When you perform a system state backup on a domain controller that is running Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, Backup may fail (909265)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to perform a system state backup on a domain controller that is running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), Backup may fail. Additionally, Backup may report the following error in the Backup.log file:

Backup Status
Operation: Backup
Active backup destination: File
Media name: "bkup_file.bkf created MM/DD/YYYYat HH:MM AM|PM"
NTDS has reported a VSS error 0x800423f0.
Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:800423f0
Reverting to non-shadow copy backup mode.
Backup of "System State"
Backup set #1 on media #1
Backup description: "Set created MM/DD/YYYYat HH:MM AM|PM"
Media name: "bkup_file.bkf created MM/DD/YYYYat HH:MM AM|PM"
Backup Type: Copy
Issuing the "vssadmin list writers" command indicates that the NTDS writer failed.
VSSADMIN LOG entries: ====================
Writer name: 'NTDS' Writer Id: {b2014c9e-8711-4c5c-a5a9-3cf384484757}
Writer Instance Id: {31102ed2-faf7-4617-89b0-4d3bfa41d211}
State: [9] Failed
Last error: Retryable error

Because you cannot perform system state backups, objects in the Active Directory directory service cannot be restored on domain controllers. Therefore, you cannot perform the following tasks:

Restore deleted objects
Recover from database corruption
Restore Active Directory on computers that cannot load the Active Directory database after an unscheduled shutdown

CAUSE

In Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Backup works when the operating system, the database, and the log files are all on the same volume or all on different volumes. However, Backup fails when only one volume, either the DIT volume or the log volume, is on the system drive. If both volumes are on the system drive or if both volumes are not on the system drive, Backup succeeds.

Note The DIT volume contains the Active Directory database file (.dit).

A timing issue that involves the Volume Shadow Copy Service and Backup prevents Windows Server 2003-based domain controllers from completing the system state backup operation. In this case, Backup cannot return the following information before the volume shadow copy has been created:

The names of volumes that host the operating system
The name of the Active Directory database
The names of the log files

This behavior confuses the NTDS writer, and it stops creating what would be an incomplete backup.

Additionally, the Volume Shadow Copy Service was modified in Windows Server 2003 SP1 to rely on Backup to add the volumes that host the operating system, the Active Directory database, and the log files to the snapshot set.

When system state backups are made, Backup may not include all volumes that host Active Directory information.

The following table lists the outcome for five scenarios where the DIT volume, the operating system, and the log files are stored across one to three volumes. Backup cannot create system state backups for scenarios 3 and 4 when Windows Server 2003 SP1 is installed.

Scenarios	1	2	3	4	5
Operating system	C:	C:	C:	C:	C:
Database	C:	D:	C:	D:	D:
Log files	C:	E:	D:	C:	D:
Outcome	Succeeded	Succeeded	Failed	Failed	Succeeded

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1

Locate the operating system, the database, and the log files according to scenarios 1, 2 or 5. Drive letter assignments on the domain controllers do not have to match those in the table.

You may have to relocate a DIT volume or Active Directory log files from a domain controller that has restarted in Directory Services Repair Mode. For information about how to do this, see the "How to move the database" or "How to move the log files" sections of the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

816120 How to use Ntdsutil to manage Active Directory files from the command line in Windows Server 2003

Method 2

If a domain controller configuration corresponds to scenarios 3 and 4, select any file on the volume that includes Active Directory database files and log files in the right pane of NTBACKUP. This file can be a dummy file. In this configuration, this volume is backed up by NTBACKUP.

Method 3

Use a third-party backup application that is not affected by this problem.