Server Setup
Exchange 2007 Version: 08.03.0192.001 (Rollup 4)
Windows Small Business Server 2008 SP2 (Rollup 5)
Exchange set up on D: drive (449 GB / 698 GB Free)
80 GB / 148 GB Free on OS drive.

Issue
Backup Failure (VSS related)

Backup Software
Windows Server Backup (ver 1.0)

Simplified Error
Creation of the shared protection point timed out. Unknown error (0x81000101)

The flush and hold writes operation on volume C: timed out while waiting for a release writes command.

Volume Shadow Copy Warning: VSS spent 43 seconds trying to flush and hold the volume \?\Volume{b562a5dd-8246-11de-a75b-806e6f6e6963}. This might cause problems when other volumes in the shadow-copy set timeout waiting for the release-writes phase, and it can cause the shadow-copy creation to fail. Trying again when disk activity is lower may solve this problem.

What I've tried

• Server Reboot.
• Updated Server and Exchange.
• ReConfigured Sharepoint (Helped resolve last vss error I encountered).
• registered VSS Dll's (Backups will sometimes work afterwards but VSS writers fail soon after).
• Tried Implementing Hotfix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956136
• Tried Implementing Hotfix: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972135
• I left it for a few days and a few backups came through but then began to fail again.

Detailed Information

Log Name: Application
Source: VSS
Date: 16/11/2011 8:02:11 PM
Event ID: 12341
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SERVER.DOMAIN.local Description:

Volume Shadow Copy Warning: VSS spent 43 seconds trying to flush and hold the volume \?\Volume{b562a5dd-8246-11de-a75b-806e6f6e6963}. This might cause problems when other volumes in the shadow-copy set timeout waiting for the release-writes phase, and it can cause the shadow-copy creation to fail. Trying again when disk activity is lower may solve this problem.

Operation: Executing Asynchronous Operation

Context: Current State: flush-and-hold writes Volume Name: \?\Volume{b562a5dd-8246-11de-a75b-806e6f6e6963}\ Event Xml: 12341 3 0 0x80000000000000 1651049 Application SERVER.DOMAIN.local 43 \?\Volume{b562a5dd-8246-11de-a75b-806e6f6e6963}\

Operation: Executing Asynchronous Operation

Context: Current State: flush-and-hold writes Volume Name: \?\Volume{b562a5dd-8246-11de-a75b-806e6f6e6963}\

=================================================================================

Log Name: System
Source: volsnap
Date: 16/11/2011 8:02:11 PM
Event ID: 8
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SERVER.DOMAIN.local
Description:

The flush and hold writes operation on volume C: timed out while waiting for a release writes command. Event Xml: 8 2 0 0x80000000000000 987135 System SERVER.DOMAIN.local

==================================================================================

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Backup
Date: 16/11/2011 8:11:18 PM
Event ID: 521
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords:
User: SYSTEM
Computer: SERVER.DOMAIN.local
Description:

Backup started at '16/11/2011 9:00:35 AM' failed as Volume Shadow copy operation failed for backup volumes with following error code '2155348001'. Please rerun backup once issue is resolved. Event Xml: 521 0 2 0 0 0x8000000000000000 1651065 Application SERVER.DOMAIN.local 2011-11-16T09:00:35.446Z 2155348001 %%2155348001

==================================================================================

Writer name: 'FRS Writer'
Writer Id: {d76f5a28-3092-4589-ba48-2958fb88ce29}
Writer Instance Id: {ba047fc6-9ce8-44ba-b59f-f2f8c07708aa}
State: [5] Waiting for completion
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'ASR Writer'
Writer Id: {be000cbe-11fe-4426-9c58-531aa6355fc4}
Writer Instance Id: {0aace3e2-c840-4572-bf49-7fcc3fbcf56d}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Shadow Copy Optimization Writer'
Writer Id: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}
Writer Instance Id: {054593e2-2086-4480-92e5-30386509ed1b}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}
Writer Instance Id: {840e6f5f-f35a-4b65-bb20-060cf2ee892a}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}
Writer Instance Id: {9486bedc-f6e8-424b-b563-8b849d51b1e1}
State: [1] Stable Last error: No error

Writer name: 'BITS Writer'
Writer Id: {4969d978-be47-48b0-b100-f328f07ac1e0}
Writer Instance Id: {29368bb3-e04b-4404-8fc9-e62dae18da91}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Dhcp Jet Writer'
Writer Id: {be9ac81e-3619-421f-920f-4c6fea9e93ad}
Writer Instance Id: {cfb58c78-9609-4133-8fc8-f66b0d25e12d}
State: [5] Waiting for completion
Last error: No error

==================================================================================