Retrospect is crashing my server

[JoeJones]

I'm running Server 2000 and 6.5.336 multi server.

I'm backing up to a external USB 2.0 drive with a Seagate 200GB drive in it .

 

Every time the back up runs it crashes the server.

I've upgraded to 6.5 from 6 and It still crashes.

 

 

I really need help here, Sept 1 is the last tiime it run with succsess.

 

 

Joe

[Mayoff]

What do you mean by crash? Do you get an error?

 

The current version is 6.5.350. You should download the update.

[JoeJones]

By crash I mean unexpected shutdown of the server

[bmenking]

I am experiencing the same problem as joe@sticks.

 

I have the Retrospect 6.5.136 client installed on a Window 2000 Server with SP3.

When the backup server (running 6.5.350 multiserver w/ 5.4.110 driver update) attempts to perform a remote backup on the 2000 Server, the 2000 server blue screens and reboots.

 

The 2000 server used to backup just fine (since Oct 23).

 

In the operations log it shows that it connects to the server, resolves container

volumes, lists each volume and then display the error:

 

Can't use Open File Backup option for Drive C (C:) on TABLEROCK, error -519 (network communication failed)

 

At that point the 2000 server blue screens.

 

Is there any way to resolve this issue?

 

Thanks!

[natew]

Hi

 

If you disable the open file backup option in your script will the client still blue screen and reboot?

 

Thanks

Nate

[JoeJones]

I don't have the open file back up

[bmenking]

I'll disable Open File Backup on Monday. Thx Nate!

[JoeJones]

I broke up my back up set into smaller ones, and finally got them all to run. While just doing an incremental backup, almost finished with the compare and it crashes.

 

 

Event viewer

 

The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x0000001e (0xc0000005, 0x8041dfdb, 0x00000000, 0x00000008). Microsoft Windows 2000 [v15.2195]. A dump was saved in: C:\WINNT\Minidump\Mini112304-01.dmp.

 

The previous system shutdown at 1:49:28 PM on 11/23/2004 was unexpected.

 

 

 

Retrospect Event Error

 

Execution terminated unexpectedly, possibly due to a power failure or system crash.

 

 

help

Joe

[JoeJones]

I also updated to 6.5.350

[JoeJones]

could the fact that my write performance is 40-75 MB/min have something to do with it?

[fchasseux]

I don't understant where you found the retrospect version you're talking about.

 

I have on my windows 2000 server the version 6.5.342 of retrospect Single Server. I get this using the "?" sign in retrospect.

But in fact, the install application is called "retrospect 6.5.350 installer" And the date of this package is 2004-4-19

 

I have download the driver update and I hope it will solve my crash problem... blue screen when the backup start but it don't happen's every day. Just sometimes...

[natew]

Hi Joe@sticks

 

The write performance is a good indication that something is wrong. I've seen some wierd problems with USB2 in the past. Is this a built in USB2 card or is it one you added? Are there new drivers available from the manufacturer?

 

Thanks

Nate

[bradyadams]

I have been having this exact same problem. It happens about every other day. There is no rhyme or reason when this happens. I believe part of it might be an overloading of the PCI bus. I have 2x Ultra 320 SCSI cards powering 4x LTO2 tape drives and a fiber gigabit ethernet interface. However, this is all on a 32-bit PCI bus. Perhaps getting a 64-bit PCI system or even PCI-X (not PCI Express) may help?

 

Anyway, I didn't want to hijack the thread. I wanted to add my similar experience to the list so a fix can be found.

 

Thanks.

 

Quote:

---

I broke up my back up set into smaller ones, and finally got them all to run. While just doing an incremental backup, almost finished with the compare and it crashes.

 

 

Event viewer

 

The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x0000001e (0xc0000005, 0x8041dfdb, 0x00000000, 0x00000008). Microsoft Windows 2000 [v15.2195]. A dump was saved in: C:\WINNT\Minidump\Mini112304-01.dmp.

 

The previous system shutdown at 1:49:28 PM on 11/23/2004 was unexpected.

 

 

 

Retrospect Event Error

 

Execution terminated unexpectedly, possibly due to a power failure or system crash.

 

 

help

Joe

 

---

[bmenking]

Ok, looks like turning off "Backup Open Files" keeps the backup from crashing.

 

Here's the really bad part. I have multiple servers that get backed up in a script. If I turn open file backup "off" in the script, then none of the servers get an open file backup! Not a good thing at all.

 

And I really want to avoid the hassle of putting this server on it's own backup script.

 

I would happy to send system information and/or the memory dump.

 

...

[natew]

Hi Ben,

 

To clarify, does the client machine crash or does the backup server crash when you use open file backup?

 

I would uninstall, reboot and resinstall the client app for starters. It sounds to me that the open file backup module (roff.sys) on the client machine is damaged.

 

If you select a custom install you can choose　to not install the open file option on the client machine. That way you can leave open file turned on for your other machines.

 

Thanks

Nate

[bmenking]

The client machine is crashing. I've tried uninstalling, rebooting, and reinstalling to no avail.

 

I'll try uninstalling and reinstalling with a custom install to see if that works.

 

Would still like to figure out the problem instead of bandaiding over it...

 

Ben

[natew]

Hi

 

Agreed. Band aids are lame.

 

The open file module works by reserving a portion of each volume to track writes. I would guess the blue screen is happening when Retrospect is trying to set up that space on disk.

 

There are a lot of potential causes, corrupt setions on the disk, corrupt drivers, memory problems, software conflicts etc. Have you run any diags on the problem client? How much free space is available on the disks?

 

Are there any other open file managers on that machine?

 

Thanks

Nate

[bmenking]

I can't find any other open file managers on the machine. I know \/eritas was used at this location at one time, but I cannot find any evidence of it on this machine (thankfully).

 

I uninstalled, rebooted, and installed the retrospect client again, but it did not give me the custom install option. Can I just delete the roff.sys file to prevent open file backups on this machine?

 

I'll run a memory diag and other stuff on that machine and see what it returns. It's been a very stable machine otherwise.

 

But in spite of what other might take as complaining, I highly recommend retrospect. I work with a mixed network of Mac, Windows, and Linux workstations/servers and being able to backup every machine (proactive backups for workstations rock!!) on one tape library has been invaluable and was certainly worth the money.

 

Keep up the excellent work.

[natew]

Hi Ben,

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

 

Deleting the ROFF.sys file is fine. Its in WINNT/system32/drivers

My apologies for the confusion regarding the client installer. That must have been an earlier client version.

 

Let us know what you find on this machine.

 

Thanks

Nate

[AuditMaster]

Probably too late now, but I have found that if I let scheduled backups of the Exchange server start when the system console is logged off then the system hangs in exactly the way you describe. If, however, you leave the administrator logged on (but perhaps lock the terminal) then scheduled backups work fine. I have posted a query about this, but have yet to hear anything.

 

Stuart