IC89340: DYNAMIC DISKS DETACHED AFTER VM BACKUPS ON MICROSOFT WINDOWS 2008 AND MICROSOFT WINDOWS 2008 R2.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Backing up Windows 2008 and Windows 2008 R2 virtual machines
  that contain dynamic disks can result in the dynamic disks
  being detached from Windows at the end of the backup. The
  dynamic disks are still intact and  can be reconnected to
  Windows.
  
  This problem occurs because application-consistent quiescing
  is performed when the snapshot is taken during the backup
  process. For application-consistent quiescing to be available
  on Windows 2008 and Windows 2008 R2, one of the conditions
  that Windows  requires is that the virtual machine must not
  use dynamic disks. This is because VMware uses a hardware
  provider to perform the VSS  snapshot, and shadow copies
  created by hardware providers of volumes that reside on
  dynamic disks have a specific requirement that  they cannot
  be imported onto the same system.
  
  See the following Microsoft VSS topic for more detailed
  information:
  
    msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384594
  
  This issue is also described in the release notes for Tivoli
  Storage Manager:
  
    Version 6.3:
      http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21508259
  
    Version 6.4:
      http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21608413
  

Local fix

• You can prevent this behavior by modifying how part of the
  virtual machine is quiesced. It is possible to configure the
  virtual machine so that application data is not quiesced,
  while still allowing the file system to be quiesced. The
  implication is that application data might not be flushed to
  disk before the snapshot is taken. File system data will still
  be flushed, and the I/O held while the snapshot is being taken.
  
  See the following VMware KB article for more detailed
  information about how to configure the virtual machine so that
  application data is not quiesced:
  
    kb.vmware.com/kb/1031298
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: Backup-archive client 6.4                    *
  *                 running on all Microsoft Windows and         *
  *                 Linux x86 platforms.                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: See ERROR DESCRIPTION                   *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION: Apply fixing level when available. This      *
  *                 problem is projected to be fixed in          *
  *                 level 6.4.1. Note that until the             *
  *                 fixing level is available, this              *
  *                 information is subject to change             *
  *                 at the discretion of IBM.                    *
  ****************************************************************
  There are cases where invoking quiesced VMware VM snapshots
  (VSS) of a Windows 2008 VM containing dynamic disks may cause
  problems, and the VM, or some of its disks, may become unusable.
  
  Some of the symptoms are:
  
  - When you create an application-consistent quiescent
  snapshot of a virtual machine running Windows 2008 with
  dynamic disk, you see duplicate dynamic disks in the Windows
  Disk Manager.
  - When removing the virtual machine snapshot, the duplicate
  dynamic disks appear as missing in the Windows Disk Manager.
  - In some cases, after the virtual machine snapshot removal,
  the drive letters previously assigned to the original
  dynamic disk volumes become unassigned.
  - The dynamic disks may become detached from the VM at the
  end of the backup.
  
  The VMware API used to create snapshots allows a flag to
  be specified to indicate whether or not the VM should be
  quiesced before taking the snapshot. To allow customers
  to work around this issue, the
  testflag VM_DONT_QUIESCE_ON_SNAPSHOT
  is being provided by this APAR. When specified,
  the TSM backup will indicate on the VMware snapshot
  API that application quiescing should not be performed.
  

Problem conclusion

• When the testflag VM_DONT_QUIESCE_ON_SNAPSHOT is specified,
  it indicates that the VM should not be quiesced before
  the snapshot is taken. This is specified on the VMware
  API that is used to create the VM snapshot needed for
  the VM backup operation.
  

Temporary fix

• A fix for this problem is currently targeted for interim fix
  package 6.4.0.1. Until the interim fix is actually available
  this information is subject to change at the discretion of IBM.
  

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• DSMAGENT DSMC
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  TSM CLIENT

• Fixed component ID

  5698ISMCL

Applicable component levels

• R64L PSY

     UP

• R64W PSY

     UP