Backup Troubleshooting

VSS-Troubleshooting Guide

Symptom:
The backup is aborted or completes with errors. VSS errors appear in the logs (e.g., VSS-E-05408 or VSS-E-05591).
VSS errors can manifest in various ways.

Possible causes:

• The VSS components (writer or provider) are being used by another process (e.g., other backup software, concurrent backup jobs).
• The VSS components are not fully installed, are corrupted, or are in an inconsistent state.

Note:
Our backup agent uses only Microsoft VSS components. The agent does not include its own VSS components.
If issues arise within Microsoft VSS, corresponding errors will occur.

Recommended troubleshooting steps:

1. Restart the server
A restart often resolves temporary VSS issues.

2. Install Windows updates
Install all available updates, as they may contain fixes for VSS issues.

3. Check free disk space
At least 15% free space per volume is required for VSS snapshots.

4. Stagger or disable other backup software
Ensure that backups from other software (e.g., Acronis, Backup Exec, Windows Server Backup) run at times clearly separated from our backup process.
Alternatively, disable third-party backup software for testing purposes.

5. Check backup schedule
Ensure that multiple backup jobs do not run simultaneously, as parallel jobs compete for VSS components.

6. Adjust shadow storage size limit
Only modify the shadow storage if you are certain that other software (e.g., Windows Server Backup) does not rely on VSS:

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=<drive letter:> /on=<drive letter:> /maxsize=10GB

Example:

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=C: /on=C: /maxsize=10GB

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=D: /on=D: /maxsize=10GB

7. Delete old VSS snapshots
Only delete old VSS snapshots if they are not required by other services:

vssadmin delete shadows /all

8. Check VSS writer status
Check whether all relevant writers are present (the "System Writer" is occasionally missing) and whether the status for each is "Stable - Last error: No error":

vssadmin list writers

If errors are displayed, check the event logs (see step 9) specifically for these writer names.

9. Analyze Windows Event Log
Examine the Windows Event Log (Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application and System), focusing on the time period when the backup failure occurred. Search online for the Event IDs found to obtain specific information regarding the cause of the error.

10. Vary backup type (BMR job)
- If a file-level job is currently being used:
Try an image-level job as an alternative. The image plugin is required for this. If the option is missing, install the plugin subsequently via the setup.

- If an image-level job is currently being used:
Try a file-level job as an alternative.

11. Manually create a VSS snapshot (diagnostic test)
On Windows Server operating systems, it is recommended to manually create a VSS snapshot for diagnostic purposes when troubleshooting VSS issues:

vssadmin create shadow /for=C:

If this snapshot cannot be created successfully, it indicates fundamental system-level VSS issues that were not caused by the TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent.

Note:
Successful snapshot creation does not guarantee the absence of VSS issues.
A full BMR backup requires all VSS writers to be functional, whereas volume or file & folder backups do not involve all writers.
Consequently, existing issues may go undetected in such cases.

VSS graphical interface

On Windows Server, you can access the Microsoft Shadow Copy Service via a graphical interface in addition to using PowerShell.
Using this interface, you can, for example:

1. Configure the shadow storage where shadow copies are stored (e.g., define the size)
2. Manually create shadow copies to verify functionality, for instance

You can access the graphical interface via the "Shadow Copies" tab in the volume properties:

Hyper-V VSS Writer exclusion

Symptom:
Backup jobs with the "BMR" option enabled fail on a Hyper-V host due to Microsoft VSS error messages.

Problem:
Only the system partition of a physical Windows Server ("host") with the Hyper-V role enabled is being backed up.
The virtual machines (located on a different partition) are explicitly excluded from the job.
During the backup of drive C:, the backup agent on the host also places the VMs into a "backup in progress" state—meaning it activates VSS functionality.

Cause:
The backup agent merely triggers the Microsoft VSS provider to place the system itself (not "just" the included data) into a consistent state.
At the time the snapshot is created, the operating system does not "know" that only drive C is actually affected.
It is only during the subsequent processing that the agent reads, compresses, encrypts, and transfers—from the VSS snapshot—only the data included in the job.
Based on current information, the Hyper-V VSS writer is responsible for this behavior.

Solution:
Performing a BMR backup of the Hyper-V host is not recommended; you can find a dedicated article on this topic here: Backing up a Hyper-V host.
If you still wish to back up the C partition, please exclude the Hyper-V VSS writer from the backup:

Instructions for excluding the Hyper-V VSS writer:
1. Stop the TERRA CLOUD Backup agent services using PowerShell:

Get-Service -DisplayName "TERRA Cloud Backup*" | Stop-Service

2. You will find the job configuration files (<JobName>.vvc) in the installation directory.
Example:

• "BMR.vvc".
  

Create a copy of the job file, e.g., named "BMR.vvc.backup".
Edit the job file "BMR.vvc" and add the following section to the end:

VSSWriterBackup001 {
Name = Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer
InstName =
ID = 66841cd4-6ded-4f4b-8f17-fd23f8ddc3de
Include = ".\*"
Options = 4
}

If a cluster is involved, there is likely also a writer for the Cluster Shared Volumes on the system (you can identify this using `vssadmin list writers`).
If this is the case, this writer should also be excluded:

VSSWriterBackup002 {
Name = Cluster Shared Volume VSS Writer
InstName =
ID = 1072ae1c-e5a7-4ea1-9e4a-6f7964656570
Include = ".\*"
Options = 4
}

3. Start the TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent services using PowerShell:

Get-Service -DisplayName "TERRA Cloud Backup*" | Start-Service

4. Run a backup

5. If the backup was unsuccessful or the problem persists, please restore the previously saved job configuration file.

VSS -E-05600 - System Writer missing - BMR not available

Error Symptom:
You receive the following error message in the log file:
VSS -E-05600 System Writer components – required writer missing (Writer ID E8132975-6F93-4464-A53E-1050253AE220)

Additionally, BMR is unavailable in the backup selection of your backup job:

The Microsoft VSS System Writer also does not appear in the list of writers.
You can view the VSS writers using either PowerShell or CMD with the following command:

vssadmin list writers

Cause:
The causes for a missing System Writer can vary widely; therefore, each case must be examined individually.
Please note that a functional Microsoft VSS service is a prerequisite for all application-consistent backups via TERRA CLOUD Backup.
Fundamentally, this error symptom is an issue with the operating system itself, not with the backup agent.

Recommended actions:
Before you begin troubleshooting the System VSS Writer, it is advisable to check the recommendations in the following article:
A network share causes a BMR job to fail

Alternatively, here are our recommended troubleshooting steps:

• Please restart the system and check the status of the VSS writers present on the system (using the command `vssadmin list writers`)
• If the writer is still missing, please check the Windows Event Logs for entries corresponding to the time the backup was attempted
• If such entries exist, it is advisable to search online for information regarding the specific Event IDs

Recommended Microsoft article regarding this issue:
Missing System Writer Case Explained

Microsoft error code 0x80070018 in connection with a missing system writer

Error image:
You will find the error code:
0x80070018 VSS Error XML document is too long in the Windows Application Logs.

Recommendation for action:
Please check the following article from Microsoft regarding this error:
VSS Error XML document is too long

A notice:
The System Writer is part of the operating system, so we can only give you recommendations.
Please contact Microsoft Support to resolve the issue.

A network share causes a BMR job to fail

A possible error scenario when processing a BMR job:



A possible error message in the BMR job log file:
VSS -W-08381 Writer System Writer: <STABLE> <FAILED_AT_PREPARE_SNAPSHOT(0x800423f0 - VSS_E_WRITERERROR_INCONSISTENTSNAPSHOT)> <FAILED_AT_PREPARE_SNAPSHOT(0x800423f0 - VSS_E_WRITERERROR_INCONSISTENTSNAPSHOT)>

A possible error message in the Image & File log file:
SV -E-09487 GetVolumeInformationW function failed for \\NETWORK_SHARE\ (Operating system error: The syntax for the file name, directory name, or volume label is incorrect.)

Recommended action:
The System Writer (VSS) responsible for a BMR backup cannot handle network paths. Therefore, you should identify which system-relevant component is pointing to a network path.
This is often a service on the affected system.
You can use the following PowerShell command to check if an existing service points to a network path:

Get-WmiObject win32_service | select Name, PathName

If a \\Path\ is visible in the PathName output, a problematic reference exists.
The following options are available:
1. Ensure that the affected service points to a local path. Our specialist dealers have usually contacted the software manufacturer of the affected service regarding this.
2. Remove the affected service so that a BMR backup becomes possible again.
3. Change the backup set from a BMR backup to a backup of individual files/folders or volumes.

If no \\Path\ is visible in the PathName output, it is recommended to also check the Microsoft VSS Writer details for network paths.
Instructions on how to retrieve these details can be found in the following article:
Retrieving Microsoft VSS Writer details

DISK-E-04205 - Error searching for file GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopyXY\windows\\systemroot\system32\drivers\*

Error Symptom:
DISK-E-04205 Error searching for file GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopyXY\windows\\systemroot\system32\drivers\%NAME%
DISK-E-04101 Operating system message: The syntax for the file name, directory name, or volume label is incorrect.

Cause:
The registry entry or reference points to a non-existent or incorrect path.

Solution:
The path in the registry needs to be adjusted; you can find the relevant reference here:
Computer\HKEY_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\%FILENAME_FROM_ERROR_MESSAGE%

We recommend exporting the relevant entry before making any changes to the registry.
Often, adjusting the entry to the following path is sufficient; however, you may need to verify the existing path and customize the entry accordingly:
%systemroot%\system32\DRIVERS\%FILENAME_FROM_ERROR_MESSAGE%.sys

After the entry has been adjusted, the system must be restarted to apply the change.

VSS -E-05658 VsscBackup::createSnapshotMap 2 internal error

Error Symptom:
You encounter the following error symptoms in the log file:
VSS -W-05408 Error adding volume to snapshot set: Volume <\\?\Volume{GUID}\> <\\?\Volume{GUID}\> (OS error: 0x8004230c VSS_E_VOLUME_NOT_SUPPORTED)
VSS -E-05658 VsscBackup::createSnapshotMap 2 internal error
SV -E-09487 GetVolumeInformationW function failed for Volume{GUID} (OS error: The device is not ready)

Cause:
The Microsoft VSS service cannot create a snapshot for the volume in question because the volume (e.g., a USB drive) is not supported.
This can be caused, for example, by the "Entire Server" option in the backup set of a file-based backup job, as volumes are included in the backup
for which VSS snapshots cannot be created.
In this case, please remove the option from the backup set and add the volumes to be backed up individually.
The issue regarding the "Entire Server" option in conjunction with a file-based job has already been reported to the software manufacturer.

Recommended Action:
Please use the GUID to identify the specific volume involved. You can use the following PowerShell script for this purpose:

Write-host (Please enter the volume GUID (the content within the curly braces))
$GUID = Read-Host
$pattern = "\\?\Volume{GUID}\"
$pattern = $pattern.Replace("GUID", $GUID)
Get-Volume -UniqueId $pattern | Select-Object -Property UniqueId,FileSystemLabel,DriveLetter | Out GridView

DISK-W-08197 File cannot be checked for hard links (reference to folder or file with Chinese symbols/special characters)

Error Scenario:
Two paths are currently known to trigger this warning in the log file:

1. "File cannot be checked for hard links: \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy1\Windows\System32\LogFiles\Sum\无ǽ (OS error (0x2): The system cannot find the file specified)"
   
2. "File cannot be checked for hard links: \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy1\Windows\SysWOW64\诨Ｓ 萏Ì (OS error (0x2): The system cannot find the file specified."
   

Cause:
The operating system cannot check the listed file(s) for hard links due to the presence of Chinese characters or special characters.

Recommended Action:
Please check the advanced agent configuration for the affected agent to see if the option "Log error and continue backup" is selected.
Change the setting if "Log error and terminate backup" is currently selected.
Then, run the backup job again and verify the created safeset by performing a restore test.
The restore test will indicate whether the aforementioned files are required for a functional system, as they are not included in the backup.
After this verification, you can delete the files from the production system.

FAILED_AT_FREEZE - VSS_E_WRITERERROR_TIMEOUT)> 0x800423f2

Error Symptom:
You receive the following error message in the log file:
FAILED_AT_FREEZE(0x800423f2 -VSS_E_WRITERERROR_TIMEOUT)

Cause:
A VSS writer times out while attempting to bring its application into a consistent state.
System performance issues can be a cause of this.

Recommended Action:
Please perform the standard troubleshooting steps for VSS errors.
If the error persists in subsequent backups, we recommend increasing the VSS snapshot timeout.
The following article explains how to increase the timeout:
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/asiasupp/2011/08/01/windows-server-backup-failed-to-backup-with-error-0x81000101/

VSS -E-05408 - VSS_E_UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR

Windows Agent

Error Symptom:
You receive the following error message in the log file immediately after starting the backup:
VSS -E-05408 error adding volume to snapshotset: Volume <\\?\XY}\> <\\?\Volume{XY}\> (OS error: 0x8004230f VSS_E_UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR)

Cause:
The TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent is attempting to use an incorrect VSS provider.

Solution:
Please check which VSS providers are registered on the system by running the following command in CMD or PowerShell:

vssadmin list providers

The TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent must use the Shadow Copy Provider 1.0.

If other VSS providers are present on the system, the following registry key can resolve the issue:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EVault\InfoStage\Agent\UseSystemVSSProvider = 1 (DWORD value 32-bit)

This entry ensures that Shadow Copy Provider 1.0 is used when creating the snapshot for the TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent.
This key must be created manually.

Hyper-V Agent

Error Symptom:
You receive the following error message in the log file immediately after starting the backup:
VSS -E-05408 error adding volume to snapshotset: Volume <\\?\XY}\> <\\?\Volume{XY}\> (OS error: 0x8004230f VSS_E_UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR)[Host1]

Cause:
The TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent is attempting to use an incorrect VSS provider.
Example:


Solution:
1. Determine the provider ID from the output of the following command:

vssadmin list providers

2. Run the Registry Editor:

regedit

3. Back up the affected registry entries.
4. Delete the corresponding registry key from the following path:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Providers

5. Search the registry for the provider ID and remove all existing references.
6. Open Component Services by entering the following command at the command prompt:

dcomcnfg

7. Open Component Services -> Computers -> COM+ Applications and remove the entry for the third-party VSS provider.
8. Then, restart the affected host.

