AOFA issues

[WCharlier]

I am getting the following message during my backups using AOFA on my main file server:

OFO: Initialization failure on: "\\USLCPDFILNJ03\D:". Advanced Open File Option used: Veritas Volume Snapshot Provider (VSP).
OFO: Volume specified is not snappable. Possible reasons: Not a fixed drive, or contains an active cache file or does not have a valid source or is write protected.

I have found two suggestions on line - making sure that McAfee Virus Scan is not scanning tmp files and configuring the static volume file to go into it's own directory on a volume other than the system volume. The second article also said to set the minimum and maximum sizes to 25% and 50% respectively, and to set the minimum quiet time to 3 seconds. Now, that quiet time setting generates a warning message, but I did it anyway. Bottom line, the problem persists. Does anyone have any further suggestions? I am using BE9 and McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 7.0. I'm really scratching my head on this.

 

[Kopfjager]

AOFO creates a temp file called _bevspcachefile(xx).tmp on each volume you are backing up on a server. Pointing the cache file to a location only works if that location is on a volume that is not being backed up. Otherwise it puts it on the same volume it normally would.
For example:
You are backing up C: and D: but also have a e: volume not being backed up. You can tell it to put the cache file on E: and it will create two files on E: when it snaps C: and D:

If you backup C: and D: and tell it to use the D: drive, it will still put one on C: and one on D:. The volume you point to has to not be in the backup in order for it to work.

As far as the error you are getting, check for that tmp file on your server. If its there and you can delete it, try your backups again and see how they go.
If you can't delete it, then something has a lock on it and will not allow Backup Exec to remove it. You'll have to figure out what it is. Usually it is Virus software although I beleive that Dell servers have something with Power Management that does the same thing.

By the way. The percentages you are using are determined by the amount of data on the volume. So Backup exec will create a initial cache file that is 25% the size of the amount of used space on that volume. You probably want to lower those settings a bit. By default, BE uses 10% as a intitial default (ignore those grayed out numbers when its set to default)

Help that helps.

 

[psmoffett]

I have this problem when backups fail. What worked for me is to stop the BE service on the remote machine and then stop all of the BE services on the machine running the backups. When I restart the services on both machines, the temp file goes away.

 

[justin2000]

make sure the virus scanner is not setup to scan files outgoing, in other words make sure the files are not scanned when they are only opened for read.

You can also try a backup without the virus scanner enabled - probably best to stop the service and then restart it after the backup.

If the above fixes it, change the minimum quiet time back to 5 seconds and see how the backup goes.

--> The volume you point to has to not be in the backup in order for it to work.
This is not true - you can specify drives for the OFO to be on and still back them up.
Also the %'s you specify, they are they the amount of free space on the drive you have specified where you want the OFO file to go, not the % of data to be backed up.

 

[Kopfjager]

Good points on Virus scanning.

But either read what I wrote or at least test what your stating.

I said that to point all the caches to a single location, you have to not be backing it up. If your backing up C: and D: and point D:\AOFO as your location, you will see that temp files will be created on the C: and D:\AOFO. You will not see both files created in D:\AOFO. The only time it will put both cache files in the same location is if the volume is not being backed up during that job.

And go ahead and run a test for the second part. If you select 10% or default. It will create a cache file that is 10% of the used space, Not the free space. Try running a couple tests and you will see this. No matter what the percentage you select, it will reflect used space, not free.

All of the above was verifed using 3 volumes and watching where the files were created and when. And also comparing the sizes. If you want to test yourself and disprove it, please post the results. I will re-run mine tomorrow and post them.

 

[funcrecall12]

Justin and Jager has a good point , better try those solutions,

As per justin, you have to disble or exclude the folder temp on McAfee,virus scanning - its ourgoing,because the anti visus is continually scanning the files and not release it.

The as pre Jager, his solution is good, but what i did is that I just accept the default values ..


Jerry

 

[justin2000]

Kopfjager, this is taken from the 9.0 admin manual..

If you choose not to use the default, then type the percentage of
free space you want Advanced Open File Option to use to create
the static volume and for incremental growth of the backup.

All my testing has shown it to use the % of free disk space.

Also, sorry I misread your post about not including the AOFO directory in the backup.

one more thing, Wcharlier, make sure you are using build 4454 of 9.0, as this has quite a few bug fixes in it to do with AOFO.

 

[slicardie]

Hi guys,

I have a problem like yours. First time I tried to backup a few files, and it worked fine. Next, I tried to backup the full set of files I have to, but for some reason, the backup stopped working. So, I cancelled the Job, and found there was an I/O error. It seemed very strange to me, since the Dell Server is brand new... so I tried again, and the error was OFO (and the tape seemed to get stuck trying to read or write). Today I tried again, and the error was "error reading file data". So, I got desperate and used the Dell Library and Tape Tools, just to check if the tape was defective. In the Read Test, the device failed to read from the tape, there was an inconsistency!. So, I tried the Write/Read test, and it went ok. Next, I tried the Read test, and as expected, it went ok too. I started looking for the topic in the forum before I try to backup again, and saw this thread. It called my attention that I found the cache temp files, and that I can not erase them, even when I did everything stated in this thread about stopping the services and making the exclusions in the antivirus software. What else can I do?? I don't want to try to backup again until I don't see the temp files anymore...

 

[packdragon]

If you can't delete the TMP files, then a reboot can usually remove them. It makes Backup Exec release its hold on them. Reboot the machine that the TMP files are on.

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