    </Data>
    <Binary>00000000A5120000981200000000000042BEB7C511CAC619E59C92030000000000000000</Binary>
  </EventData>
</Event>

Description:
Writer Microsoft Exchange Writer experienced retryable error during shadow copy creation. Retrying...

Hi Bulelights,

This is a quick note to let you know that we are performing research on this issue.

Meanwhile, you can try to troubleshoot the VSS backup issue as following blog said:

Troubleshooting Exchange 2007 VSS Backups

http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2008/08/25/3406172.aspx

Thanks for letting me know! i had a look at the article above, but not much joy!

Exchange 2013 introduces a significant change from the VSS writer architecture used in Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2007. These earlier versions of Exchange included two VSS writers: one inside the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service (store.exe) and one inside the Microsoft Exchange Replication service (msexchangerepl.exe). In Exchange, the VSS writer functionality previously found in the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service has been moved to the Microsoft Exchange Replication service. The new writer, which is named Microsoft Exchange Writer, is now used by Exchange-aware VSS-based applications to back up active and passive database copies, and to restore backed up database copies. Although the new writer runs in the Microsoft Exchange Replication service, it requires the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service to be running for the writer to be advertised. As a result, both services are required to back up or restore Exchange databases.

Please check any error related to Microsoft Exchange Replication service,Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.

for more please follow this link

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876874.aspx#FleMaiPro

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd876874.aspx#VSS

@satya11

Yes i know this, i have read pretty much every article with regards to the changes in the VSS in Exchange 2013, those articles still do not help with the backup issue!

I am also having this exact same issue.  I have not found a solution either.

yeh i really hope to find a solution to this asap, i have tried lots but still cannot fix it!

just an update, i added a registry key called EnableVSSWriter and set it to 0 (disabled) and restarted the exchange replication service and i managed to get a successful backup, this is a bit strange though as my server is not a DAG, its all in one, DC/Exchange etc, but it seemed to do the trick! i will monitor the logs a bit closer to see if it works correctly.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\ExchangeServer\v1\Replay\Parameters\EnableVSSWriter

Hope this helps!

Adding this registry key just makes the backup partially successful. It doesn't have any "I totally failed" errors, but it also does not backup Exchange correctly. I see warnings that the VSS Writer for Exchange does not exist and no mention that it backed up Exchange application anywhere in the logs. Also my transaction logs didn't appear to truncate, still have log files with time-stamps from before the backup job ran.

We're already deploying Exchange 2013 in the wild. It would be nice to be able to get successful backups of it. Is there any fix for this problem yet? I don't see any updates for Exch2013 on WSUS yet either.

edit: why did it make my writing so small? lol I can hardly read this... and don't seem to be able to change it!

• Edited by bilbo-baggins Sunday, February 10, 2013 2:33 PM

Adding this registry key just makes the backup partially successful. It doesn't have any "I totally failed" errors, but it also does not backup Exchange correctly. I see warnings that the VSS Writer for Exchange does not exist and no mention that it backed up Exchange application anywhere in the logs. Also my transaction logs didn't appear to truncate, still have log files with time-stamps from before the backup job ran.

We're already deploying Exchange 2013 in the wild. It would be nice to be able to get successful backups of it. Is there any fix for this problem yet? I don't see any updates for Exch2013 on WSUS yet either.

edit: why did it make my writing so small? lol I can hardly read this... and don't seem to be able to change it!

yes, it seems to bypass exhange, so back to square 1 again! urgently need a fix for this.

UPDATE:

as i suspected it was an issue with Exchange 2013, after installing the CU1 update and rebooting the server, the backup ran 100% fine and everything inc exchange backed up correctly.

• Proposed as answer by Martina_MiskovicMVP Thursday, April 04, 2013 10:46 AM

Hey guys I'm getting exactly the same issue. Did anyone find a solution. We are running Exchange 2013 with CU2 on the mailbox/cas server. I have just recently stood up a second CAS and mailbox server although they are currently not being used just yet.

KB 2888315 describes this issue, which I was also experiencing. A fix has been shipped in Cumulative Update 3.

KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2888315

More details:

http://exchangeserverpro.com/exchange-server-2013-database-backup-using-windows-server-backup-completed-warnings/

Same issue for 3 day's now after an offline defragmentation of the Exchange 2013 database.

Since than I am running into:

The Microsoft Exchange Replication Service VSS writer (instance 414ceee2-f361-4ddb-8dc7-36bac81d5dda) failed with error code FFFFFFFC when processing the backup completion event.

I just can't find a solution and before the offline defrag everything worked fine!

Hey folks, I've just installed CU8 and am getting this error. Any ideas around the cause and the solution?