Exchange Database Availability Group (DAG) backup fails with NetBackup status code: 13, file read failed.

Problem

Exchange Database Availability Group (DAG) backup fails with NetBackup status code: 13, file read failed.

Error Message

Apr 29, 2019 10:05:30 AM - Error bpbrm (pid=7348) from client dag1: ERR - failure reading file: Microsoft Information Store:\User Database 1 (BEDS 0x0: )

Review of the BPFIS log on the Exchange client revealed:

10:04:15.469 [4004.7024] <16> get_backup_status: ERR - Create Named Pipe failed for VSS Backup Complete - 0xe7.
10:04:18.500 [4004.7024] <16> return_VSS_status: ERR - Handle invalid for the VSS Backup Complete named pipe.

Cause

Very little information was available related to the error messages outlined above.  As a troubleshooting measure, an attempt was made to move the offending mailbox database to a different node of the DAG via the 'Move-ActiveMailboxDatabase' cmdlet.  That operation failed with:

"An Active Manager operation failed. Error The database action failed. Error: An error occurred while trying to validate the specified database copy for possible activation. Error: Database copy ‘my_database_name' on server ‘my_server_name' has content index catalog files in the following state: ‘Failed'.."

Based on the above, the customer was referred to their operating system vendor (Microsoft) but later advised that they were able to move the mailbox database after restarting the Microsoft Information Store on all members of the DAG.

Subsequently, all backups succeeded as well.

Solution

Restart the Microsoft Information Store on all members of the DAG.