Unregister/remove files from "VSS repository"

[btech]

Hi,

Is there a way to unregister/remove a file from the "VSS repository". TSM is unable to backup a file that is not available (remote location, TSM is running as Local System), which shows up as a warning in the backup report.
I know of diskshadow, used that utility to show the list of files that will be backed up as a part of VSS. But that utility doesn't seem to provide any way to unregister/remove files. Need to remove the faulting file from that list.
How do files end up on that list anyway?

Thanks in advance!
// B //

 

[moon-buddy]

You can try from the node itself:

- Enter CLI: dsmc
- 'help delete backup' for details.

 

[chad_small]

This happened to me and we created a dummy file for the one missing. It's a known issue and if you search the error MS states the easiest way to fix it is to create a dummy file in the location specified. So open up notepad and save a small text file under the same name and location.

 

[btech]

You can try from the node itself:

- Enter CLI: dsmc
- 'help delete backup' for details.

Thank you for your answer! I don't want to delete a file from a backup set. Actually, the file never ends up on backup. When TSM performs it's VSS backup, it throws an error message in dsmerror.log.

2012-11-02 00:39:33 ANS4251W System Writer file '\\localserver\c$\Windows\system32\remoteserver\visma$\visma\business\visma.businesshost.exe': not found.

Localserver is the name of the local server and remote server is a... remote server (doesn't the path look wierd?)

Performing a "list writers detailed" gives me the following output (i have trimmed it to contain only the necessary part, normally the list contain looots of files)

* WRITER "System Writer"
- Writer ID = {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}
- Writer instance ID = {2c5847f1-f9fa-40ad-bd57-4d7e374d7f4e}
- Supports restore events = FALSE
- Writer restore conditions = VSS_WRE_NEVER
- Restore method = VSS_RME_RESTORE_AT_REBOOT_IF_CANNOT_REPLACE
- Requires reboot after restore = TRUE
- Excluded files:
+ Component "System Writer:\System Files"
- Name: System Files
- Logical path:
- Full path: \System Files
- Caption: System Files
- Type: VSS_CT_FILEGROUP [2]
- Is selectable: FALSE
- Is top level: TRUE
- Notify on backup complete: FALSE
- Components:

- File List: Path = \\srv314\visma$\visma\business, Filespec = visma.businesshost.exe

What I want to accomplish is to remove the file from the VSS writer "System Writer" list of files. So far I haven't found out on how to do this :/

 

[btech]

This happened to me and we created a dummy file for the one missing. It's a known issue and if you search the error MS states the easiest way to fix it is to create a dummy file in the location specified. So open up notepad and save a small text file under the same name and location.

Thank you for your reply! The file isn't actually missing, the path is on a remote computer, not sure if it's possible to trick TSM or the OS that the file is local, using a dummy file. As TSM is running under the LocalSystem account, there is no way for TSM to access the remote file as LocalSystem (security). Sure, I could change the user that the TSM services are running as, but I don't need the remote file, so it seems like the wrong approach. I would like to fix the problem at the source. I am not familiar on how VSS works in detail, but I figure that previous to a VSS backup, TSM will ask the OS for files that will be included in a VSS backup (it appears to be different sets for different VSS writers). What I really want to know is how to get that file off the list of VSS files for a specific VSS writer.

 

[balkark]

Try adding these lines to your opt file and see if the error goes away.

SNAPSHOTPROVIDERFS VSS
SNAPSHOTPROVIDERIMAGE VSS
SKIPMISSINGSYSWFILES YES

 

[BrianV]

Couldn't you just add an EXCLUDE for the specific files to the dsm.opt file if you know you don't want that file backed up?

 

[CharlieTSM]

Couldn't you just add an EXCLUDE for the specific files to the dsm.opt file if you know you don't want that file backed up?

Exclude does not work for SYSTEMSTATE, i am still struggling with this, i dont want to create more than 50 dummy files, and also i dont have write permissions in some folders

 

[marclant]

Exclude does not work for SYSTEMSTATE, i am still struggling with this, i dont want to create more than 50 dummy files, and also i dont have write permissions in some folders

If you use SKIPMISSINGSYSWFILES YES, you get a warning instead of an error.

Microsoft do acknowledge the issue: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...s-not-found-in-the-backup-windows-server-2016 , but don't offer a solution other than creating a dummy file.

 

[hogmaster]

You mention that you run the scheduler using the system account as per default (good practice).
the System account is not allowed to backup remote files by default.
Try to define a dedicated backup user on this system (assign backup rights etc) then let this user run the backup services and see if this solves your problem.