Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (Full Version)

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kberling -> Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (11.Apr.2007 7:52:01 PM)

Can someone please help me? I've tried NT backup many times and just invested $1,000 in Acronis Server Backup and I still have the same problem. Half of the time when I run a backup job on the Exchange server which is also the Domain server it completely locks up. I'm running Server 2003 SP1 and Exchange 2003. My PRIV1.EDB file is 9 GB. I think the crash always happens while backing up this file but I'm not sure... since there is no log when the server freezes p

Please HELP!!



jchong -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (11.Apr.2007 9:11:19 PM)

Are you doing a flat file backup or information store backup? Does it lock up in the beginning, middle, end? How is the resources looking during the backup when it starts and runs prior to it locking up? Can you verify that your IS maintenance is also not running concurrently? There is nothing in your event log right before it locks up?


James Chong (MVP)



kberling -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 12:26:15 PM)

I have the same problem when I do a full backup or just the information store. It usually locks up in the middle. The resources seem to be just fine. Right, nothing in the event log so this is really hard to troubleshoot. I've never done a eseutil, I'm wondering if the database is corrupted. I'm not sure what you are referring to "IS Maintenance".



a.grogan -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 1:55:58 PM)

Hiya, what JChong means is that every night (or to a schedule of your choosing) Exchange will run a sequence of events that are designed to keep the information store in good health one of which is the online defrag which reorganises space within the database (but does not shrink it). If the online backup runs at the same time as this period then one or the other can fail (mostly the backup).

You can check your ISMaintenance schedule via the ESM.
If you make use of store policies (under system policies in the ESM) then you will need to check the Database->Maintenance Interval tab

If you do not use system policies you will find the entry under the properties of your database on the Database tab->Maintenance Interval.

Normally if your database is corrupted you will see evidence in the Application Event Log, however if the backup is crashing out prior to writing the entry then that does not help.

You could look at an ISINTEG prior to and ESEUTIL test, but these tools should not be used lightly.

Just out of curiosity how old are your tapes and how long has it been since the tape heads were cleaned?

If you needs further assistance please post back.

A



kberling -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 2:24:26 PM)

Thanks for the responses. I checked the maintenance interval and it is set to run daily from 1am to 5am. This doesn't matter through since I run my backups sometimes in the middle of the day to image the drive and it still locks up. It locks up when I backup to my new backup drive or any other device. Sometimes it locks up over night when I'm not even doing a backup.

The server locked up again last night so I looked at the logs, looks like it locked up immediately after online defragmentation. This happens alot.

Do you think running ISINTEG or ESEUTIL would help in this case? I've never ran these before and I'm a little apprehensive not knowing all the consequences. Can these be run while the database is online or must it be offline?

Thank you for any help. I really appreciate it!!



uemurad -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 2:51:02 PM)

I'd like to hear more about the "locking up".  What do you do to resolve?  Cold boot?

When it happens, what do you see if you attempt to connect with Outlook?  What about OWA?  What about telnet via port 25?  Ping?  Terminal Service (Remote Desktop)?

What else is running on your Exchange server?

Just to humor me, before you leave for the evening, open a Terminal Service session to the server and leave it open with Task Manager running.  After your "lock up" happens, see if the session is still accessible.  If so, does Task Manager provide any insight?



a.grogan -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 2:55:46 PM)

ESEUTIL and ISINTEG are options, however as UEMURAD points out there are some other things to look at before we (you) should use them.
Could you get the info that UEMURAD has suggested, and also do you know how old the backup tapes are and when the tape drive heads were last cleaned - I have seen this freeze backups 50% or more of th eway through.

Thanks



kberling -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 3:00:50 PM)

What I mean by locking up is the system is completely unresponsive so I have to cold boot by pressing the reset button on the front of the server. When it locks up you can't connect to Outlook, OWA or even get out on the www. The same server is the domain controller so everything goes down. I'm not actually using backup tapes, I'm using a GoVault drive cartridge... regardless the freezing up happens when I backup to the drive cartridge, local hard drive or just in the middle of the night when I'm not backing up.

I'll try leaving a Terminal service running but I doubt I'll be able to connect to it the next morning after it freezes up.



a.grogan -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 3:06:25 PM)

Thanks for clearing that up, that also answers the tape question.
Just out of curiosity, Did you say that the Exchange Server is also the Domain Controller - also how much memory does it have, and whilst doing the backups do you choose to backup the system state.



uemurad -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 3:09:42 PM)

Thanks for answering the questions.  Besides being the DC and Exchange server, what else is running on this server?  A Virus scanner?  NTBackup?  A disk defragmenter?  Is it being used for file sharing (e.g. user folders)?  Is there another DC in your environment?  Is this an SBS system?

