IT41750: BACKUP OF SYSTEM STATE MIGHT HANG RIGHT AFTER START AT 8.1.7 OR HIGHER CLIENT LEVELS

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Under rare circumstance a system state backup hangs when
  starting, it just shows:
  Backup System State using shadow copy...
  And nothing more.
  
  A trace collected with traceflag service shows one of the client
  threads stuck like seen below:
  
  \..\common\winnt\vssreq.cpp(8044): VssRequestor::queryWriters():
  VSS[GetWriterMetadata]
  \..\common\winnt\vssreq.cpp(8127): VssRequestor::queryWriters:
  VSS[GetFileCounts]: writer 'COM+ REGDB Writer', components '1',
  include files '0', exclude files '0', usage
  'VSS_UT_BOOTABLESYSTEMSTATE(1)'
  \..\common\winnt\vssreq.cpp(8304): Found component:  'COM+
  REGDB'
    logical path:  Top\SystemState\Bootable
    caption:       COM+ REGDB
    full path:     Top\SystemState\Bootable\COM+ REGDB
    display level: 2
    selectable:    no
  \..\common\winnt\vssreq.cpp(8044): VssRequestor::queryWriters():
  VSS[GetWriterMetadata]
  \..\common\winnt\vssreq.cpp(8127): VssRequestor::queryWriters:
  VSS[GetFileCounts]: writer 'BITS Writer', components '0',
  include files '0', exclude files '1', usage
  'VSS_UT_SYSTEMSERVICE(2)'
  \..\common\winnt\vssreq.cpp(8132): skipping this writer BITS
  Writer as it has no components
  
  
  A dump of the dsmc process shows this type of stack, multiple
  other dumps show a similar stack too:
  
  
  
   dsmc!StrCmp+0x10 [d:\...\string\dstringutils.cpp @ 1266]
   dsmc!sortBinMerge+0x131 [d:\...\ut\sortbmrg.cpp @ 229]
   dsmc!llSortList+0x2b [d:\...\ut\dslnklst.cpp @ 559]
   dsmc!VssRequestor::queryWriters+0x11ca
      [d:\...\winnt\vssreq.cpp @ 8408]
   dsmc!vssQueryComponents+0x14a [d:\...\winnt\vssback.cpp @ 1068]
   dsmc!vssGetVssRequestStr+0x89 [d:\...\winnt\vssback.cpp @ 6571]
   dsmc!ProcessVssRequest+0x181 [d:\...\client\clc\dscback.cpp @
      7352]
   dsmc!BackupSystemState+0x39d [d:\...\client\clc\dscback.cpp @
      7219]
   dsmc!DscBackupTop+0x29b [d:\...\client\clc\dscmisc.cpp @ 5750]
   dsmc!DoFunc+0x2b9 [d:\...\client\clc\dsc.cpp @ 2290]
   dsmc!dscLoop+0x3d1 [d:\...\client\clc\dsc.cpp @ 1538]
   dsmc!dscmain+0x2c [d:\...\client\clc\dsc.cpp @ 667]
   dsmc!main+0x1e [d:\...\client\clc\dscentry.cpp @ 92]
   dsmc!invoke_main+0x22
  [f:\dd\vctools\crt\vcstartup\src\startup\exe_common.inl @ 78]
   dsmc!__scrt_common_main_seh+0x10c
  [f:\dd\vctools\crt\vcstartup\src\startup\exe_common.inl @ 288]
   kernel32!BaseThreadInitThunk+0x14
   ntdll!RtlUserThreadStart+0x21
  
  | MDVREGR 8.1.7-TIV_5698MCL |
  
  
  IBM Spectrum Protect Versions Affected: Clients 8.1.7 or higher
      on all supported Windows platforms
  
  
  Additional Keywords: TS009719154 infinite loop sort hung freeze
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client version 8.1       *
  * running on Windows platform.                                 *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * see ERROR DESCRIPTION                                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * This issue is projected to be fixed in the backup-archive    *
  * client version 8.1.15.2 and 8.1.17 on Windows platform.      *
  * Note: This is subject to change at the discretion of IBM.    *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• The issue has been fixed, so the client will not hang during
  systemstate backup.
  

Temporary fix

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

• dsmc
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  TSM CLIENT

• Fixed component ID

  5698ISMCL

Applicable component levels