Microsoft Exchange Writer Retryable error
Backup Application : backupExec 2012
Exchange : exchange 2010
No dag
Writer name: ‘Microsoft Exchange Writer’
Writer Id: {76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7}
Writer Instance Id: {8f745303-a888-4063-b36f-8c9baf40c5be}
State: [8] Failed
Last error: Retryable error
Log Name: Application
Source: VSS
Date: 6/4/2013 1:53:56 PM
Event ID: 12291
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: xxx
Description:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Error on creating/using the COM+ Writers publisher interface: BackupShutdown [0x8000ffff].
Log Name: Application
Source: VSS
Date: 6/4/2013 1:53:56 PM
Event ID: 8193
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: xxx
Description:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine IMultiInterfaceEventControl::GetSubscriptions.
hr = 0x80010108.
It is very common to encounter the following error message in Veeam Backup when backuping Microsoft Exchange Server
6/18/2018 8:37:38 PM :: VSS: Backup job failed.
Cannot notify writers about the 'BACKUP FINISH' event.
A VSS critical writer has failed. Writer name: [Microsoft Exchange Writer]. Class ID: [{76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7}]. Instance ID: [{5e2cc993-8c98-4f33-98b6-9697ceaecbaf}]. Writer's state: [VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_BACKUP_COMPLETE]. Error code: [0x800423f3]. If you enter «vssadmin list writers», you will see the Microsoft Exchange Writer is in Retryable Error
Writer name: 'Microsoft Exchange Writer'
Writer Id: {76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7}
Writer Instance Id: {5e2cc993-8c98-4f33-98b6-9697ceaecbaf}
State: [12] Failed
Last error: Retryable errorPlease refer to the following steps on how to resolve it without rebooting Exchange Server
1. Move all the Active Mailbox Databases to another Exhange 2013 Server (Assuming you have DAG Cluster configured)
2. Restart Microsoft Exchange Information Store & MS Exchange Mailbox Replication Services
$ActiveServer="EX01"
#Move Mailbox DB
#Good Availability: (when selecting Good Availability, the database will mount automatically as long as you have a copy queue length less than or equal to 6
Move-ActiveMailboxDatabase DB1 -ActivateOnServer $ActiveServer -MountDialOverride:GoodAvailability -Verbose
Move-ActiveMailboxDatabase DB2 -ActivateOnServer $ActiveServer -MountDialOverride:GoodAvailability -Verbose
#Restart the following Exchange Services
Restart-Service -Name MSExchangeIS
Restart-Service -Name MSExchangeMailboxReplication
- Microsoft Exchange Writer should show no error if you check again using “vssadmin list writers”
- You will have to schedule to reboot your Exchange 2013 Server if the steps not helps
Microsoft Exchange Writer Retryable error
Backup Application : backupExec 2012
Exchange : exchange 2010
No dag
Writer name: ‘Microsoft Exchange Writer’
Writer Id: {76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7}
Writer Instance Id: {8f745303-a888-4063-b36f-8c9baf40c5be}
State: [8] Failed
Last error: Retryable error
Log Name: Application
Source: VSS
Date: 6/4/2013 1:53:56 PM
Event ID: 12291
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: xxx
Description:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Error on creating/using the COM+ Writers publisher interface: BackupShutdown [0x8000ffff].
Log Name: Application
Source: VSS
Date: 6/4/2013 1:53:56 PM
Event ID: 8193
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: xxx
Description:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine IMultiInterfaceEventControl::GetSubscriptions.
hr = 0x80010108.
I have an Exchange 2013 running on Server 2012. Our Barracuda Backups are failing and error logs are showing VSS errors with the Microsoft Exchange VSS Writer. The command «vssadmin list writers» produces the following:
Writer name: ‘Microsoft Exchange Writer’
Writer Id: {76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7}
Writer Instance Id: {974240a9-d8c3-405e-8bb6-2454235f5fb7}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: Retryable error
All the other VSS writers are reporting no errors.
The event logs that are related are the following:
Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchangeRepl
Date: 12/8/2014 8:16:06 PM
Event ID: 2034
Task Category: Exchange VSS Writer
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: server
Description:
The Microsoft Exchange Replication service VSS Writer (Instance 44db7767-70bf-4abb-9b58-d0c87df6f05b) failed with error FFFFFFFC when processing the backup completion event.
Any help resolving this is appreciated.
If you are running Exchange 2010 I am pretty sure one way or other you are familiar with Exchange VSS Writer and how it effects your ability to back up your Exchange servers.
When VSS Writer is in Error stage the backup software won’t be able to take successful backup and most likely backup team will open ticket and ask Exchange team to fix the VSS writer so their software can perform the backups.
If you are in large enterprise environment where you have backup team , windows team and Exchange team now you are in the Chicken and egg war as the backup tram will blame on Exchange writer and Exchange team will ask Windows Team to fix the issues (-: and as you can see things will get quite interesting.
As we already know VSS technology has been around quite a bit and third party Vendors are relaying on Microsoft native VSS writer to perform backup functions when it comes to backing up Exchange 2010 Application.
Now before we move forward more let’s make sure we get the basic done.
Exchange Server application will provide two different VSS Writers
|
Writer Name |
Usage |
Utility to see the writers Status |
| Exchange Information Store VSS writer |
Backup of Mounted DB / Active |
Open CMD with Administrator privileges on the Exchange servers issue VSSadmin List Writers ( Command ) |
| Exchange Replication Service VSS writer | Backup of Healthy DB / Passive |
Open CMD with Administrator privileges on the Exchange servers issue VSSadmin List Writers ( Command ) |
Exchange Server application will provide two different VSS Writers
|
Writer Name |
Writer Location |
VSS writer ID |
Usage |
|
Microsoft Exchange Writer Store Writer |
Built into the Exchange Information store ( MSExchangeIS = store.exe ) |
{76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7} |
Store Writer is used by Mounted / Active Databases |
|
Microsoft Exchange Replica Writer |
Build into Replication Service ( MSExchangeRepl = msexchangerepl.exe ) |
{76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7} | The Replication Writer is used by Healthy /Passive Databases |
How to deal with failing VSS Exchange Writer issues ?
The sort and most common answer is going to be re-start the service which the writer is associating with. As you can tell re-starting replication service might be acceptable at most of the work environments as it does not cause any end user disruption. However dealing with IS service is different ball game, even with Exchange 2010 DAG environment, most places will be hesitant to re-start this service ( Failing over to DAG member is for sure valuable option, draining one server and deal with it make sense) .
Another option could be dedicating a Exchange 2010 Server for backup and availability services ( putting activation block , on these servers and deal with them as the issues occur).
Beyond this, my point of view is that, it is real hard to convince the third party vendors to clean up their backup software code and not to cause Exchange writer to fail and keep pointing fingers back and forth. If you been there you would understand what I mean.
Reference
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb204080(v=exchg.140).aspx
Oz Casey, Dedeal
( Exchange Server North America MVP)
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +
http://smtp25.blogspot.com/ (Blog)
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