A snapshot copy backup of a storage group fails and Event IDs are logged in the Application log in Exchange Server 2003

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Symptoms

When you use the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to take a snapshot shadow copy of a Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 storage group or of an Exchange 2003 store, you experience the following symptoms:

The backup operation fails. In this scenario, the following events are logged in the Application log:
- Event Type: Error
  Event Source: MSExchangeIS
  Event Category: Exchange VSS Writer
  Event ID: 9611
  Date: date
  Time: time
  User: N/A
  Computer: SERVER
  Description: Error code 0xfffff69d when freezing the Storage groups.
- Event Type: Error
  Event Source: ESE
  Event Category: ShadowCopy
  Event ID: 2002
  Date: date
  Time: time
  User: N/A
  Computer: SERVER
  Description: Information Store (5992) Shadow copy instance number encountered error -2403 on freeze.
Note In these events, "0xffff69d " and "-2403" refer to a Jet_errOSSnapShotNotAllowed event. This event means that VSS cannot do the following while backup is in progress or while recovery is in progress:
- VSS cannot take a snapshot shadow copy of a Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 storage group.
- VSS cannot take a snapshot shadow copy of an Exchange 2003 store.
You use the Windows Backup program (NTBackup) as a test backup program to perform an online backup of the Exchange 2003 storage group. However, the backup operation fails. Additionally, the following error information is logged in the backup report:
Backup started on date at time.
The 'Microsoft Information Store' returned 'Backup is already active. ' from a call
to 'HrESEBackupSetup()' additional data '-'The 'Microsoft Information Store'
returned 'Functions called in an invalid sequence. '
from a call to 'HrESEBackupClose()' additional data '-'

Note By default, the backup report is named Backupxx.log. This file is located in the following folder:

%Userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\Data

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Cause

This problem occurs if the Exchange transaction log files are manually moved or are manually deleted from the transaction log folder when a storage group is running. The VSS process tries to delete each unnecessary log file after a full online backup. If the VSS process cannot find one of the log files, the backup fails and the "backup in progress" flag is not reset.

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Resolution

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

On the affected Exchange server, stop the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service. Alternatively, dismount all the stores that are in the affected storage group.
Run the eseutil/mh command against each database in the affected storage group. Do this to make sure that each database is in a Clean Shutdown state. For more information about how to do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d8fd559e-6262-4e89-a7fc-457286d0ddf3.aspx
Note Do not continue this procedure until each database is in a Clean Shutdown state.
Move all the transaction log files and all the system files from the transaction log folder to a backup location.
Restart the Exchange server.

Note This problem may cause the backup process to become locked. When you restart the computer, all active backup processes are exited.
Perform a full online backup.

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