MS-SQL Intelligent Policy Failure with Status 40 immediately after start

Problem

After upgrade to NetBackup 10.4 (or 10.4.0.1) the Microsoft SQL Intelligent Policy backup fails with Status Code 40 immediately after it starts. This problem was observed consistently, causing the backup process to terminate prematurely and preventing successful backups. 

 

Error Message

May 23, 2024 12:58:42 PM - requesting resource mssql123.new.com.NBU_CLIENT.MAXJOBS.mssql123.new.com
May 23, 2024 12:58:42 PM - granted resource mssql123.new.com.NBU_CLIENT.MAXJOBS.mssql123.new.com
May 23, 2024 12:58:42 PM - estimated 0 kbytes needed
May 23, 2024 12:58:42 PM - begin Parent Job
May 23, 2024 12:58:42 PM - begin Application Resolver: Step By Condition
Operation Status: 0
May 23, 2024 12:58:42 PM - end Application Resolver: Step By Condition; elapsed time 0:00:00
May 23, 2024 12:58:42 PM - begin Application Resolver: Resolver Discovery
Operation Status: 40
May 23, 2024 12:58:43 PM - Error nbpem (pid=3576) backup of client mssql123.new.com exited with status 40 (network connection broken)

 

Cause

The root cause of the MS-SQL backup failure with status 40 was identified as the number of instances (or databases, in a policy configured to backup Instances) in the backup policy exceeding the supported limit. Specifically, the backup policy fails if the number of instances or databases exceeds 29. This limitation leads to the immediate termination of the backup process when the policy is executed.

 

Solution

To resolve the MS-SQL backup policy failure with status 40, follow these steps:

1. Workaround:

   • Decrease the number of instances in the backup policy to 29 or fewer. This temporary measure will allow the backup process to complete successfully without encountering the status 40 error.

2. Permanent Fix:

   • Install the Emergency Engineering Binary (EEB) fix provided by the vendor. This hotfix addresses the issue by allowing the backup policy to handle more than 29 instances without failing.

   Installation Instructions:

   • Download the EEB fix from the provided link: NetBackup Hotfix - Mssql Backup fails if number of instances exceeds 29 (Etrack 4172189).
   • Stop the NetBackup Media Manager services on the Primary Server before applying the hotfix.
   • Follow the installation instructions provided with the hotfix to apply it to the Primary Server.

By implementing the EEB fix, the backup policy will be able to handle a larger number of instances, ensuring successful backup operations without encountering the status 40 error.

 

Etrack : 4172189