Note:
This adjustment must be performed on each affected host.

VSS -E-05616 - 0x8004231f VSS_E_UNKNOWN

Error Symptom:
You receive the following error message in the log file:
VSS -E-05616 Snapshot could not be created (OS error: 0x8004231f VSS_E_UNKNOWN (OS error (0x8004231F): unknown error code 0x8004231F))

Cause:
This Microsoft error code can be caused by insufficient free space on a volume being backed up or by an undersized shadow copy storage configuration.

Alternative Cause - Windows 11 VDI:
The error can occur on Windows 11 VDI systems hosted in the TERRA CLOUD.
Since our hosts operate with BitLocker enabled, the partitions within the VM are treated as protected.
This causes the backup agent to encounter issues during the backup process.

Recommended Action:

Windows 11 VDI: To resolve this issue, it is recommended to permanently disable BitLocker:

1. Enable BitLocker once within the VM.
2. Disable it again after initialization is complete.
3. Check the status via CMD / PowerShell -> manage-bde -status C:
   

Once the encryption is removed, shadow copies will be created correctly again, and the backup will run reliably.

Ensure that every existing volume has at least 10% free usable capacity. This ensures that the required VSS component can create shadow copies without errors.
Use the following command to check how much shadow copy storage is allocated to the existing volume(s):

vssadmin list shadowstorage

The allocated shadow copy storage can be adjusted using the following command:
vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=<drive letter:> /on=<drive letter:> /maxsize=10GB

Example:

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=c: /on=c: /maxsize=10GB

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=d: /on=d: /maxsize=10GB

If any of the commands report "No results found for the query," there appears to be a configuration issue.
In this case, you should manually check or adjust the shadow copy storage settings:






We recommend setting the value to 10240 MB per affected volume. For larger volumes (2–4 TB), you can increase the value to 20480 MB.
You can also test whether a manual shadow copy can be created:



A functional BMR backup via TERRA CLOUD Backup can only be created if shadow copies can be successfully generated for all volumes.

VSS -W-05408 - 0x80042317 VSS_E_MAXIMUM_NUMBER_OF_SNAPSHOTS_REACHED

Error Symptom:
You receive the following error message in the log file:
VSS -W-05408 Error adding volume to snapshot set: Volume <\\?\Volume{XY}\> <\\?\Volume{XY}\> (OS error: 0x80042317 VSS_E_MAXIMUM_NUMBER_OF_SNAPSHOTS_REACHED)

Cause:
Microsoft VSS allows a maximum of 64 shadow copies on a system.
It is not possible for TERRA CLOUD Backup to request an additional shadow copy; the agent passes on the operating system's message in the log file.

Recommended Action:
Please check how many shadow copies exist on the system; you can do this by entering the following command into the command line with administrative privileges:

vssadmin list shadows

These shadow copies should either be moved to a different shadow copy storage location or deleted.
If another software solution based on Microsoft VSS is being used, ensure that there are no overlaps between the backup windows.

Recommended Microsoft posts about VSS

You can find extensive documentation on the Volume Shadow Copy Service at: Microsoft VSS Documentation

Read details of the Microsoft VSS Writer

Each VSS writer is responsible for a specific area—such as the system state or the registry. The following instructions explain how to identify the directories and folders covered by each writer. This information can be very useful when troubleshooting VSS issues—for example, to locate an .exe file on a network share.
Please note that "Diskshadow" is available only on server operating systems.

Instructions:
1. Open the Command Prompt (CMD) with administrative privileges.
2. Create the directory "C:\temp".
3. Run the following command:

DISKSHADOW /l c:\temp\diskshadow.txt

4. Run the following command:

LIST WRITERS DETAILED

5. You will find the output in the "temp" directory you created.

AFC Logs

AFC stands for Agent Forensic Ccollector, in addition to the backup and restore log files, this tool also collects other important information from a system on which a Windows agent is installed.
These extensive log files are essential for diagnosing many error patterns.

AFC Logs Windows and vSphere Recovery Agent

Download:
You can find the current version of the AFC tool at:
https://backup.terracloud.de/download/afc.exe

You can use the configuration shown in the screenshot below for the tool.
Please use the following link for the upload:
AFC Logfile Upload

Please send a brief confirmation of the upload to TERRA CLOUD Support.

Notes:

1. Please select every available option here.
   
2. The VShadows option is only available on server operating systems.
   
3. The "Upload to SFTP Server" function points to our software vendor's FTP server.
   Therefore, please upload the AFC logs via the link mentioned above instead.
   

AFC Logs Hyper-V Agent

Download:
You can find the current version of the AFC tool here:
https://backup.terracloud.de/download/afc.exe

You can use the configuration shown in the screenshot below for the tool.
Please run the AFC tool on all hosts and the management system.
Please use the following link for the upload:
AFC Logfile Upload

Please send a brief confirmation of the upload to TERRA CLOUD Support.

Notes:

1. The "Upload to SFTP Server" function points to our software vendor's FTP server.
   Therefore, please upload the AFC logs via the link mentioned above instead.
   

AFC Logs Linux Agent

Download:
You can find the current version of the AFC Tool at:
https://backup.terracloud.de/download/AFCforLinux.tar

On most distributions, you can perform the download using the following command:

wget https://backup.terracloud.de/download/AFCforLinux.tar

Collecting log files:

1. Please extract the script using the following command: tar -xf AFCforLinux.tar
   
2. Use the cd command to navigate to the directory where you extracted the script
3. Check your permissions; depending on the distribution, use su or sudo -i
4. Please change the access permissions for the script afc_linux.sh using the command chmod 777 afc_linux.sh
5. Then execute the script using ./afc_linux.sh
6. Follow the instructions in the script and enter your support ticket number; alternatively, you can provide the order number for the backup package
7. Optionally, you can add additional files (e.g., screenshots)
8. Important:
   The "Upload to SFTP Server" function points to our software vendor's FTP server.
   Therefore, please upload the AFC logs via the link mentioned in step 10 instead.
9. You can find the AFC logs in the /tmp/ directory with the filename format “AFC-< ticket_number >-<hostname>-<YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM-SS>.tar[.gz]”
10. AFC Logfile Upload
11. Please send a brief confirmation of the upload to TERRA CLOUD Support

TERRA CLOUD Backup Portal

Computer / Backup Agent is shown as offline since 01.01.0001

Issue:
The computer/backup agent appears as "Offline" in the portal with a status date of 01.01.0001, even though the agent's services are active. The issue presents identically across the various agents (Windows, Linux, Hyper-V, and VMware):

Cause:
The backup agent is unable to communicate with the portal servers (AMP servers) via TCP port 8087. However, registration with the backup portal via TCP port 8086 was successful; otherwise, the system would not appear in the list at all.

Solution:
Please open TCP port 8087 for outbound traffic on the system where the backup agent is installed. Further information can be found under Network Configuration.

Technical problems have occurred. Service will be restored as soon as possible.

Error Scenario:
You receive the following error message when attempting to add a computer to the Vault:

Cause:
The agent cannot communicate with the agent management system via TCP port 8087 (see network configuration); consequently, configuration adjustments cannot be made.

Solution:
Please check the network configuration of the agent system. Restart the agent services after making adjustments. Then, proceed to register the computer with the Vault.

Users can only retrieve their own Vault profiles

Error image:
You receive the following error message when attempting to register a system with the Vault:

Cause:
This error message appears because not all portal servers can yet access this Vault profile.
Distributing the information to all portal components can take up to 5 minutes.

Solution:
Logging in again can speed up this process and thus resolve this error message.

UPDT-E-10320 - Could not upgrade the Agent. The system must be restarted

Issue:
After starting the upgrade process, you receive the following message in the Backup Portal:
You must restart this computer for the changes to the agent software configuration to take effect.

You will find the following error code in the BUAgent log file:
UPDT-E-10320 Could not upgrade the Agent. The system must be restarted

Cause:
A registry key on the system being backed up is preventing the agent update. This key is typically cleared by a restart.

Recommended Action:
Please consult the following article, as the procedure is identical:
Pending Restart

Email notification: Backup not performed - System XY - TERRA CLOUD Backup

Issue Description:
You receive a notification stating that one of your configured backups failed to run, even though a current system backup exists.
The timestamps shown in the notification also do not match the overview in the portal.


Cause:
The last or first day of a month often falls on a weekend or public holiday. For systems that do not operate 24/7, this means that monthly backups are not performed.
Once a backup is missed, the agent records a "MISSED" entry in the system's `Schedule.ran` file (located at `C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\Agent\Schedule.ran`).
The issue is that this entry is only updated by a scheduled backup; an ad-hoc backup is insufficient to update the status.
Upon every system startup, the agent checks the `Schedule.ran` file and sends a notification if a "Missed" status is detected.

Recommended Action:
Our software vendor has been informed of this issue and is already working on a permanent solution.
Unfortunately, we do not yet have specific details regarding the implementation. We will notify you via the newsfeed in the support portal once the issue has been resolved.
In the meantime, you can delete the `Schedule.ran` file (`C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\Agent\Schedule.ran`) to stop the notifications.
The file will be recreated during the agent's next process, so you do not need to monitor the situation further after deleting it.

Email Notification: Enter valid email addresses separated by commas

Issue:
You receive the following error message when configuring an email notification:


Cause:
Until recently, account numbers in the site details were not unique, which is now causing issues in isolated cases.
For example, if you entered a number between 1 and 100—or your Wortmann customer number—as the account number, it is quite possible that this number is already in use by another site.
If an account number is used across multiple sites, errors occur when saving changes.

Recommended Action:
The "Account Number" field for a site currently serves no functional purpose; therefore, the simplest solution is to remove the account number.
Alternatively, you would need to enter an unused account number to allow changes—such as email notification configuration—to be saved.

RSYN-W-07716 Failed to connect to or negotiate backup with alternate vault

Error image:
You will receive the following warning in the log file of a backup:
RSYN-W-07716 Failed to connect to or negotiate backup with alternate vault.
The error pattern looks identical for the different agents (Windows, Linux, Hyper-V and vSphere).

Cause:
The backup agent cannot communicate with the required vaults via TCP port 2546.
This is often the secondary vault (replication partner) or the base vault when using a satellite.

Solution:
Please enable the TCP port 2546 for the vault address(es) specified in the log file (it is best to change the log file from "Only errors and warnings" to "Entire log" and check it).
Further information can be found at: Configuration Network Configuration.

The custom command is deprecated

Error Symptom:
You receive the following error message when attempting to create a custom command:

Cause:
An outdated entry in the agent configuration causes a custom command with the same name to still be recognized as existing.

Solution:
1. Stop the TERRA CLOUD Backup agent services using PowerShell:

Get-Service -DisplayName "TERRA Cloud Backup*" | Stop-Service

2. Open the affected configuration file (C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Agent\Schedule.cfg) and remove all lines referencing the directory "C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Agent\ScheduleScripts".

3. Start the TERRA CLOUD Backup agent services using PowerShell:

Get-Service -DisplayName "TERRA Cloud Backup*" | Start-Service

You should then be able to create the desired custom command.

REST-E-04217 Password incorrect / RSYN-E-09446 See the last SYNCH log file for details

Error message:

REST-E-04217 Incorrect password [VV]

or

RSYN-E-09446 For further details, please refer to the latest SYNCH log file. [VV]

Cause:
After re-registering the backup agent, the previously used encryption password was not stored correctly.
Either the password was forgotten, or an incorrect or mismatched password was entered.

Solution:
Please enter the encryption password used during the initial configuration and restart the process.
Ensure that the entered password matches the original exactly; otherwise, access to the backed-up data will not be possible.

Windows Agent

Windows Agent General

No connection between Agent and Vault

Error Scenario:
The agent could not establish a connection to the Vault. The Vault address, port number, or login credentials may be invalid.

Causes:

• The entered access credentials are incorrect.
• Communication with the affected Vault system is not possible.
• A strict firewall configuration (IPS, proxy, or TLS) is blocking the connection.

The following port must be opened for outbound traffic to enable communication between the agent and the Vault:

• 2546 TCP

Verification:

Windows
You can verify the connection using the following PowerShell command:

Test-NetConnection vault-wmh1-p002.terracloud.de -Port 2546

(Please use the correct Vault address here; refer to the account provisioning email.)

If the operation fails despite the port being open, you should check the access credentials for the affected Vault profile.
To do this, go to the "Sites" tab, select the affected customer site, and edit the existing entry.
Enter the access credentials from the provisioning email exactly as they appear (copying them into Notepad first for safety is recommended).
Strict firewall configurations (IPS, proxy, or TLS) can also prevent the connection from being established, even after the aforementioned preparations.
Always ensure that communication between the agent and the Vault system can take place without obstruction.

Natively protected data amount differs from the actual memory consumption

Issue:
The native protected data volume is displayed incorrectly in the TERRA CLOUD Backup Portal (within job details or reports).

Possible causes:

Unlimited VSS shadow copy storage:
The operating system defines shadow copy storage space for each volume; the maximum size can be set either as a specific value (e.g., 10,240 MB) or as "unlimited."
Please verify that a fixed—and therefore not unlimited—shadow copy storage limit is defined for all volumes.

Discrepancy due to VSS shadow copies:
The size of the created shadow copies is added to the native data volume, as the shadow copy occupies storage space at the time of measurement and backup.
Once the backup is complete, the shadow copies are removed, and the native data volume decreases.
This effect is particularly noticeable when backing up large volumes with low storage utilization.
The software vendor's development team is already working on optimizing the timing of this measurement.

