Hello everybody,

I have a problem with SQL 

when SBS backup starts there is an VSS error logged in Event Log (4 times in a row, same message).

 

Source VSS, EventID 6013
-------------------------------------
Sqllib error: OLEDB Error encountered calling IDBInitialize::Initialize. hr = 0x80040e4d. SQLSTATE: 42000, Native Error: 18456
Error state: 1, Severity: 14
Source: Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server
Error message: Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM'.

Screenshot of an error: http://www.pixl.org/error.gif

Steps I've taken so far...

1. I've excluded SQL databases folder from SBS Backup

2. Followed some Microsoft Troubleshooting guide which suggested this error to be caused by databases (at least thats how I undestood it) which have recovery model set to "Full" instead of default "Simple" model. According to that information we changed recovery models on all DBs which had it set on "Full".
Link to the guide: http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/6/1/561c9fd7-0e27-4525-94ec-4d2d38f61aa3/TSHT_SBS.htm#backup

3. Did some googling, but nothing good came up, so I'm now running out of ideas...
 

Thanks for your replies :)

Did you install SBS 2003 SP1?

Hi Igor,

 

The error mentions a login failure and 0x80040e4d, which is authentication failed.
After researching the issue, it might not be related to VSS itself, but the permission setting in SQL.

The issue can be reproduced if the BUILTINAdministrators login was dropped from SQL server. Therefore, its worth checking whether the BUILTINAdministrators is in the system administrator role. Also verify the specified account has the right to login.
In this case it was found to be the builtinadministrator had been removed. Once this was corrected ie. put back in the problem appears to have stopped.

from: http://www.salfordsoftware.co.uk/support/kb/SKB315

Hi,

BUILTIN\Administrators are present and they have System Administrator server role and Permit + DBO role on all Databases.

 

Do you think it would help if I remove this group from SQL security and then add it again?

Hi Igor,

 

You can certainly try that.

Unfortunatelly it did not solve the problem

I have the same problem on SBS 2003 using the built-in backup. All available service packs and patches have been applied.

Hi Igor,

 

Are the SQL services running with the Local System account in services?

Hi,

the system instances such as MSSQL$SHAREPOINT and the one from ISA run with the Local System account, the "regular" SQL instance is running with Domain\Administrator account. AFAIK is this a default setting and we have it on other SBS2003 servers also therefore I doubt this is a cause for the error.

Hi Igor,

 

Change the main SQL service to the Local system account too.

Ok, I'll try that and report what happens...

 

Is this a preferred setting for SQL instances? Should I change this also on other servers?

I am seeing the same error on one of my servers.  Oddly, this error started with the first backup after the first of the year, 1/3/06 in my case.

Hi,

 

changing Log on as to Local System didn't solve the problem. Unfortunatelly.

 

Any other idea?

 

This thing is really driving me crazy since we have this problem only on one server, all the others are performing normally using the identical settings.

Hi Igor,

 

If you run a manual backup with NTBackup and only select the System State, does that work? Which SQL instance-services are running on that server?

Hi,

 

it doesn't. At the start of backup (Preparing to use shadow copy) this VSS error messages appear in Eventlog.

 

MSSQL$MSFW (MSDE2000 for MS ISA 2004)

MSSQL$RAVNATELJ (MSDE2000 for time registration of employees arriving and leaving work)

MSSQL$SBSMONITORING (MSDE2000 for SBS monitoring)

MSSQL$SHAREPOINT (MSDE2000 for Sharepoint companyweb)

MSSQLSERVER (SQL2000 DB for applications)

Hi Igor,

 

Try this. Stop the Ravnatelj sql service. Run the manual System State backup. If it fails, immediately run "vssadmin list writers>vss.txt" from the commandline. Which instance is failing?

Hey,

 

wow you were right. If RAVNATELJ service is stopped there is no error in Eventlog. How did you figure that one out? Does this service look really suspecious to you?

 

Ok enough jokes, so what should I do next? What do you think is the reason this service is causing this error? How should I fix it?

 

To tell you the truth I was always wondering why this employee tracking program doesn't use the SQL server instead of MSDE. I will contact the developers regarding this issue.

Hi Igor,

 

Hold back, that instance might not be the culprit. Can you now restart that service and run SBS Backup?

I tried that already, and the error returned.