Failure to take quiesced snapshot due to SQL Server Writer error

Products

• VMware vCenter Server 8.0
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

Issue/Introduction

• The Guest OS is deployed as Windows Server including SQL Server.
  
  
• When taking a snapshot with "Quiesce guest file system(requies VM tools)", it fails with error.
  
  
• If this error occurs, the following logs is outputted. 
  

  ESXi /var/run/log/hostd.log: 

   VssSyncStart failed with Error Code 0x80042301.

  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.sssZ verbose hostd[2100777] [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM/VM.vmx opID=
  m3gypaax-1612279-auto-yk1k-h5:70321556-e3-01-01-11-8627] Handling vmx message 875972893: The guest OS has reported an error during quiescing.
  --> The error code was: 5
  --> The error message was: 'VssSyncStart' operation failed: IDispatch error #8449 (0x80042301)
  -->
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.sssZ info hostd[2100777] [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.ha-eventmgr opID=m3gypaax-1612279-auto-yk1k-h5:70321556-e3-01-01-11-8627] Event 25
  02829 : Warning message on VM on XXXXX in ha-datacenter: The guest OS has reported an error during quiescing. The error code was: 5 The error mess
  age was: 'VssSyncStart' operation failed: IDispatch error #8449 (0x80042301)
  

  At Guest OS (Windows Server) :

   'SqlServerWriter' failed with Non-retryable error.

  C:\Windows\system32>vssadmin list writers
   :
  Writer name: 'Task Scheduler Writer'
     Writer Id: {d61d61c8-d73a-4eee-8cdd-f6f9786b7124}
     Writer Instance Id: {1bddd48e-5052-49db-9b07-b96f96727e6b}
     State: [1] Stable
     Last error: No error
   :
  Writer name:  'SqlServerWriter'
     Writer Id: : {a65faa63-5ea8-4ebc-9dbd-a0c4db26912a}
     Writer Instance Id: {7ac68562-4888-4957-b8c0-9e92a5e22c0a}
     State: [8] : Failed
     Last error: Non-retryable error
  

    Application Event log of Windows, the following VSS and SQLWRITER error is recorded:

  Event[1]:
  Log Name: Application 
  Source: SQLWRITER 
  Date: [Timestamp] 
  Event ID: 24583 
  Task: N/A 
  Level: Error 
  Opcode: Info 
  Keyword: Classic
  User: N/A 
  User Name: N/A 
  Computer: Computer Name
  Description: Sqllib error: OLEDB Error encountered calling ICommandText::Execute. hr = 0x80040e14. 
  SQLSTATE: 42000, Native Error: 3013 Error state: 1, Severity: 16 
  Source: Microsoft SQL Server Native Client 11.0 Error message: BACKUP DATABASE is terminating abnormally.
  
  Event[21]: 
  Log Name: Application 
  Source: VSS Date: [Timestamp] 
  Event ID: 8229
  Task: N/A Level: Warning 
  Opcode: Info
  Keyword: Classic
  User: N/A 
  User Name: N/A 
  Computer: Computer Name 
  Description: Error 0x800423f4, 
  The writer experienced a non-transient error. 
  If the backup process is retried, the error is likely to reoccur.
  

 

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.x

Cause

VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) writers are engaged when taking a snapshot of a Windows VM with quiescing enabled. If the SQL Writer fails during the snapshot process, the VSS operation will fail with error 0x80042301, causing the snapshot to fail."

Resolution

It is recommended that Microsoft Support be contacted to analyze the VSS writer errors, with a particular focus on the SQLWriter failure. Additionally, please use the "vss admin list writers" command to ensure that no other VSS writers are in an error state.

Additional Information

SQL Server Writer エラーにより静止点付きスナップショットの取得に失敗する (421599) (Japanese)