Configuring shadow copy storage:
You can configure the shadow copy storage via the graphical interface.
Alternatively, you can perform the configuration using CMD or PowerShell:
vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=<drive letter:> /on=<drive letter:> /maxsize=10GB

Example:

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=c: /on=c: /maxsize=10GB

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=d: /on=d: /maxsize=10GB

Windows Server Deduplication:
This Windows Server role enables data deduplication on the server. Windows Explorer displays the compressed and deduplicated data set.
However, the backup agent reports the uncompressed original size of the backup set as metadata.
Please use the following PowerShell command to check if the role is installed on the server in question:

Get-WindowsFeature -Name FS-Data-Deduplication

If the role is installed:
Please exclude the "Chunk Store" folder—located within the "System Volume Information" directory—from the backup.
Once the next backup completes, the measured natively protected data volume should be correct again.

Recommendations:
To determine and analyze the storage space used on a volume, we recommend using the free tool TreeSize Free in addition to Windows Explorer.
If the natively protected data volume still differs after the adjustments mentioned above and the task is a file-based job,
you can also try reducing the data volume by excluding the "System Volume Information" folder (one exclusion per system volume).

Backup of removable storage devices using the "Entire Server" job configuration

Issue:
A backup job configured for "Entire Server" includes removable media—such as external USB hard drives or USB flash drives—in the backup.

Cause:
The "DriveType" property for the drives/volumes on the removable media is set to "Fixed," which identifies the storage medium as a permanently installed drive.
The backup agent checks this property and includes all drives with the "DriveType" set to "Fixed," thereby including the incorrectly configured removable media.
You can check the "DriveType" property of the respective drives/volumes using the following PowerShell command:

Get-Volume | Format-List -Property DriveLetter, DriveType

Solution:

Option 1:
Disconnect the removable media from the system at the time of the backup.

Option 2:
Remove the "Entire Server" option from the job configuration and switch to the "Bare Metal Restore" option, adding any other desired drives.

Invalid file format or delta map file is corrupted

Error image:
Jun 7th 22:15:38 DELT-E-04355 Invalid file format C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\Agent\JOBNAME\0000xxxx.DTA
Jun 7th 22:15:38 BKUP-E-08196 Your delta mapping file is corrupted. Delete or rename the file and sync it with your Director. [VV]

Cause:
The error message states that the delta file (0000000X.DTA) or delta mapping file (0000000X.DTX) is corrupted.
The delta file contains checksums of the blocks that have already been backed up, the delta mapping file is an index file for the delta file.
This file is needed so that the agent knows which blocks have already been backed up and which have been added or changed.

Solution:
Please carry out a backup reset. Instructions can be found in the following entry for a very similar error:
DELT-E-05782 - Delta file damaged 0000000X.DTA file is damaged: hash mismatch

Server0.Password requires a value

Error image:
A backup fails immediately after starting with the following message in the log files:
PARS-E-05152 A value is required for Server0.Password

Cause:
A configuration file (Global.vvc) is missing the hash value for the vault password.
Without this entry, the agent cannot authenticate itself to the vault system.

Solution:
Please re-enter the vault password in the Backup Portal by going to “Vault Settings” and editing the existing configuration:
See also link

DELT-E-05782 - Delta file corrupted 0000000X.DTA file is corrupt: hash mismatch

Error Description:
You receive the following error message in the log file of a backup job:
DELT-E-05782 C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\Agent\Jobname\0000000X.DTA File is corrupted: hash mismatch

Cause:
The error message indicates that the delta file (0000000X.DTA) is corrupted. This file contains checksums of the backed-up blocks from the last backup.
This file is required so that the agent knows which blocks have already been backed up and which are new or have changed.

Solution:
Please run the following PowerShell script on the affected system:
Backup Reset Skript
This script deletes the corrupted delta file and performs a synchronization, during which the delta file is recreated.
Depending on the system size, a synchronization may take some time.

SSET-W-04210 - Error during collection function [VV]

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the log file of a backup job:
SSET-W-04210 Error during collection function [VV]

Recommendation for action:
Please open a support ticket for this error as the backup job needs to be analyzed on the vault. This process may take some time depending on the size of the backup job.
We recommend that you create a replacement job for the analysis period so that the system can continue to be protected via the TERRA CLOUD backup.

PARS-W-04784 - Due to computer registration, the following information is missing from the "Name Backup Job" configuration file: Enc_Password (Encryption Password)

Error image:
You will receive the following warnings in the log file of a backup job, which will cause the backup job to abort:
PARS-W-04784 Due to computer registration, the following information is missing from the configuration file "BMR":
PARS-W-04785 Enc_Password (Encryption Password)
PARS-W-04786 Re-enter the missing information using the Agent Console.

Cause:
The hash value of the encryption password is stored in the job configuration file in the agent directory when the backup job is created or the encryption password is changed.
Reinstalling the agent in conjunction with re-registration ensures that the job configuration file without the hash value is downloaded from the vault.
Please note that the hash value of the encryption password does not leave the agent system.
Solution:
Please edit the backup job and enter the encryption password again.
In any case, you will receive the message regarding a possible reseeding, as the agent cannot check at this point whether the encryption password entered is correct.

BUAgent service cannot be started (Error 1053)

Error image:
The BUAgent service cannot be started.
You will receive a pop-up window with the error message "Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely manner."

Causes:
As of agent version 8.90, the packages "Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x64) and (x86) are required; these are not installed on the system.

Solution:
Please run the setup of Agent 8.90 or newer again, this checks whether the two packages mentioned above are installed and reinstall them using the "Repair" option.

Illegal function

Error image:
The affected system is displayed as “Offline” in the Backup Portal even though it is in use.
The “TERRA Cloud Backup BUAgent” service is not running:



When you try to start the service you will receive the following error message:



Cause:
The “TERRA Cloud Backup BUAgent” service accesses a configuration file (Global.vvc) in the agent’s installation directory. This file contains, among other things, settings for the agent,
that you have configured in the portal (e.g. a bandwidth limit).
With this error, this configuration file is empty, incomplete or damaged.
Without a healthy Global.vvc file, the agent cannot back up.

Recommendations for action:
To troubleshoot the error, you can first open the Global.vvc file in the installation directory, e.g. with the editor. In this case the file is empty.



This empty Global.vvc can be removed.
After deleting the file, you can perform a repair installation of the agent by entering the agent setup and selecting the following option:



After successful repair installation, the Global.vvc file will be filled with content.
Please re-enter the vault password in the backup portal. You can find instructions for this under "For Server0.Password is a value required“
If the error cannot be solved with these steps, a complete uninstallation followed by an installation of the agent can help.
In this case, the configuration files (including Global.vvc) are downloaded from the vault system and stored in the agent directory.

BMR backup of a Hyper-V host

Experience shows that backing up physical Hyper-V hosts while VMs are actively running causes issues with Microsoft VSS.
Microsoft VSS attempts to place the *entire* system (including CSVs) into a consistent state.
To achieve this, all virtual machines would also need to be paused.
Since agent-based backup does not trigger a VSS snapshot via the integration services, problems arise in this scenario.

The question generally arises as to why hypervisor servers should be backed up at all.
Here are some example articles from the web:

• http://www.altaro.com/hyper-v/hyper-v-backup-strategies-dont-worry-management-os/
  
• https://www.backupassist.com/blog/support/10-tips-for-best-practice-hyper-v-backups/
  
• https://www.veeam.com/blog/hyper-v-hosts-to-back-up-or-not-to-back-up.html
  

Individual files and folders can be backed up without issues; problems only occur with BMR (Bare Metal Recovery).

For this reason, it is not supported; see Feature Overview.
With host-based backup (version 8.60 and later), ONLY the VMs can be backed up, not the host itself (nor any files or folders on it).

We recommend agent-based backup (from within the VM) to utilize the full functionality of the backup solution.

If a Hyper-V host fails completely, it should be reinstalled and added back to the cluster.

Backup jobs are piling up in a queue

Error image:
In the backup portal you see several processes in the queue for a system, the current backup job no longer shows any progress.

Recommendation for action:
Please restart the TERRA CLOUD backup services to terminate the open processes.

Get-Service -DisplayName "TERRA Cloud Backup*" | Stop service
Get-Process | ? ProcessName -Match "VV|VVAgent" | Stop Process -Force
Get-Service -DisplayName "TERRA Cloud Backup*" | Start service

SMTP Prober / Mail Notification

Error image:
The backup agent does not send emails according to the defined criteria.
You will receive the following or similar messages in the log file of your backup job:

Recommendation for action:
You can test the stored settings via the backup portal. If the test is not successful, you can carry out the following steps:

1. Update the agent to the latest version as the mail notification feature has been updated to current standards in newer agent versions.
   
2. Alternatively to port 25, check port 587 or 465.
   
3. Please use the SMTP Prober Tool to check whether the emails can generally be sent from the system
   

SMTP Prober
You can download the tool at the following link: http://www.alexnolan.net/software/SMTPProber.htm
If you can successfully send emails from the system using the tool, it is guaranteed that communication with the mail server can be established.

GetVolumeNameForVolumeMountPointW() failed

Cause:
This can happen when database files (MDF or LDF) exist either on a mount point or a symbolic link rather than in a normal physical location.

Example:
You have your logical location for the database files in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA, but you have created a symbolic link to the data that exists on another drive:


Solution:
The location for the MDF and LDF files needs to be updated.
One way to do this is to detach and then reattach the database.
When the database is mounted, make sure to select the MDF file in the current location (D:\Data\MSSQL\DATA in the above example).
Once the logical reference is updated to the correct path, the backup is successful.

BSTR-E-04145 Error opening file C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\Agent\BMR\000000XY.CAT for output

Error image:
BSTR-E-04145 Error opening file C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\Agent\BMR\000000XY.CAT for output
BKUP-F-04110 Job could not be completed. [VV]

Cause:
The agent is unable to process the affected file.
Attention: The error message may be a subsequent error.
If there are no further clues in the log file, the following solution can help.
Solution:
Create an exception in the existing antivirus program to give the agent unrestricted access to the files it needs:
C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\*

UTIL-E-04101 Operating system message: The system cannot find the specified path

Error image:
You will receive the following error message in the log file:
UTIL-E-04101 Operating system message: The system cannot find the specified path
UTIL-E-05658 PhlWMgr::isSkip() internal error

Cause:
The operating system cannot access all the necessary paths to create a VSS snapshot of the system. This can be caused by operating system corruption.

Recommendation for action:
Please note that this error is not a problem with the backup agent itself, but with the operating system being backed up.
In past support cases, the system could be checked via the Microsoft System File Checker resolve the cause. In addition, a check of the file system of the volumes to be backed up using the Mircosoft tool CHKDSK can be helpful.

UTIL-E-04101 Operating system message: Access denied

Error Symptom:
You encounter the following error symptoms in the backup log file:
UTIL-E-04101 Operating system message: Access denied
UTIL-E-05658 PhlWMgr::isSkip() internal error

Cause:
The operating system cannot access all the files necessary to create a successful VSS snapshot of the system.
In recent support cases, we have identified a link between the Windows 11 operating system and the use of Panda Antivirus / OneDrive.

Recommended Action:
Please note that this error is not caused by the backup agent itself, but by the operating system being backed up.
Generally, you have two options:

• Identify the specific file(s) involved. Then, ensure that the agent / VSS component has successful access to the file(s).
• Switch to an image-based backup job.
  This prevents future access denial issues, as the agent backs up the existing volumes at the block level rather than backing up individual files or folders.
  

Identifying the file(s) involved
1. Edit the affected job and select the "Advanced backup options" option.
2. Change the log detail level from "Summary" to "Files":

3. Save the changes and run a backup.
4. Search the log of the completed backup using Ctrl + F and look for "-E-".
5. The affected file is located one line above the error message.

The aforementioned adjustment results in very large log files; therefore, it is recommended to revert this change after the backup has been completed!

In recent support cases, we have frequently observed access denials for files in the following directory:
C:\Windows\WinSxS\Catalogs\*
It appears that a hard link to the path \$Extend\$Deleted\ prevents access to the file.
One solution suggested by our customers involves granting "Full Control" permissions for the C:\Windows\WinSxS\Catalogs\* directory to the "Everyone" group; however, we do not have specific instructions or a detailed procedure for this.

UTIL-E-08235 Operating system error 21, message: The device is not ready

Error image:
You will receive the following error in the log file of a backup:
UTIL-E-08235 Operating system error 21, message: The device is not ready

Cause:
The agent has lost access to the required shadow copy, causing backup problems.

Recommendation for action:
However, if you are looking for a new agent, you will be able to contact them.
Applications that also require access to VSS shadow copies (e.g. other backup solutions) should be placed approximately 2 - 3 hours (depending on the situation) before or after the backup.
For initial backups or If you have a larger date, please note that the VSS has to be temporarily updated.

Job can not bear beitet / erstellt werden - Job-Fenster schließt sich

Error image:
If you select the action "Edit job" or "New job for local system / Create new image job", the desired window only opens for a short period of time before the following error message is displayed in the portal:

"A problem has occurred. Please contact support if the problem persists."

Causes:
One or more of the system's VSS writers are not functioning.

Solution:
Before you start troubleshooting the System VSS Writer, it is recommended to check the recommendation for action in the following article: A network share causes a BMR job to fail
Alternatively, you can try to repair the non-functional writers via our VSS Troubleshooting Guide: VSS Troubleshooting

SSET-E-04104 The request failed. The remote server reported the following error: RPC-E-AUTHERROR, authentication failure

Error Scenario:
You encounter the following error in the backup log file:
SSET-E-04104 The request failed. The remote server reported the following error: RPC-E-AUTHERROR, authentication error

Cause:
Our Vault rejected the backup request because the data set has been blocked. This block may be due to the following scenarios:

• The affected agent is running an unsupported version. (See the newsfeed article in the Backup Portal dated Dec 12, 2023)
• The affected account has been cancelled.
  Once a cancellation is processed via the Center, we block the data set associated with the affected account.
  It is removed from the Vault system 14 days after the cancellation.
• The affected account, computer, or job is currently being migrated. The migration process blocks the data set at both the source and the destination.
• The Vault detected an anomaly related to the affected job.
  Once an anomaly is detected, the Vault locks the affected data set to allow for an inspection.
  

