SQL agent problems

[stevken]

Guys I am at my wits end with this problem.

We have Arcserve 11.1 and SQL agent latest version installed on a seperate SQL server but try as I might, I cannot get a back up from it. There are two instances of SQL on the server and one backs up perfectly but the other does not. I have tried using windows authentication and sql but to no avail.

I have set backup agent service to run as local sys, loacal admin and domain admin but this did not help. I get different errors every time I try to make changes or use different security settings. Here are some of the logs:--

Job No....................... 2
Job ID....................... 143
Workstation.................. DXXXXMSSQL01
Source....................... dbasql@CASEMAN\ElectronicRegister
Target....................... 11/02/05 11:29 AM, ID B2BE, Sequence #1
Session...................... 6
Start Time................... 11/02/05 11:51 AM
Session Method............... Backup Agent - Database (Full)
E8604
Failed to start backup. (DBNAME=ElectronicRegister, EC=DXXXXMSSQL01:[SQL Server] szSqlState = 37000,fNativeError = 3265, errMsg = [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]The login has insufficient authority. Membership of the sysadmin role is required to use VIRTUAL_DEVICE with BACKUP or RESTORE.)
E8604
Failed to start backup. (DBNAME=ElectronicRegister, EC=DXXXXMSSQL01:Backup Agent Error - (73) "SQL Server error. Please check the log file DBASQL.LOG".)
Total Database(s)............ 1
Total Skip(s)................ 0
Total Size (Disk)............ 1 KB
Total Size (DB).............. 0 KB
Total Size (Media)........... 64 KB
Elapsed Time................. 2s
Average Throughput........... 1.87 MB/min
Total Error(s)/Warning(s).... 12/0
Session Status............... Failed


Job No....................... 2
Job ID....................... 143
Workstation.................. DXXXXMSSQL01
Source....................... dbasql@CASEMAN\DASCaseManLive
Target....................... 11/02/05 11:29 AM, ID B2BE, Sequence #1
Session...................... 7
Start Time................... 11/02/05 11:52 AM
Session Method............... Backup Agent - Database (Full)
E8604
Failed to start backup. (DBNAME=DASCaseManLive, EC=DXXXXMSSQL01:[SQL Server] szSqlState = 37000,fNativeError = 3265, errMsg = [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]The login has insufficient authority. Membership of the sysadmin role is required to use VIRTUAL_DEVICE with BACKUP or RESTORE.)
E8604
Failed to start backup. (DBNAME=DASCaseManLive, EC=DXXXXMSSQL01:Backup Agent Error - (73) "SQL Server error. Please check the log file DBASQL.LOG".)
Total Database(s)............ 1
Total Skip(s)................ 0
Total Size (Disk)............ 1 KB
Total Size (DB).............. 0 KB
Total Size (Media)........... 64 KB
Elapsed Time................. 1s
Average Throughput........... 3.75 MB/min
Total Error(s)/Warning(s).... 14/0
Session Status............... Failed


Job No....................... 2
Job ID....................... 143
Workstation.................. DXXXXMSSQL01
Source....................... dbasql@CASEMAN\DASCaseMan
Target....................... 11/02/05 11:29 AM, ID B2BE, Sequence #1
Session...................... 8
Start Time................... 11/02/05 11:52 AM
Session Method............... Backup Agent - Database (Full)

Also a common error is

unable to open file. File=\\servername\d$\mssql\databasename.mdf, ec=sharing violation w304

suicidal

please help

 

[vschumpy]

The answer is in the error message:

"The login has insufficient authority. Membership of the sysadmin role is required to use VIRTUAL_DEVICE with BACKUP or RESTORE.)
"

If you do not manage SQL have your DBA check out the permissions of the account you are attempting to use to backup SQL. As far as I can see this is an SQL permissions problem.

 

[stevken]

The accounts I am using can access the databases from enterprise manager OK. The accounts have dbo permissions.

 

[vschumpy]

Membership of the sysadmin role is required

 

[stevken]

OK tried that but now I get 3404 errors when trying to back up the databases.

Thanks for your patience

 

[vschumpy]

3404 errors in this case mean that you are trying to backup the databases as flat files as well as through the dbagent. By default this shouldn't happen (they should automatically be skipped).

Check the following key on the host server:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ComputerAssociates\BrightStor ARCserve Backup\Base\Task\Backup\SkipDSAFiles

Default is 1.

Set it to 0 to force backup of database files on the local ARCserve server.

It maybe that you have this set to 0.

If this doesn't help - check your patch level on the local and remote servers, it may have been a bug early on, but I don't recall it in this version:

http://supportconnect.ca.com/sc/redir.jsp?reqPage=search&searchID=TEC378656

 

[stevken]

finally sussed it with the help of CA. We have arcserve 11.1 but the agent is 11.5 and they are not compatible. Pity they didnt mention this when it was purchased.

 

[vschumpy]

Agents are often backward compatible, but are NEVER forward compatible. There is a section in the getting started guide on backward compatibility.

 

[stevken]

in this case it is not backward compatible. You would think that a sales person would know this of course

 

[vschumpy]

Sorry, perhaps I wasn't clear in my update - older versions of agents can be backward compatibile with newer versions of a host server, but not the other way around.

It's explained a little better in the FAQ here:

http://supportconnect.ca.com/sc/redir.jsp?reqPage=search&searchID=FAQ337665.

 

[stevken]

ahhh I see what you mean now.

Not to worry. They have agreed to take the later version back and send us with the older version. One this for sure - I will know all the fixes when it finally arrives

Many thanks