It's possible that the lockups are not Exchange related, but I'd still recommend running the ExBPA.  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/downloads/2003/tools.mspx



kberling -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 3:11:41 PM)

It is also the domain controller with 3.25 GB of RAM.

I've had the same problem when just backing up Information Store or if I backup everything... or in the middle of the night when no backup is running occassinally. Now that I think about it, it has frozen over night every week for 3 weeks, always on Wednesday nights. Kinda odd. This one has been very hard to troubleshoot.



a.grogan -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 3:15:20 PM)

ok there are a couple of other things to consider, but I am concious that between myself and UEMURAD we are over loading you, so I agree thanks for the answers.

A Couple more things to consider;

1. Do you use a program like GSE Group Shield - if so disable it for a night or so.
2. Consider running either a memory testing tool, or SWAP out some of the Modules from the server - it could be dodgy RAM.

A



uemurad -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 3:24:17 PM)

I agree (and sympathize) that Andy and I are probably overwhelming you with stuff.  Always happening on Wednesday is a curiosity.  In addition to what Andy has said, I'd take a look at your Add/Remove programs list just to remind yourself what is on it.  Perhaps that will jog something in your mind.

This is a longer-range issue (and a rhetorical question), but are you entertaining the thought of isolating Exchange on its own hardware?



kberling -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 3:35:56 PM)

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the responses. I don't see anything in add/remove programs that sticks out. Standard MS stuff. Interesting thought to isolate Exchange, haven't thought of it but it's an option with a lot of work.

No group shield, not a SBS, just 2003 Server.
I did run the ExBPA amd received an error:
'SystemPages' set too high. Currently set to 798720



a.grogan -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 4:08:30 PM)

What I will do is check back on the post tomorrow, UEMURAD is fab and experienced and his suggestion of isolating Exchange is, in many respects the way forward for you ultimatley - Exchange and DC together never really mix.
Have a look at the RAM situation though, and if you require anything further I and others will be around!.



jchong -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 5:16:43 PM)

Try running a backup from a different server (non exchange) We can certainly test out your theory of corrupted db or maybe some corrupted binaries on your exchange box that is causing the backup process to hang.

How can I backup my Exchange 2000/2003 server from a non-Exchange Windows 2000/2003 server?
http://www.petri.co.il/backup_exchange_from_non_exchange_server.htm


XADM: Troubleshooting a Remote Online Backup of Exchange 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/275676


James Chong (MVP)
MCSE | M+, S+, MCTS, Security+
msexchangetips.blogspot.com



kberling -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (12.Apr.2007 5:43:11 PM)

Thanks for the suggestion. I followed the instructions to modify the registry and copy the dll file but I don't get the same options illistrated in the article.

Can someone tell me a safe way to check the integrity of my database and is it possible to do that while the database is online or must I dismount the database first? Thank you

I'm going to try the Memory diagnostic tool soon outside business hours.



jchong -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (13.Apr.2007 10:30:52 AM)

You will need to run eseuitl \k which will perform a checksum operation on your Exchange DB. It will look for corrupted\damaged pages. Your store will need to be dismounted.

Before you even do this, are you running enterprise edition? If so, create a new db and try backing up this new db. This way we can tell if it's a DB issue or something else.


How to Run Eseutil /K in Checksum Mode
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124581.aspx.


Also what options are you not getting when following the remote backup article?


James Chong (MVP)
MCSE | M+, S+, MCTS, Security+
msexchangetips.blogspot.com








kberling -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (13.Apr.2007 11:18:13 AM)

Great, I will run this utility after hours on Monday as well as the memory diagnostics that another member suggested. Can't take the system offline until then.

The operating system is a 2003 Enterprise system nothing about Exchange says Enterprise. That's a good idea, I'll have to figure out how to create another database.

The NT backup isn't giving me the option for Remote Store. I edited copied the dll file and edited the registry but it didn't work. I'll have to try it again.



uemurad -> RE: Exchange Freezes Up During Backup? (13.Apr.2007 11:30:36 AM)

To determine whether a server has Exchange Standard or Enterprise, open the ESM, drill down and point to "Servers" in the left pane.  The right pane will then display each of the servers with information including the Edition.



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