Recommended Action:
Please first check the points listed above.
If an update is required, please perform it as soon as possible.
Backup operations should resume no later than one hour after the update.
If the agent in question is running the current version, the backup account has not been cancelled, and no data migration is taking place (migrations are generally only performed after contacting our support team), there is most likely an issue.
In this case, we recommend contacting TERRA CLOUD Support.
When contacting support, please provide the order number or the name of the vault account, as well as the log file from the most recent backup.

Backup does not start despite configured Windows backup event triggers

Issue:
A file named "GlobalStatus.json" is stored in the agent directory of the system being backed up.
This file records the timestamp of the last backup execution.

The schedule allows you to configure how many hours must elapse since the last backup before the next one starts.
This JSON file serves as the data source for that calculation.

Recommended Action:
In the case described above, renaming or deleting the "GlobalStatus.json" file would resolve the issue.
Once a new backup is triggered via the alternative trigger, the file is recreated and no longer takes the previous trigger into account.

BFFR-F-04109 Error allocating 1048576 bytes to memory

Error image:
You will receive the following error in the log file of a backup:
BFFR-F-04109 Error allocating 1048576 bytes to memory

Possible causes:

1. Insufficient memory is available during backup.
2. One or more disks reach their capacity limit during the backup.

Recommendations for action:

• Please ensure that each drive to be backed up has at least 10% free capacity (for Microsoft VSS shadow copy).
• Check whether the RAM is fully utilized during the backup period and expand it if necessary and possible.

Email notification disrupted

Error pattern:
You will receive the following message in the BUAgent log file of the affected agent:
AGNT-E-10084 Event in notification thread (Status=X Result = 0 Job ID=JobId=XY:XY,DateTimeString=XY,OperationType=BACKUP,EventJobStatus=COMPLETED, Job Type={3} Job Event ={4}) could not be uploaded to the server.
You can find this in the portal as follows: (Select agent -> Advanced -> Agent log files -> BUAgent-XY.XLOG - Date of first missing email)

Cause:
The events.unsent file contains outdated information.

Recommended actions:
1. Stop the "TERRA CLOUD Backup BUAgent" service

• Open services.msc
• The "TERRA CLOUD Backup" service Search for "BUAgent"
• Right-click > Exit

2. Rename the file

• Open the directory: C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Agent
• Rename the file "events.unsent" to "events_old.unsent"

3. Restart the service

• Return to services.msc
• Start the service "TERRA CLOUD Backup BUAgent"

4. Wait a few minutes

5. Check the log file - either in the portal or locally in the agent directory:

• C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Agent
• Open the most recent BUAgent-XY.XLOG there

6. Check the log file to see if the message "Event in notification thread..." is still present.

SSET-E-04104 The request failed. The remote server reported the following error: RPC-E-FAILED, generic RPC error / UTIL-W-05229 Could not upload configuration files: Failed to upload file. C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Agent\Jobname.status.cfg

Error Description:
Upon completion of the initial backup to an external hard drive or a VHDX file, the following messages appear at the end of the log file:
SSET-E-04104 The request failed. The remote server reported the following error: RPC-E-FAILED, general RPC error
UTIL-W-05229 Configuration files could not be uploaded: File could not be uploaded. C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Agent\Jobname.status.cfg

Solution:
The errors mentioned above are known to our software manufacturer, and a corresponding developer ticket already exists.
A solution is currently being worked on; however, there is no specific date for the fix at this time.

We can, however, confirm that you can submit the initial backup despite the displayed error messages.
The import can be carried out without restrictions.

Backup fails on systems with mounted user profiles (RDP / Terminal Server)

Error Description:
Backups fail or become unstable on systems with RDP or terminal server functionality.
This error occurs particularly when user profiles are mounted at the time of the backup.


Cause:
The backup is performed on a system where user profiles are mounted at the time of the backup, as is typically the case on RDP or terminal server systems.

If the backup set is configured with the "Entire Server" option, these user profiles and volumes are included in the backup.
This often leads to problems with snapshot creation (VSS) and consequently to failed backups. Solution: On systems with RDP or terminal server functionality, the following adjustments should be made:

• Instead of "Entire Server," it is more effective to use a Bare Metal Restore and back up only the volumes that are actually needed.
• Before starting the backup, ensure that no users are actively logged in and no user profiles are mounted.

To reliably implement this, users can be automatically logged off before the backup time.
This can be done, for example, using Windows Task Scheduler.
Sufficient time buffer should be planned to cleanly terminate any open sessions.

Alternatively, agent scripting can be used to automatically log users off before the backup and restore normal operations after the backup is complete.
For implementation information, see:
Address Windows Agent via script
Create new custom command

Windows Agent Installation

---

UTIL-E-04503 Backup destination missing in job C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Agent\XYZ.vvc

Error image:
You receive an "Agent Upgrade Failed" error when upgrading the agent.

In addition, the following errors can be seen in the agent directory in "Upgrade.xlog":
UTIL-E-04503 Backup destination is missing from job C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Agent\XYZ.vvc.
UTIL-E-08012 Upgrade aborted due to errors

Cause:
During an upgrade installation, the TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent creates an "Old_Files" directory which is filled with backup copies of the configuration files.
These backup copies can be used for rollback in the event of a failed or failed upgrade.
With this error pattern, there is a copy of "global.vvc" in the agent directory with a different name (e.g. XYZ.vvc).
The agent interprets any VVC file with a name other than "global.vvc" as a job configuration file and checks it via a lookup for a backup destination.
Since the copy of "Global.vvc" is not a job configuration file, the backup creation will fail and the upgrade will be aborted.

Solution:
Please remove the offending "XYZ.vvc" file from the agent directory or change the file type to e.g. E.g. ".old" so that the agent does not take this into account.
Then run the agent upgrade again.

Error 1722. There is a problem with this Windows Installer package

Error pattern:
When installing or uninstalling the agent, you receive the following general error message:

Possible causes:

1. There is an umlaut in the system name, e.g. (office PC).
   
2. The Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable libraries are damaged

Solution for cause 1:
Please change the system name and remove the umlauts.
Then start the installation/uninstallation of the agent again.

Solution for cause 2:
Please check the article.

CBFS installation library could not be loaded

Error image:
When installing the image plug-in, you receive the following error message in connection with the general error 1722:

Cause:
The Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable libraries (x86 and x64) on the system are corrupted.

Solution:
Please uninstall the Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable libraries (x86 and x64).
Then run the installation again, the agent will then install the most recent version of the software libraries.

This installation package is based on the Prozessortyp without its contents

Error image:
When installing the agent you receive the following error:

Cause:
The setup executed is not compatible with the processor type used (64 bit or 32 bit).

Solution:
Please use the appropriate setup for the type of processor used.

Pending reboot

Error image:
When installing the agent, you receive the following message:


Cause:
One or more registry keys in the operating system have a pending restart noted.
Before installation, the Windows agent checks various registry entries for a stored value or existence of the key.

Recommendation for action:
Please restart the system, for example to completely complete the installation of Windows Updates.
If the error continues to appear even after several restarts, we recommend that you check the following list of registry keys:
https://adamtheautomator.com/pending-reboot-registry/
Please note that adjustments to the registry should only be made after a successful backup (e.g. through an export)!

Backup Host Agent Error 0x800706d9

Error image:
When registering the system, you receive the following error message in the Backup Portal:



Solution:
Please check whether it is a cluster node with the failover cluster role installed and not a cluster system.

• If the system is not part of a cluster, please uninstall the Failover Cluster Role
  

The agent checks:

• If no Failover Cluster role is installed => Connect to Hyper-V
  
• If the Failover Cluster role is installed => Connect to the cluster instance
  

No connection between agent and portal

Error:
When installing the agent on a target system, the agent cannot authenticate with the portal.

Causes:

• The entered credentials are incorrect. * The user password contains special characters such as: ( $ ' " | & \ § ° ^ ´ ` )
• Communication is prevented by blocked ports (8086 TCP and 8087 TCP).
• A strict firewall configuration (IPS, proxy, or TLS) is blocking the connection.
  

Port Check:

Windows:
Please run the following PowerShell commands on the system where the agent is to be installed:

1..28 | ForEach-Object {
$server = "amp$($_.ToString("000")).terracloud.de"
$result = Test-NetConnection $server -Port 8087
Write-Host "$server : $($result.TcpTestSucceeded)" }
$backupResult = Test-NetConnection backup.terracloud.de -Port 8086
Write-Host "backup.terracloud.de : $($backupResult.TcpTestSucceeded)"

The result for each entry must be "True"; otherwise, a required port is blocked.

DNS Resolution:
Please check whether the DNS name backup.terracloud.de resolves to the public IP address 185.35.13.210.

Access Credentials:
We recommend comparing the details with your own records of the access credentials.
Ensure that there is no cell formatting (e.g., from copying and pasting from MS Excel) in any of the required fields.
Also, ensure that none of the special characters mentioned above are being used.
The issue has already been escalated to our software vendor, and a solution is currently being worked on.
Reference OCTCR77GC4729388

Strict Firewall:
A Strict firewall configurations (IPS, proxy, or TLS) can also prevent the connection from being established, despite the aforementioned preparations.
You should always ensure that communication between the agent and the portal can take place without interference.

Agent Upgrade Utility stopped working / MAPI job upgrade

Error image:
The agent setup hangs and a window appears saying “Agent Upgrade Utility has stopped working”.
As soon as you click on “Close program”, a MAPI job upgrade window opens.





Solution:
Please run the setup again and stop at the first step.
Then download the following .zip file:
Hotfix

Since ".dll" files are recognized as viruses by default in the browser, you must unzip the files and then rename them.

libeay32.dll.txt -> libeay32.dll
ssleay32.dll.txt -> ssleay32.dll

• Now change to the Temp directory of the affected system:
• Open Explorer -> enter %temp% in the address bar.
• There should be a folder called {​​​​​​​​BD4F2616-B17D-4982-815F-0C78C476839F}​​​​​​​​.
• Please now move the two ".dll" files into the directory.

The update should then be possible via the process that has already started.

Error 1920 while installing/updating the agent

Error Scenario:
During the installation or update of the Windows Agent, the following message appears:



Cause:
There are two possible causes for this:
1. Required Visual C++ libraries are not available

2. Local port 2548 is being blocked by another application
Known software solutions that cause issues: Dr Tax

Solution:
1. Please install the following Visual C++ cumulative update and then run the agent setup again:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads-2647da03-1eea-4433-9aff-95f26a218cc0

2. Check whether the port is being blocked by a running process using the following CMD command:

netstat -ano | findstr 2548 Example: TCP --- 0.0.0.0:2548 --- 0.0.0.0:0 --- LISTENING --- 5036

If the running process shown in Task Manager (Details tab) is not named VVAgent.exe, then the port is being blocked.
You must then ensure that the port is kept open—either temporarily or, preferably, permanently.
After that, the installation or update can be performed successfully.

Windows Agent uninstallation

Error 1722 while uninstalling Backup Agent

Error image:
You receive the following error message when uninstalling the Backup Agent:

Cause:
The error occurs if information about the agent installation (plug-ins) is missing in the Global.vvc file. Each plug-in adds an entry in this configuration file (e.g. Image Plug-in).
The error occurs if, during uninstallation, the entries in this file do not match the plug-ins stored on the system.
Solution:

1. If you haven't already done so, stop the TERRA Cloud backup services.
2. Please rename the "Global.vvc" within the installation directory to "Global.old".
   
3. Then uninstall the agent

Agent Scripting

---

PreshutdownTimeout Value

If you are using a Windows Server 2019 machine, specific permissions are required to modify the following registry keys:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\gpsvc\PreshutdownTimeout

Please ensure that you have the necessary permissions to edit Group Policies with the currently logged-in user.


Use the "Advanced" option to assign "Owner" permissions to the respective user.





You should then be able to modify the registry keys.

Windows Agent file-based backup

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Parse point in the following path is not traversed

The error message says that you are trying to save a path that represents some kind of link.
The actual data will probably be on another partition.
This directory was apparently not included in the backup, so the agent is not backing it up.

Linked hardlinks were not selected and were not saved

Error Scenario:
The backup job completes with warnings stating "Linked hard links were not selected and were not backed up." This warning appears in the log file as follows:

Cause of Error:
Hard links are files or directories that reference an existing entry in the Master File Table and possess the same properties and content as the original file.
The original file and the hard link differ only in their paths.
The configured backup set does not include all hard links existing for the original file; therefore, they cannot be backed up.

Possible Solutions:

1. If the entire NTFS partition is backed up, there will be no issues regarding linked hard links.
   
2. The backup set can be expanded to include all existing hard links; the required paths can be retrieved using the command below via PowerShell or CMD.

Syntax: fsutil hardlink list <filename>

Example:

fsutil hardlink list c:\liste.txt

OneDrive directory cannot be backed up

Error image:
A file-based backup job reports the following error in the log file:
DISK-E-04205 Error searching for file C:\Users\%USER%\OneDrive\*.*
DISK-E-04101 Operating system message: The media is write protected.


Solution:
A setting within OneDrive ensures that the agent only sees shortcuts to files, as they are only downloaded when necessary.
These 0KB files provide the above. Error message. Once you download the files to your system, the error messages will disappear.
Unchecking the “Files on demand” checkbox would also provide the desired solution:

SV -W-08372 Exclusion <Exclusion in the backup job> is suppressed because it affects the <Part of the BMR backup> BMR selection

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the log file of a file-based backup job:
SV -W-08372 Exclusion <exclusion in backup job> is suppressed because it affects the <part of the BMR backup> BMR selection.

Cause:
The configured exclusion would exclude files that are necessary for BMR backup. The Backup Agent ignores the exclusion to perform a BMR backup.

Recommendation for action:
Please remove the exclusion in question from the affected backup job, otherwise the job will end with a warning every time it is backed up.
If necessary, modify the exclusion so that no system-relevant files are excluded.

Outlook offline data file (OST)

• .ost files are offline Outlook data files that are automatically created by IMAP-, Microsoft 365-, Exchange- and Outlook.com-accounts.
  

Since these cannot be moved from one computer to another, the need for backup is eliminated. By default, the following registry key excludes *.ost files from creating a VSS snapshot:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToSnapshot

Why should *.ost files be excluded from backup?:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/fc9bebff-9494-4b45-b43d-6b2f8e98add4/oops-windows-7-backup-omits-key-outlook-mail-files
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/find-and-transfer-outlook-data-files-from-one-computer-to-another

For more information about files that are automatically excluded from a backup by the operating system:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/vss/excluding-files-from-shadow-copies It is not recommended to make changes to the registry keys mentioned.

DISK-E-08235 Operating system error 1392, message: The file or directory is corrupt and unreadable

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the log file:
DISK-E-08235 Operating System Error 1392, Message: The file or directory is corrupt and unreadable

Cause:
The backup agent passes on an error message from the operating system that the file in question is damaged or unreadable.

Recommendation for action:
Please check the relevant file as this error message is not caused by the backup software.
A system scan via sfc/scannow may be able to resolve the error.
A diagnosis via CHKDSK can also be helpful in this case.

DISK-W-08623 -Disable security data processing due to insufficient authorization

This article was written for the "Local System" job type.
For the "UNC Files" job type, the following article is available.

Error symptom:
You receive the following warning message in the log file:
DISK-W-08623 Disable security data processing due to insufficient permissions

Cause:
"Compress contents to save disk space" (Advanced Attribute) is enabled for at least one directory.

Solution:
To locate these directories, you can run the job once with a different log level.
To do this, edit your job and select the "Directory" option under "Advanced Backup Options" > "Log Detail Level".
Then, run the backup again. You should now see indications of the specific directories causing the warnings listed below the warning messages themselves.
This type of logging generates large log files, so it should only be used temporarily.
Locate the affected folders and, in the Properties > Advanced settings, uncheck the option "Compress contents to save disk space".

DISK-E-04144 Error opening file [...] $Exported$BCD for input

Error image:
You will receive the following warning message in the log file:
DISK-E-04144 Error opening file \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolume2\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\$Exported$BCD for input
DISK-E-08235 Operating System Error 32, Message: The process cannot access the file because it is in use by another process
DISK-E-04144 Error opening file \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolume2\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\$Exported$BCD.LOG for input
DISK-E-08235 Operating System Error 32, Message: The process cannot access the file because it is in use by another process

Cause:
This error is caused by various antivirus software based on Bitdefender.
The “Behavior Scan” module in version 6.6.18.265 is responsible.

Solution:
Please update your antivirus software as this error has been fixed in an update.

UTIL-E-04101 O/S message: The request could not be completed due to an I/O device error

Symptom:
You receive the following warning message in the log file:
UTIL-E-04101 O/S message: The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error

Cause:
The backup agent passes this operating system error message on to the log file.
You can also find this error message in the system event logs under ID 153.
This is not an issue with the backup solution itself.

Recommended Action:
Please review the following Microsoft article regarding this ID.
As described in the Microsoft article, this indicates a timeout of a request to the storage system.
We recommend using the CHKDSK tool for further troubleshooting; you can find more information here:
Microsoft article on chdsk

ENVC-E-04096 GetProcessorInfo FindFirstObject failed

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the log file of a file-based backup job:
ENVC-E-04096 GetProcessorInfo FindFirstObject failed
ENVC-E-04096 GetBootConfiguration FindFirstObject failed
ENVC-E-04096 GetComputerSystem FindFirstObject failed
ENVC-E-04096 GetOSInfo FindFirstObject failed
ENVC-E-04096 CaptureSystemRestorePointInfo Env Exception: Failed to obtain EnvInfo
BMR -E-08382 BMRCaptureEnvInfo.dll could not be initialized: BMR::CaptureEnvInfoDLL::captureSystemRestorePointInfo(): BMRCaptureEnvInfo.dll DLL failed to Capture System Restore Point Info

Cause:
The backup agent cannot retrieve any system information (e.g. version of the operating system) via the WMI interface. This error is not caused by the TERRA CLOUD backup agent.
It may be that the required files are still being accessed by other programs and therefore the information cannot be read.

Recommended action:
Please check the following query using PowerShell as an example:

Get-WmiObject Win32_Processor 

If no output is possible here either, we recommend that you check the Windows Event Logs at this time.

DISK-W-08197 File cannot be checked for hard links: \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopyXY\FileXY (OS error (0x5): Access denied

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the log file of a file-based backup job:
DISK-W-08197 Cannot check file for hard links: \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopyXY\FileXY (OS error (0x5): Access denied )
DISK-E-04144 Error opening file \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopyXY\FileXY for input

Cause:
The Backup Agent is unable to back up the affected file.

Recommendation for action:
The path mentioned in the error message (\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopyXY\) can be resolved normally to an existing volume.
Please check why access is not possible. The files are usually accessed by another existing application.
In general, it must be ensured that the agent has access to the affected file.
Switching to image-based backup would also be a way to permanently solve the problem.

DISK-E-08235 Operating System Error 225, Message: The operation could not be completed successfully because the file contains a virus or possibly unwanted software

Error image:
DISK-E-04144 Error opening file XYZ for input
DISK-E-08235 Operating System Error 225, Message: The operation could not be completed successfully because the file contains a virus or possibly unwanted software

Cause:
This error is not caused by the TERRA CLOUD backup solution. The Windows Agent passes on a message from the operating system via the backup log file.
The message comes from MS Security Essentials or Windows Defender.

Recommendation for action:

• Please run a full antivirus scan of the system.
• Check the Windows event logs and the log files of the antivirus solution used.
• If the file(s) remain on the system, exclude them from the backup job.
• Change the setting for the option "Fix data read errors" to "Log errors and continue backup".

Windows Agent UNC Backup

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DISK-W-04449 - Error last access time could not be reset

Error image:
You receive the following error in the log file of a UNC job:
DISK-W-04449 Unable to reset last access time for FILE PATH

Cause:
With a file-based backup, the agent checks the last access time and remembers it, then the file is read and saved.
The backup changes the last access time and the agent tries to change it to the original access time.
Some NAS systems do not allow resetting the access time and this causes the error.

Solution:
1. Edit the job.vvc in the agent installation directory
2. Add this line to the Backup{ } section: Last_Access_Time_Fix = False

DISK-W-08623 - Security Deactivate data processing due to insufficient authorization

This article was written for the "UNC files" job type.
For the "Local System" job type, please refer to the following article

Error symptom:
You receive the following warning message in the log file of a UNC job:
DISK-W-08623 Disable security data processing due to insufficient permissions

Cause:
The NAS does not allow the backup of ACLs (Access Control Lists).

Solution:
1. Open the job configuration on the agent system:
C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\Agent\<JOBNAME>.vvc

2. Set the entries Ignore_Security and Ignore_AltData to TRUE.

3. Restart the two TERRA Cloud Backup services.

4. Ensure that the agent directory (C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\Agent\*) is configured as an exception in the existing antivirus program.
Otherwise, after configuring the above-mentioned settings... ...parameters may lead to backup issues.
Once you have configured the options and a backup has been performed, you should definitely carry out a test restore.

Further Information

Ignore_Security:
This switch determines whether or not ACLs are backed up.

Ignore_AltData:
This switch determines whether or not extended attributes are backed up.

Windows Agent Image Backup

---

Disable CBT (Changed Block Tracking)

Instructions:
1. Stop the two TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent services
2. Navigate to the installation directory of the TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent (default installation path: "C:\Program Files\TERRA Cloud Backup\Agent")
3. Open the file NameOfTheBackupJob.vvc
4. Add a new switch:
Look for the following section in the open configuration file:

VolumeImageBackup {
SQLServer_Awareness = False
}

Add the following switch:

VolumeImageBackup {
SQLServer_Awareness = False
EnableCBT = False
}

5. Save the file, including the changes
6. Start the two TERRA CLOUD Backup Agent services

Impact of this modification:
This configuration change disables delta detection via Changed Block Tracking technology. You will receive a warning in the log file regarding this modification:
VIMG-W-09854 CBT (Changed Block Tracking) is disabled in the configuration file. The entire volume is read for the backup.
The full volume read process increases the backup time.

VIMG-W-09841 - CBT (Changed Block Tracking) is not available

Error message:
You will receive the following warning message in the log file:
VIMG-W-09841 CBT (Changed Block Tracking) is not available.

Cause:
The installation of the CBT driver (Changed Block Tracking) requires a restart; this was not yet carried out at the time of the backup.

Note:
Backing up a system using an image backup job is also possible without changed block tracking, but the backup time is significantly longer.

Solution:
Please restart the system to be able to use the full functionality of the image plug-in.

VIMG-W-09829 - The changed block logging driver cannot log the changes for volume <X>:<Volume{XY}>. (State 0, Status 0)

Error message:
You will receive the following warning message in the log file:
VIMG-W-09829 The changed block logging driver cannot log the changes for volume <X>:<Volume{XY}>. (State 0, Status 0)

Cause:
The installation of the CBT driver (Changed Block Tracking) requires a restart; this was not yet carried out at the time of the backup.

Note:
Backing up a system using an image backup job is also possible without change block tracking, but the backup time is significantly longer.

Solution:
Please restart the system to be able to use the full functionality of the image plug-in.

PLGN-E-05905 Could not load <VolumeImagePlugin.dll>

Error message:
You receive the following error message in the log file.
PLGN-E-05905 Could not load <VolumeImagePlugin.dll>
DISK-E-04793 Drive $VOLUMEIMAGE$:\ is not recognized as a persistent mapped drive (drive not found).
DISK-E-04204 Error assigning channel to $VOLUMEIMAGE$:\*.*

Cause:
The backup solution is unable to use the image plugin. Often due to the following causes:

• The image plugin was forgotten to install after a reinstallation / re-registration.
  
• The image plugin/agent is corrupt.
  

Solution:
By running the agent setup again, you have the option to carry out a change installation. You can reinstall the image plugin here.
Please note that a restart should occur after installing the image plugin.
By running the agent setup again, you also have the option of performing a repair installation of the agent.

VIMG-W-09197 VSS snapshot failure is forced due to the strategy used: Fail / VIMG-E-04495 Volumeimage_plugin::VolumeImageBackupAdapter::getNextBackupObject failed

Error message:
VIMG-W-09197 VSS snapshot failure forced due to the strategy used: Fail
VIMG-E-04495 volumeimage_plugin::VolumeImageBackupAdapter::getNextBackupObject failed.
BMR -E-10760 Bare-metal backup does not contain a system volume. Bare-metal recovery will not succeed. [VV]
BSTR-E-04144 Error opening file C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Agent\XY\000000XY.CAT for input
BKUP-E-04706 Job forced to fail. [VV]
BKUP-F-04110 Job could not be completed. [VV]

Cause:
The Microsoft VSS service cannot place the system into a consistent state. Possible causes include:

1. The "Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer" is active on the system being backed up. Please note that BMR backup is not supported on Hyper-V hosts.
2. Third-party VSS writers are present on the system and are causing issues (usually due to incompatibilities).
3. A service installed on the system references a network share. Note that the VSS component cannot access network shares.

Recommended action:
Please perform the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Check the registered VSS writers using the command `vssadmin list writers` and compare the output with a system on which an image-based BMR backup completes successfully.
2. If a VSS writer from third-party software is listed, it may cause issues (e.g., due to incompatibilities).
   You can also consult our VSS Troubleshooting Guide to check the VSS component.
3. Check whether a service on the system points to a network share. Note that the VSS component cannot access network shares.
   For further information, please refer to the following article:
   A network share causes a BMR job to fail
   

VIMG-E-10681 Volume<Volume{GUID}> has an unsupported partition type

Error Symptom:
You receive the following error message in the log file:
VIMG-E-10681 Volume<Volume{GUID}> has an unsupported partition type

Cause:
This error occurs after updating the agent to version 8.90 or higher.
As of agent version 8.90, the Windows Recovery Partition no longer needs to be backed up, as it can be reconstructed during recovery.
In the job configuration, the volume (<Volume{GUID}>) was explicitly included in the backup set (alongside, for example, BMR or the entire server).
The updated agent cannot fully process this job configuration and issues an error message.
The quality of the backup is not compromised by this error, provided no other errors or warnings are recorded in the log file.

Solution:
Please remove the volume (<Volume{GUID}>) from the backup set.

Error collecting system mount point information

Error image:
You will receive the following or similar error message in the log file:
BKUP-E-08235 Operating System Error 2, Message: The system cannot find the specified file
BKUP-W-08732 Unable to collect mount point information for system. [VV]
BKUP-E-09401 An error occurred while collecting system mount point information. [VV]
BKUP-E-08235 O/S error 2, message: The system cannot find the specified file
BKUP-W-08732 Failed to collect system mount point information [VV]

Recommendation for action:
Please run the following command on the affected system:

Mountvol /r

(Removes volume mount point directories and registry settings for volumes that are no longer on the system, preventing them from being automatically mounted and receiving their previous volume mount points when added back to the system.)

Restarting the system may also help.

ENVC-E-04096 Failed to find System volume '\Device\HarddiskVolumeXY'

This error message can occur if the disk was recently converted to a dynamic disk and Windows has not yet been restarted.

Cause:
A volume on the system is in a RAW state, making a backup impossible. You can verify this using Diskpart as follows:


Recommended Action:
The problem can be resolved using CHKDSK:

CHKDSK /f /r

This command often requires a system restart. This should only be performed after all important applications have been stopped.
For information on the parameters mentioned above, you can run "chkdsk /?".

VIMG-E-08821 Internal error in volumeimage_plugin::BlockBitmap::ConvertToBitmapIndexAndLength

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the log file:
VIMG-E-08821 Internal error in volumeimage_plugin::BlockBitmap::ConvertToBitmapIndexAndLength

Cause:
This error occurs if Agent version 9.20/9.21 is used and the following option has been activated on an existing volume:


Recommendation for action:
Our software manufacturer has already been informed about this problem and is currently working on a permanent solution. In the meantime, the only workaround that remains is to deactivate the affected option.

Windows Agent SQL Backup

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SQL Express DB backup via SQL plugin fails

Error image:
06.ago. 14:08:25 DISK-E-04144 Error opening file \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy217\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50._SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\DATA\SQLEXPRESS\%DB%.mdf for input
06.ago. 14:08:25 VSS -E-08102 Error while backing up file (reason: stream backup error) C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50._SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\DATA\SQLEXPRESS\%DB%.mdf Component <writer SqlServerWriter (SQL Server 2008 R2:SQLWriter), component %SERVERNAME%\ SQLEXPRESS\ SQLEXPRESS> fails.
06.ago. 14:08:25 CTLG-W-09909 Incomplete saveset metadata. Information for "plugin-specific" could not be retrieved

Cause:
SQL Express instances can only be backed up with the SQL plug-in from agent version 8.71. You can find an overview of the supported SQL versions in the release notes.
Documentation and Release Notes

Solution:
Please update the agent version to 8.71 or later.

SQ12-E-09295 No successful full backup has been created of database XY

Error image:
You receive the error message in the log file that a successful backup of a database could not be created:
SQ12-E-09295 A successful full backup has not yet been created of database databasename.

Possible causes:

1. The MSSQL-VSSWriter service runs under a system account.
2. The MSSQL-VSSWriter service is not active
3. The hostname or instance name has been changed
   

Recommendations for action:
Point 1 and 2:

• The MSSQL-VSSWriter service should be switched to an ActiveDirectory account with administrator rights.
  

Point 3:

• See SQL Backup Job cannot be edited after a change in the user credentials / instance name / host name
  

SQL Backup Job cannot be edited after changing user credentials / instance name / host name

Solution:
Make a backup copy before changing the files!

1. Create a new SQL job with the new credentials.
2. You will find the file “JOBNAME.vvc”
in the agent installation directory 3. Copy the "WindowsCredentials" paragraph if Windows authentication was used, otherwise the "SQLServer0" paragraph from your test job into the .vvc of the correct backup job.
Editing should then be possible again.

The agent could not provide an instance list

Error Scenario:
You receive the error message shown in the screenshot below when attempting to create a new SQL backup job via the Backup Portal:

Cause:
The agent cannot establish a connection to the SQL instance.
Possible causes include:

1. No SQL instance is installed on the system.
2. The installed SQL instance is not supported by the SQL plug-in.
   This could be due to an unsupported SQL version or an SQL instance that is not based on Microsoft SQL Server.
   

Recommended Action:
Please check the current Release Notes for the Windows agent to verify whether the installed instance is supported.

You are shown the databases of a named instance even though you have selected "Standard" as the instance

Issue:
When setting up a new SQL backup job or editing an existing one, the databases for the MSSQL instance are not displayed.
Additionally, you may be unable to log in using the MSSQL instance user credentials, even though you selected the default instance.

Cause:
When you select the default instance in the backup portal, the system checks in the background for the instance assigned to port 1433.
If this port is assigned to a different instance, that instance will be displayed, or you will be prompted to authenticate for it.

Solution Option 1:
If possible, reassign port 1433 to the default instance.

1. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager.
2. Select SQL Server Network Configuration -> Protocols for MSSQLSERVER -> TCP/IP -> IPALL.
3. Port 1433 should be specified for this option, as shown in the screenshot below.

Solution Option 2:
If Solution Option 1 is not feasible, we recommend the following steps:
First, please check the connection string:
1.Open Notepad.
2.Add the following 3 lines to the text file. <hostname> represents your SQL server's hostname; <port_number> is the assigned port for the default instance.

set db = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
db.open "Driver={SQL Server};Server=<hostname>,<port_number>;Database=;"
MsgBox(db.Provider)

3. Save the text file as, for example, "test_db.vbs".
4. Run the created script.

After verifying the connection, please make the following adjustment in the SQL server's registry:
1. Open the Registry.
2. Navigate to the following registry path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EVault\InfoStage\Agent\

3. Create an entry named "ADOConnectionStrings" with the type "REG_MULTI_SZ".
4. Add the key <hostname>="Driver={SQL Server};Server=<hostname>,<port_number>;Database=;" to the created entry.
An example of this would be:

"SQL01="Driver={SQL Server};Server=SQL01,1434;Database=;"

In this example, SQL01 is the hostname and 1434 is the assigned port.
After making this adjustment, the correct instance will be displayed in the Backup Portal when you select "Standard".

Windows Agent Exchange Backup

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EX10-W-08964 Database Mailbox Database is not in available status: Incremental backup of database with circular logging

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the log file of an Exchange backup job:
EX10-W-08964 Database Mailbox Database is not in available state: Incremental backup of database with circular logging. Backup is not performed.

Cause:
The backup job was carried out with the backup type "Incremental" and is a delta backup.
The Incremental backup type backs up the entire databases the first time it runs, and all subsequent backups protect the transaction logs.
Circular logging with the Incremental backup type is not supported.

Possible solutions:
1. Disabling circular logging
2. Change backup type to “Full” via Exchange Backup Job
schedule

Adjustment of target mount path for Granular Exchange Restore

By default it mounts below C:\RestoreMount. If there is not enough space on the disk, a different drive letter must be used.
The target path can be adjusted using the registry key below.

Solution:
Create the following registry entry with a string:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EVault\Infostage\Agent\MountAlternatePath=

No restart of the backup service is required.

Example:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EVault\Infostage\Agent\MountAlternatePath=e:\mp

If e:\mp is used as a string, the share will be shared: \\EX2007SERVER\e$\mp\GRT_00000010_2013-06-25-10-13-43


Note:
Only possible with Granular Restore Tool 8.x or higher.

Validation for Exchange database Database-XYZ failed, Cause: Timed Out

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the Exchange backup log files:
EX10-F-10379 Validation for Exchange database Database-XYZ failed, cause: Timed Out

Cause:
Checking the database via the ESEUTIL takes too much time; this can be attributed to a heavy load or insufficient system performance.

Recommendation for action:
Please set the following registry entries to increase the check timeout and adjust the check process (sequential):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EVault\InfoStage\Agent\Ex2010SequentialValidation = 1 (DWORD)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\EVault\InfoStage\Agent\Ex2010ValidationTimeOut = 18000 (DWORD)
Restart both TERRA CLOUD backup services and try to start a backup again including a database check.

EX10-F-10380 Validation failed for Exchange transaction log files in database Database-XYZ, Cause: Failed with exit code -1032

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the Exchange backup log files:
EX10-F-10380 Validation failed for Exchange transaction log files in database Database-XYZ, Cause: Failed with exit code -1032

Cause:
The Microsoft Exchange VSS Writer cannot access the transaction logs because they are not available in the stored path.
Since they z. B. have been quarantined by an antivirus solution.

Recommendation for action:
Please check whether the transaction log files exist in the provided path.

Windows Agent Oracle Backup

---

The plugin credentials could not be verified due to an unexpected error. Check that the credentials are correct and try again

The Oracle plug-in uses the connection to the Oracle database EZCONNECT. Make sure your configuration in the sqlnet.ora file is correct.
e.g.:
# SQLNET.ORA Network Configuration File: d:\oracle\ora92\network\admin\sqlnet.ora
# Generated by Oracle configuration tools.
SQLNET.AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES= (NONE)
NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH = (EZCONNECT,TNSNAMES)
Start Oracle listener and try backing up again.

ORCL-E-06390 Connection: //ServerXY/[Service Name] [User] could not be connected. OERR: ORA-12541: TNS:no listener

Error Scenario:
You receive the following error message when creating an Oracle job:
The plug-in credentials could not be verified due to an unexpected error. Check that the credentials are correct and try again.

Additionally, you receive the following error message in the BUAgent log file:
ORCL-E-06390 Connection: //ServerXY/[Service Name] [User] could not be connected. OERR: ORA-12541: TNS:no listener

Recommended Action:
Please create a new Oracle job using the following format:
servicename:XXXX
Replace "XXXX" with the port being used.

Once the job has been created using this format, it should be possible to set up and subsequently start the job without issues.

Hyper-V Agent

Hyper-V installation of Visual C++ 2017 Runtime(64) failed

Error Scenario:
You receive the following error message during the installation of the Hyper-V Management Agent:

Cause of Error:
As indicated in the error message, there was a problem downloading the runtime. This issue occurs only sporadically.

Solution:
You can either cancel the setup and restart the installation—including the runtime download—or manually download and install the runtime.
You can download the current runtime at the following link:
https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/vc_redist.x64.exe

Further information can be found here:
https://support.microsoft.com/de-de/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads

Hyper-V VM is backed up by another process

Error Code:
AGCD-E-10348 The virtual machine "XXX" ["VM-ID"] could not be backed up because it is currently being backed up by another process.

Cause:
The VMs cannot be backed up because there are files left over due to an update of the Hyper-V Host Agent from version 7.x to version 8.60,
which are misinterpreted in the backup request.

Solution:
Please change to the following directory and remove all files there:
C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\EVault Software\Agent Worker\Notifications Queue\

A notice:

 Please first update to the latest version of the Hyper-V agent, as this error was fixed in version 8.84.1309. 

Hyper-V unknown exception

Error message:
“unknown exception” in the backup portal during configuration/setup


Cause:
The VMs cannot be backed up because there are files left over due to an update of the Hyper-V Host Agent from version 7.x to version 8.60,
which are misinterpreted in the backup request.

Solution:
Please change to the following directory and remove all files there:
C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\EVault Software\Agent Worker\Notifications Queue\

A notice:

 Please first update to the latest version of the Hyper-V agent, as this error was fixed in version 8.84.1309. 

Hyper-V backup shows no progress

Error code:
A previously working backup starts after the update to 8.60, but no progress is apparent.


Cause:
The VMs cannot be backed up because there are files left over due to an update of the Hyper-V Host Agent from version 7.x to version 8.60,
which are misinterpreted in the backup request.

Solution:

1. Stop the agent services of the MGMT agent and all host agents
   
2. Please change to the following directory (step 3) and remove all files there:
   
3. C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\EVault Software\Agent Worker\Notifications Queue\
   
4. Please restart the agent services of the MGMT and all host agents.
   

A notice:

 Please first update to the latest version of the Hyper-V agent, as this error was fixed in version 8.84.1309. 

Hyper-V backups no longer start on schedule

Error image:
The Hyper-V Agent no longer starts backup on schedule.

Solution:
Please stop the agent's services and wait until the entry in the portal becomes Offline. After you have restarted the agent's services, the schedule should work again.

Hyper-V update from 8.60 to 8.X fails

Error Message:
You receive the following error message when installing the update for the management and host components of agent version 8.X:
Error 1316. The specified account already exists.

Cause:
A registry entry for each of the MGMT and host components is incorrect, preventing the update from version 8.60 to 8.X.

Solution:

1. Open the Registry on the systems where the individual components are installed.
2. Search for the following GUID for the MGMT agent: 27FB23FA45CDCCA419AFA539FAB44906, and click on the "SourceList" folder.
3. Change the value of the "PackageName" key to "TERRA Cloud Backup Hyper-V Agent Management.msi" and save the change.
4. In the Registry of the systems where the host agent is installed, search for the GUID 2BFC6FB3019E15D449DEFDFA7BA62BA0.
5. Navigate to the "SourceList" folder, change the value of the "PackageName" key to "TERRA Cloud Backup Hyper-V Agent Host.msi", and save the change.
6. You can then proceed with the update.

Hyper-V Setup Error (EVault.Shared.BamsErrorMessage: UNKNOWN_ERROR[-1])

Error image:
You receive the following error message when you try to connect to the Hyper-V environment when setting up the management component:

Cause:
The Microsoft “Failover Clustering” feature is installed on the host to be backed up, although no cluster has been set up.

Solution:
Please uninstall the "Failover Clustering" feature and install all current required Windows updates.
You can then continue setting up the management agent. It may be necessary to reinstall the management agent to complete the setup.

Hyper-V connection failed. Please check the credentials

Error image:
You receive the following error message when you try to connect to the Hyper-V environment when setting up the management component:

In addition, you will receive the following entry in the log file of the management service (C:\Program Files\TERRA CLOUD Backup\Hyper-V Agent Management\Data\Logs\Service-AgentCoordinator.XLOG):
HYPV-E-09615 Failed to login to WMI namespace "root\MSCluster" on host "192.168.187.1". System error message: "Access denied (0x80070005)".
The following entry should also be visible in the Windows Event Logs (System) of the hypervisor:
The server-side authentication level policy does not allow the user to activate the DCOM server via the address 192.168.187.100 DomainXY\Administrator SID (S-1-5-21-2769728824-1306310488-2103641813-187). Increase the activation authentication level to at least RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_PKT_INTEGRITY in the client application.

Cause:
A hardening measure taken by Microsoft for the DCOM service used by the agent ensures that the connection to the Hyper-V environment is not permitted.

Workaround:
There is a Workaround, which can be used until March 14, 2023:
Registry setting to enable or disable the hardening measure
During the transition period, during which you can enable or disable the hardening action for CVE-2021-26414, the following registry key can be used:

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Ole\AppCompat
Key name: "RequireIntegrityActivationAuthenticationLevel"
Type : DWORD
Key data: default = 0x00000001 means hardening activated. 0x00000000 means hardening disabled.

After setting this registry key, restart your device for it to take effect.

Note:
Our software manufacturer has already been informed about this problem, so they are already working on a permanent solution.

Hyper-V Granular Restore / File Drag and Drop Error (Error 0x80080780)

Error Scenario:
You receive the following error message when initiating a drag-and-drop operation during a granular restore:
Error 0x80070780: The system cannot access the file.

Possible Cause:

Windows Server Deduplication
The backed-up VM uses Windows Server Deduplication, but the corresponding role has not been installed on the management system/host.
You can check whether the role is installed on the source VM using PowerShell, for example:
Get-WindowsFeature -Name FS-Data-Deduplication
NTFS Permissions of the Source System
The NTFS permissions on the source system prevent the management system from accessing the files.
This often occurs in setups where, for instance, the management system is not in the same domain as the backed-up VMs, meaning the local administrator lacks access to the files.

Solution:

Windows Server Deduplication
Once you have installed the role on the management system, access to the files should be restored.
If you are hesitant to enable data deduplication due to the increased disk I/O, you can disable it again after the restore is complete.
However, data deduplication will likely need to be enabled again for future restores.

Source system NTFS permissions
If possible, you can adjust the permissions on the source system.
These adjustments would then be stored in the backup set starting with the next backup, allowing the files to be accessed again from that point on.
Alternatively, you have the following options:

• Add the management system to the domain of the backed-up VMs or ensure that the user account being used has access to the files.
  
• Restore the entire VM (if possible, start the VM directly from the backup – see Rapid VM Recovery Hyper-V).
  

Hyper-V Granular Restore Fails / HYPV-E-10619 No volumes could be mounted for the VM. Individual data restore cannot proceed

Error message in MOUNTXY.XLOG.txt file
HYPV-E-10619 Could not mount volumes for VM. Individual data recovery cannot proceed.
REST-F-04110 Job could not be completed. [VV]
UTIL-F-08266 Fatal error during job processing [VV]

Possible cause:
The VHDX of the affected VM cannot be mounted on the host, or it is mounted in an offline state, preventing the creation of a share.

Solution:
Please investigate why the VHDX cannot be mounted successfully. The following settings often cause VHDs to be mounted offline:

CMD
Diskpart
san

If the SAN policy appears as "Offline Shared," VHDs will be mounted offline.

Fix:

san policy=OnlineAll

Changes your SAN policy to "Online All."
If successful, you will see the message: "DiskPart successfully changed the SAN policy for the current operating system."

Alternatively, check the automount setting:

Diskpart
automount

If the system reports that automatic mounting of new volumes is disabled, VHDs will be mounted offline.

Fix:

automount enable

Hyper-V Checkpoint of a VM cannot be deleted

Error Image:
In the following scenarios, a VM's checkpoint cannot be removed:
1. You perform a Hyper-V backup of a VM.
2. After the backup creates a VM snapshot and data transfer is still in progress, the Hyper-V host is accidentally restarted.
3. Afterward, the VM snapshot cannot be deleted via the Hyper-V Manager user interface because the "Delete" option is missing.

4. In this state, a subsequent backup also fails.

Cause:
The Hyper-V hypervisor was restarted during the creation of a checkpoint. Shut down.

Workaround:
Remove the snapshot using the PowerShell cmdlet "Remove-VMSnapshot".
Remove-VMSnapshot -VMName <VM Name> -Name <Snapshot Name>

Linux Agent

DISK-F-04144 Error opening file /var/lib/lxcfs

Error image:
In the log file of a Linux BMR job you receive the error message that files under the /var/lib/lxcfs/ directory cannot be backed up due to a lack of authorization.

Cause:
It is a FUSE file system for the use of Linux containers. Within this system, the root user does not have the necessary permissions.

Further information on this topic:
https://ubuntu.com/blog/introducing-lxcfs
https://linuxcontainers.org/lxcfs/introduction/

Recommendation for action:
Since this directory is not necessary for a BMR restore, you can remove this directory on the backup job. After the exclusion, the error message no longer appears.

Delta file not found / damaged

Error symptoms:
You receive the following error message in the log file:
BSTR-E-04166 File not found /opt/BUAgent/localjob/000000XY.DTA
BKUP-E-08194 Delta file missing. Synchronize the job to recreate the delta file. [VV]
The error symptoms are very similar if the delta file is corrupt.

Cause:
The agent cannot access the delta file because it is either missing or—as in the example above—corrupt, meaning the stored checksum does not match the currently calculated checksum.

Solution:
Check the agent directory on the protected system to see if .DTA and .DTX files exist in the job folder; if not, you can start a job synchronization in the Backup Portal.
If the files do exist, please remove them using rm FILENAME or, for example, WinSCP.
Then, please start a synchronization of the job.

An additional process starts during a backup/restore/sync

Error image:
When a Linux backup job is executed, a second "empty" process starts.
In this screenshot you can see an "empty" process that is still active even after two other processes have completed.

Note:
This error pattern has already been passed on to the software manufacturer; this process is simply a display error, as there is no process with the displayed process ID on the corresponding system.

Linux system is displayed as "Offline" in the portal

Error image:
In the backup portal, a Linux agent is displayed as "Offline", although the backed up system is active and backups are still being carried out.

Cause:
The "VVAgent" service no longer works correctly or has stopped.

Solution:
For example, run the following command on the system in question to restart the service:

/etc/init.d/vvagent restart

Alternative:

systemctl restart VVAgent

BMR -E-10596 ISO image not found at specified location: /Bare_Metal_Restore_Image.iso

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the log file of a Linux BMR job:
BMR -E-10596 ISO image not found at specified location: /Bare_Metal_Restore_Image.iso

Possible cause:

1. Relax and Recover version 2.7 is not installed on the system to be backed up (only this version is supported for the current Linux agent)
   
2. The operating system or version of the operating system is not supported by the Linux agent, please check the latest release notes
   
3. The directory "VV" could not be created in the path /usr/share/rear/restore/
4. Dependent software components on the system are missing, for example B. isolinux
   

Recommendation for action:
Please first check the installed version using the following command:
rear -V If the version is less than 2.7, you can update it to 2.7. In the case of a newer version, you would have to downgrade by uninstalling and reinstalling version 2.7. Please check whether the "VV" directory could be created in the path "/usr/share/rear/restore/". Create it if it doesn't already exist. Missing software components are often mentioned in the output of the "mkrescue" command.
Please check this Article.

Important:
This information refers to the latest version of the Linux agent. Older versions of the agent may be compatible with older versions of Relax and Recover.
Further information and instructions on Relax and Recover can be found at:
https://relax-and-recover.org/documentation/

Check Relax and Recover for functionality

You can check whether Relax and Recover can create a recovery ISO using the following command.
The generated ISO can then be further modified by the Linux agent.

rear -D -v mkrescue

If it is not possible to create an ISO, you will find further information about the cause of the error in the resulting log file.
Please note that Relax and Recover is not TERRA CLOUD software and therefore no further support can be offered.

No connection between agent and vault

Error:
The agent could not connect to the vault. The vault address, port number or login information may be invalid.

Reasons:

• The login information entered is incorrect.
• Communication with the affected vault system is not possible.
• A strict firewall configuration (IPS, proxy or TLS) blocks the connection

The following port must be opened so that communication between the agent and the vault can take place:

• 2546 TCP

Check:

You can check the connection using the following terminal command:

nc -zv vault-wmh1-p002.terracloud.de 2546

(Please use the correct vault address here, see the account provision email)
If the process is not possible despite the port being open, you should check the access data of the affected vault profile. To do this, go to the "Sites" tab, select the affected customer site and edit the existing entry. Enter the access data from the provision email 1:1. (if necessary, copy into a notepad beforehand to be on the safe side)
A strict firewall configuration (IPS, proxy or TLS) can also ensure that the connection is not possible despite the above preparations. Here you should always ensure that communication between the agent and the vault system can take place without interruption.

No connection between agent and portal

Error:
During the installation of the agent on a target system, the agent fails to authenticate with the portal.

Causes:

• The entered credentials are incorrect.
• Communication is prevented by blocked ports (8086 TCP and 8087 TCP).
• A strict firewall configuration (IPS, proxy, or TLS) is blocking the connection.
  

Port Check:

Please execute the following terminal commands on the system where the agent is to be installed:

for ((k=1; k<10; k++)); do
nc -zv amp00$k.terracloud.de 8087
done
for ((k=10; k<29; k++)); do
nc -zv amp0$k.terracloud.de 8087
done
nc -zv backup.terracloud.de 8086

Each query must return "done" or "succeeded"; otherwise, a required port is blocked.

DNS Resolution:
Please verify that the DNS name backup.terracloud.de resolves to the public IP address 185.35.13.210.

Credentials:
We recommend comparing the entered details with the data we provided.
Also, ensure that there is no cell formatting (e.g., from copying and pasting from MS Excel) in any of the required fields.

Strict Firewall:
A strict firewall configuration (IPS, proxy, or TLS) can also prevent the connection, despite the aforementioned... ...preparations are not possible.
You should always ensure that communication between the agent and the portal can take place without interruption.

VMware vSphere Recovery Agent

Certificate error

Error image:
The status of a vSphere Recovery Agent version 8.87 or later shows a certificate error as shown in the figure below.
Additionally, backup and restore of the environment is not possible.

Cause:
The vSphere Recovery Agent stores the public key of the ESXi/vCenter Server certificate of the environment to be backed up.
If the public key is through e.g. B. an exchange of the certificate changes, the error occurs.

Solution:
In the TERRA CLOUD Backup Portal, please select the checkbox next to the affected computer and carry out the “Repin certificate” action.
For more information about this error pattern, see the agent's Documentation.

VSPH-W-10577 Failed to get VSS writer information for VM VM name. Cannot create application ready backup

Error Symptom:
During a backup job (using the application-consistent backup option) involving a vSphere Recovery Agent, you receive the following warning message in the log file:
VSPH-W-10577 Information about VSS writers for VM [VM-Name] could not be retrieved. Application-consistent backup cannot be created.

Possible Causes:

1. The virtual machine's guest operating system uses dynamic disks; these are not supported by Microsoft VSS and cannot be backed up in an application-consistent manner by TERRA CLOUD Backup.
2. Insufficient disk space to create a shadow copy.
   

Recommended Action:
For Windows Server 2016 and 2019 guest operating systems, the following VMware article has provided a solution:
https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/52815

Alternatively, you can use the following instructions to verify whether the VMware virtualization layer can access the VSS components within the virtual machine:
1. Create a snapshot via VMware, including the "Quiesce guest file system" option.
2. After creating the snapshot, navigate to the following path within the guest operating system's file system:
C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools\
3. Open the "backup.xml" file located inside the "vss_manifest.zip" archive.
4. Check the content and size of the "backup.xml" file; it should contain information regarding various VSS writers.

If the file does not contain information about the VSS writers, VMware is unable to access them correctly.
In this case, the issue does not originate with the vSphere Recovery Agent.

VSPH-W-10566 Failed to check whether SQL Server transaction logs were truncated for instance ESXI-SQL on VM {1}.

Issue:
During a backup job using vSphere Recovery Agent version 8.82 or later, you receive the following warning message in the log file:
VSPH-W-10566 Could not verify whether SQL Server transaction logs for instance ESXI-SQL on VM {1} were truncated.

Cause:
The vSphere Recovery Agent cannot verify whether transaction logs have been truncated when using a German SQL installation.
This issue likely occurs with all non-English installations.

Recommended Action:
Please change the transaction log truncation setting to "Copy-only backup" (see screenshot).

Transaction logs can optionally be truncated using native Microsoft SQL tools.
Alternatively, you can install a Windows Agent (including the SQL plug-in) on the VM and protect the database using an SQL backup job.
In this scenario, you back up the system via a host backup and additionally back up the database via an application-consistent agent backup.

VSPH-W-10274 Virtual machine "name of VM" could not be suppressed. The backup will attempt a crash-consistent snapshot instead

Error Symptom:
You find the following error message in the log file:
VSPH-W-10274 Virtual machine "VM Name" could not be quiesced. The backup will attempt a crash-consistent snapshot instead.

Cause:
The vSphere Recovery Agent cannot quiesce the file system inside the VM via vCenter because the "Quiesce guest file system" function is unavailable.

Recommended Action:
Please check if the option shown below is available in vCenter when creating a snapshot.
Verify that VMware Tools are installed and up to date within the VM.
If it is still not possible to use this function, please contact VMware Support, as this is an issue with the hypervisor.

VSPH-I-10525 An old version of VMware tools is installed on VM XYZ. Update VMware Tools to the latest version

Error Symptom:
The log file indicates that the VMware Tools installed on a VM are outdated, preventing the creation of an application-consistent backup.

Cause:
Creating an application-consistent backup requires accessing the Microsoft VSS components within the VM.
To use this feature, version 11 or higher must be installed.

Recommended Action:
Please check the VMware Tools version number (e.g., in vCenter) and update it.
Once updated, application-consistent backups will be possible.

For further information, please refer to the latest documentation for the vSphere Recovery Agent.

VSPH-E-10247 An invalid response was received from server "XY". Target may not be vCenter/ESXi

Error image:
You will find the following error message in the log file of a backup:
VSPH-E-10247 An invalid response was received from server "XY". Target may not be vCenter/ESXi.

You may also encounter the following situation when logging into the affected vCenter:

Cause:
The vCenter Appliance's internal certificate has most likely expired. In general, the agent determines that the functionality of the contact person (ESXi Host / vCenter) is currently not available/disturbed.

Recommendation for action:
Please check the situation of the vCenter / ESXi host and renew the required certificate if it has expired.

VSPH-E-10250 VSPH-E-10253 An unknown error was received while communicating with server "XY".

Error image:
The agent's backups fail and the following error can be seen in the log file:
VSPH-E-10253 An unknown error was received while communicating with server "XY."
When processing existing jobs, the agent asks for credentials of the VMware user used.

Possible cause:
A special character not supported by the agent (e.g. §) is in the password of the VMware user used.

Recommendation for action:
Please check the password and try to use only supported special characters: !@#$%^&*()_-+=[]{}|'";:<.>\/?

Restore share is not created REST-E-09279 Backup set release failed [VV]

Error pattern:
The vSphere Agent is unable to create a recovery share. The following error message can be seen in the log file:
REST-F-04110 Job could not be completed. [VV]
UTIL-F-08266 Serious error while processing the job [VV]
REST-E-09279 Failed to share the backup set [VV]

Cause:
The affected virtual machine has a file system that is not supported by Windows. (usually Linux).

Solution:
Virtual machines with a file system that is not supported by Windows can only be fully restored.
After the restoration, you must move the required files manually.

TERRA CLOUD Backup Satellite

Backup "Job cannot be registered to the Vault. It may already exist in the Vault." (Only in conjunction with a satellite)

Cause:
If the satellite is set to "Bypass inactive", a computer or a backup job cannot be registered directly on the Basevault because the Basevault is stored as the current backup target in the Vault settings.

Solution:
Please store the local IP address of the satellite in the Vault settings and try to create the job again.

The time in the satellite is not correct

Causes:
The bandwidth limitation depends on the receiving time. If the time is out of sync, the plan will not work correctly.

Solution:
Please enable port NTP port 123/UDP from the satellite to the Internet.

SSET-F-04145 Error opening file 192.168.187.69"00000-CUSTOMER 00000-CUSTOMER jobname 0000000X":: for output

Possible causes:

1. The satellite has reached its storage capacity limit of 90% and is therefore no longer accepting data backups.
2. The connection (heartbeat) between the satellite and the Basevault has been disconnected for 30 days or longer.

Check:
Current storage capacity can be checked via the satellite interface, and the connection to the data center via connectivity.

Solution for insufficient storage:
A) Upgrade to a larger satellite.
B) Clean up the satellite via the web interface – deletion of jobs/systems that are no longer needed
If an interface version < 0.11.11.3 is installed, please contact TERRA CLOUD Support to schedule a remote session for an interface update or cleanup.
Deletion via the interface is not yet possible in this version.

Solution for lack of connectivity to the data center:
Please check the necessary ports for the connection between the satellite and the data center.
Also, check whether the satellite's replication service has stopped.
A running replication service is required for the satellite to communicate with our Basevault.

Cannot restore if safeset is offline

Error Scenario:
After initiating a restore in the TERRA CLOUD Backup Portal, you receive the following error message:

Cause:
The safeset selected for the restore is available on the connected satellite only as an "Offline Safeset."
With an "Offline Safeset," only metadata regarding the safeset (safeset number, backup timestamp, volume of natively protected data, etc.) exists on the satellite; the actual payload data is not stored there.
This occurs, for example, if a backup was deleted from a TERRA CLOUD Backup satellite via the web interface (removing the safeset only from the satellite's storage) and the TERRA CLOUD Backup agents did not subsequently perform a synchronization.
The agents' local metadata indicates that Safeset X is available for restoration from the connected vault; however, since the payload data has already been removed from the satellite in this scenario, restoring from that safeset via that satellite is not possible.

Solution:
To restore the affected safeset, you must modify the existing entry in the "Vault Settings" tab by replacing the satellite's local IP address with the Basevault address (vault-wmhX-bvXY.terracloud.de).
After making this change, you must synchronize the affected backup job to update the agent's metadata.
As long as this modification is in effect, it will not be possible to run a backup for the agent. Therefore, it is recommended to revert the change before the scheduled backup runs again.

BMR Recovery

Checklist for fault diagnosis BMR recovery

General:
Please go through the following checklist in the event of an error during or after a BMR restore.
Based on the answers, the error pattern can be narrowed down if it is not already covered by the Troubleshooting Guide.
Furthermore, the checklist enables a faster and more efficient support process.

Checklist:

1. Is this a productive restore or a test restore?
2. When was the system last restored in a test restore?
3. Which version of the restore ISO was used? ? Please always use the latest version.
4. Did you restore a file or image based backup job?
5. Does the problem occur during backup configuration? If Yes → Please check the procedure in the documentation
6. Have you already saved BMR restore log files? If no → You can find instructions for this at Save log files of a BMR restore
7. Was the restore to a physical or virtual system? If virtual ? Which virtualization technology is used?
8. Is the original system a BIOS or UEFI installation? ? The firmware used determines the VM generation, for example with Hyper-V.
9. Did you restore all volumes or just those necessary for the operating system?
10. Have different backup points/safesets already been chosen for the restore?
11. What role/purpose does the original system have? ? e.g. DC, MS-SQL, file server, etc.
    

Tips:
A faulty productive restore creates a stressful situation and downtimes should be kept as short as possible.
The following tips can simplify decluttering and save valuable time.

Disaster recovery options:
The following flow chart shows you possible workflows and recommendations for action for various Disaster Recovery scenarios.

Parallel Restore:
You can simultaneously restore from the primary and secondary vaults and, if necessary, a satellite. This means that backups from at least two sources are available to you at the same time.
The FQDNs and public IPs can be found in the Vault overview.

Pursue several solutions at the same time:
Example:
After restoring the latest safe set, the system booted into a blue screen because there was damage to the operating system at the time of backup.
In this scenario, you could restore two older safesets, for example from three days ago and at the end of last month, at the same time using Parallel Restore.
This strategy doubles the chances of hitting a backup point that contains the system data from damage to the operating system.

Recovery in a Disaster Recovery VM:
The TERRA CLOUD offers you the opportunity to provide a virtual machine or a virtual disaster recovery environment in a completely automated manner.
Use this offer to initiate a secondary recovery in addition to debugging the primary recovery in a completely new environment based on Microsoft Hyper-V.
If restoring to the original system/environment is not possible, restoring to a DRVM can increase the chance.

Recovery documentation:
Please attach screenshots of error messages/misbehavior directly to a support ticket or request. By providing documentation in the form of a checklist and screenshots, you can shorten the information gathering part of a support ticket.

---

System starts after a restore in a boot error/blue screen/black screen

Error image:
After a successful BMR restore, the system displays a boot error after starting, such as the following:

Procedure:
Please first go through the Checklist Troubleshooting BMR-Restore and, if necessary, provide the results to support.
Recommendations for action:
Please check whether you can work around the error using the following instructions.

BMR restore of the operating system volume:

1. Run the BMR restore again and restore only the operating system volume
2. Check whether the system can boot after successful recovery
3. If the system can boot, install a Windows agent in the system and register it in the portal
4. Restore the remaining volumes via the Backup Portal, e.g. via restoring from another computer

Log files in system restore (BMR recovery)

General:
Troubleshooting a BMR restore may require access to detailed recovery log files.
The recovery software offers three different log file detail levels in the settings:

• DEBUG
• LOG WARNING
• LOG ERROR

The "DEBUG" option provides the highest level of detail, making it the best choice for troubleshooting.
However, a common issue is that log files are discarded upon reboot following a failed recovery, or cannot be saved outside the system beforehand.

Best practice for providing BMR restore log files:
The following instructions outline a recommended method for saving log files during BMR restore troubleshooting and providing them to TERRA CLOUD Support.
The log files must be stored outside the storage area used for the restore process. This can be done on a network share or a local volume.

Procedure for network share:
To troubleshoot, please restart the recovery process and select the "DEBUG" log level under "Log Settings" in the configuration.
You can specify your network share as the storage destination. After the restore, please send the saved log file to TERRA CLOUD Support.

"Local Disk" Procedure:
Please provide an additional volume of at least 20 GB for the target system, as log files can become very large depending on the scope of the recovery.
If this is not possible—for example, if a physical server is involved—we recommend booking a Disaster Recovery VM in the TERRA CLOUD that includes an additional VHDX for the log files.
You can set up the additional hard drive using Diskpart via the command prompt in the recovery software's main menu.
The following screenshot shows Notepad opened via the command line to display the volume set up using Diskpart:

Next, please navigate to the settings under "Log Settings" and select the "DEBUG" log level.
You can then select the newly created volume as the storage destination.
Once the recovery is complete, please provide the saved log file from the volume to TERRA CLOUD Support.

Failed to GetDiskDetails

Error Scenario:
You receive the following error during a BMR restore:


Possible Causes:

1. The agent to be restored is a newer version than the restore ISO being used.
2. The ISO does not detect the affected system's disks / The system has no valid disks.
3. A different error message occurred previously.
   

Solution:
1) Check the source system's agent version via the Backup Portal and compare it with the version of the restore ISO.
For example, an agent version 9.10 cannot be restored using a version 8.90 restore ISO.

2) Open the Command Prompt from the restore ISO menu and use Diskpart to check if the system has any disks.
If the existing disks are specific models, you can load the required drivers using the following option:
Open Restore ISO menu -> Settings -> Disk Settings -> Update Driver

3) In this case, the issue is most likely a secondary error. It is recommended to check the restore log file:
Open Restore ISO menu -> Show Log

The relevant entries are usually found at the end of the log file.

Vault data corrupted

Error image:
After entering the encryption password, you will receive the error message "Vault data corrupted", in connection with a System Restore Wizard 9.10.1014.

Causes:

• An incorrect encryption password was entered, but an incorrect error message is displayed in System Restore Wizard version 9.10.1014
  • This behavior has already been passed on to the software manufacturer's development team
    
• A Linux system was selected when selecting the computer, but the System Restore Wizard only supports Windows agents
  
• The latest BMR Restore ISO was not used
  

Recommendation for action:
Please configure the logging for a BMR restore using the Instructions and try to restore again.
Check whether there is an error message about an incorrect encryption password in the log file "bmrLog.txt":
msg:Password is incorrect

Device Manager failed to get current information

This error message appears after the password for the backup job Restore Point has been entered.



Solution:
The SCSI controller driver from "Paravirtual" must be changed to "LSI Logic SAS".

Restore BIOS system on an EFI system

Error message:

During the recovery process, you receive the following error message in "Step 3 Map Volumes":

"You cannot drag the volume to this position because the new order of partitions would violate Microsoft Rules.

The partitions should be in the following order: Recovery (if any), ESP (if any), MSRP, and then primary data partition(s)."
Please delete all partitions on this disk and try again.

Cause:
The screenshot shows an error scenario where a Hyper-V GEN1 VM (BIOS) is being restored into a Hyper-V GEN2 VM (UEFI).
This is not possible due to the differing firmware of the two VM generations.

Solution:

Hyper-V:
Create a new VM of the same generation as the source system (in the example above, a GEN1 VM would need to be created for the restore).

VMware:
You can create a new VM via vCenter or the Host Client and use the "Firmware" option to decide whether EFI (required for GEN2 VMs) or BIOS (required for GEN1 VMs) should be used for the VM.
The following screenshot shows the VM creation process in vCenter:

TERRA CLOUD IaaS VM:
When ordering an IaaS VM, you can decide just before finalizing the configuration whether a GEN1 or GEN2 VM should be provisioned;
this generation must again match the firmware or generation of the source system.

Alternative Solution:
Restoring a BIOS system to a UEFI system is possible but not recommended.
To do this, convert the target volume for the system partition to GPT (by right-clicking the disk icon) and drag only the system partition from the source onto it.
The Microsoft System Reserved partition from the backup does not need to be dragged to the target; only additional data partitions, if present, should be included.

Restore EFI system to a BIOS system

Error Scenario:
You receive the following error message during "Step 3 Map Volumes" of the restore process:
An EFI System partition can only be restored to a System using UEFI not a BIOS system

Cause:
The screenshot shows an error scenario where a Hyper-V Gen 2 VM (UEFI) is being restored into a Hyper-V Gen 1 VM (BIOS).
This is not possible due to the differing firmware of the two VM generations.

Solution:

Hyper-V:
Create a new VM of the same generation as the original system (in the example above, a Gen 2 VM would need to be created for the restore).

VMware:
You can create a new VM via vCenter or the Host Client and use the "Firmware" option to decide whether EFI (required for Gen 2 VMs) or BIOS (required for Gen 1 VMs) should be used for the VM.
The following screenshot shows the VM creation process in vCenter:

TERRA CLOUD IaaS VM:
When ordering an IaaS VM, you can decide—just before finalizing the configuration—whether a Gen 1 or Gen 2 VM should be provisioned;
this generation must match the firmware or generation of the original system.

Error assigning volumes

Error image:
You receive the following error message in the "Step 4 Execute Plan" when restoring:
Error mapping volume name "<<drive letter>>" to volume GUID

Cause:
This error occurs when the restore is started with the 8.72 ISO and the backup was performed with the 8.90 agent.

Solution:
If you then use the ISO with version 8.90, the restore should work smoothly.

BMR Restore – bcdboot.exe – Entry Point Not Found

Error Description:

Cause:
There are currently two possible causes for the error shown in the screenshot:

1. An incorrect ISO file was used for the restore
2. There is corruption on the source system

Solution:
Please ensure that you are using the correct ISO file.
This depends on the operating system version of the source system:

• Server 2019 or older: Please use ISO version V1
• Server 2022 or newer: Please use ISO version V2

Run repair commands on the source system:

sfc /scannow

If the scan encounters serious problems, it will abort quickly.
No system reboot is required.

chkdsk /f /r

If multiple volumes exist:

chkdsk D: /f /r
chkdsk E: /f /r
...

If executed without specifying a drive letter, this command requires a system reboot.
The parameters /f /r should always be used. You can run "chkdsk /?" for information on the parameters.
Even if the SFC command finds no errors, it is still recommended to run chkdsk /f /r.
Afterwards, please perform a new backup and initiate a restore.
Previous safesets are not rendered unusable; there is simply a limitation restricting them to File & Folder restores.

RestoreDLL Log: -E- msgID:9457 msg:Destination Volume<XY> :< Volume{XY} > is missing

Error Symptom:
You receive the following error message in the BMR recovery log file:
RestoreDLL Log: -E- msgID:9457 msg:Destination Volume<XY> :< Volume{XY} > is missing
RestoreDLL Log: -E- msgID:4110 msg:job failed to complete

Cause:
This is a known issue that has already been addressed with our software vendor.
The restore ISO is unable to format a large volume within the required timeframe, causing the process to fail.

Solution:
Our software vendor is currently working on a permanent fix for this issue—a new version of the Bootable Media Creator.
The following hotfix can be used until the official release:
1. Trigger an error state in the restore environment/process (start the faulty restore and wait until the error message appears).
2. Return to the main menu and open the Command Prompt.
3. Run the following commands; note the drive letter of the large volume (approx. 3 TB capacity ±1 TB) to use in the next step:

diskpart

list vol

4. Exit back to the Command Prompt and run the following command for the affected drive:

format X: /FS:NTFS /A:8192 /Q

5. Then start a new restore process and skip ahead to the drag-and-drop stage.
6. Right-click to remove the 99 MB ESP volume, then drag it down again.
7. Drag and drop all volumes from the source onto the existing volumes at the destination to overwrite them.
(Important: do not delete them; replace them using drag-and-drop!)
8. Start the restore; it should now complete successfully.

Bootable Media Creator

Creating a bootable USB stick failed with Error code 1

Error image:
You get the following error when you try to prepare a bootable stick using Bootable Media Creator:


Cause:
This error only occurs on systems that are not installed in English.
We have already forwarded this to our software manufacturer to expand support for additional languages.

Solution:
Please create the ISO locally first. You can create a bootable stick using the software Rufus.


If you have any further concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us by email (support@terracloud.de) or by telephone at (-850).

Your TERRA Cloud Team