SQLWriter fails at PreRestore and PostRestore with error 0x800423f4 when SetAdditionalRestores is set true

Question

Hello,
I have taken a full backup of a SQL user database with SQL vss writer. When i am trying to restore with additionalrestores set to true, the restore is failing with error code 0x800423f4.  The backup restore process is successful if the additional
restores is not set.
My setup consists of a windows server 2012 with SQL 2012. I am using a non-csv volume from a storage array.
1) What could be the possible reasons for this failure at prerestore stage ?
2) The restore fails only when additionalrestores is set, are there any pre-requisites for using additional restores?
3) How to enable logs for sqlwriter?
Any reply would be really helpful.
Thanks.
Code snippet for setting the additional restores.
IVssBackupComponentsEx->SetAdditionalRestores(...., bAdditionalRestores=true)
VSS Logs.
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8 BUECXMLC(1082)   BUCOMP] ENTER[CVssComponent::GetAdditionalRestores]
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8  BUEXMLC(0631)   VSSXML] ENTER[CXMLDocument::ResetToDocument]
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8  BUEXMLC(0631)   VSSXML] EXIT[CXMLDocument::ResetToDocument] Time spent: 00:00:00-0000; total: 0; HRESULT: 0
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8  BUEXMLC(0569)   VSSXML] ENTER[CXMLDocument::FindAttribute]
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8  BUEXMLC(0569)   VSSXML] EXIT[CXMLDocument::FindAttribute] Time spent: 00:00:00-0000; total: 0; HRESULT: 0
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8 BUECXMLC(1082)   BUCOMP] EXIT[CVssComponent::GetAdditionalRestores] Time spent: 00:00:00-0000; total: 0; HRESULT: 0
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8 BUECXMLC(1329)   BUCOMP] ENTER[CVssComponent::SetPreRestoreFailureMsg]
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8  BUEXMLC(0631)   VSSXML] ENTER[CXMLDocument::ResetToDocument]
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8  BUEXMLC(0631)   VSSXML] EXIT[CXMLDocument::ResetToDocument] Time spent: 00:00:00-0000; total: 0; HRESULT: 0
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8  BUEXMLC(0156)   VSSXML] ENTER[CXMLNode::SetAttribute]
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8  BUEXMLC(0156)   VSSXML] EXIT[CXMLNode::SetAttribute] Time spent: 00:00:00-0000; total: 0; HRESULT: 0
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8 BUECXMLC(1329)   BUCOMP] EXIT[CVssComponent::SetPreRestoreFailureMsg] Time spent: 00:00:00-0000; total: 0; HRESULT: 0
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8 WRTWRTIC(1101)   WRITER] ENTER[CVssWriterImpl::SetWriterFailure]
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8 WRTWRTIC(1114)   WRITER] ENTER[CVssWriterImpl::SetWriterFailureEx]
[16:10:40.414 P:1668 T:18F8 WRTWRTIC(1131)   WRITER] Setting the restore failure status, hr=0x800423f4
[16:11:48.699 P:1668 T:1A80 WRTWRTIC(1396)   WRITER] EXIT[CVssWriterImpl::InternalGetWriterComponents] Time spent: 00:00:00-0015; total: 0xf; HRESULT: 0
[16:11:48.699 P:1668 T:1A80 WRTWRTIC(1101)   WRITER] ENTER[CVssWriterImpl::SetWriterFailure]
[16:11:48.699 P:1668 T:1A80 WRTWRTIC(1114)   WRITER] ENTER[CVssWriterImpl::SetWriterFailureEx]
[16:11:48.699 P:1668 T:1A80 WRTWRTIC(1131)   WRITER] Setting the restore failure status, hr=0x800423f4
[16:11:48.699 P:1668 T:1A80 REGREGSC(1327)      GEN] ENTER[CVssDiag::RecordGenericEvent]
[16:11:48.699 P:1668 T:1A80 REGREGSC(1331)      GEN] Parameters -2147212300, 1, 1, 0x00000000, {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
[16:11:48.699 P:1668 T:1A80 REGREGSC(1350)      GEN] Event name: ((HRESULT)0x800423F4L) (SetCurrentFailure)
[16:11:48.700 P:1668 T:1A80 WRTWRTIC(4246)   WRITER] THROW[CVssWriterImpl::PostRestoreInternal] Writer rejected the postrestore

Answer 1

Hi LegendKiller2015,
Based on my research, if a backup application intends to apply differential or log backups on top of the current restore operation (i.e., “Restore with norecovery” is needed), the following option should be set as part of component creation for each database
that is being restored.
IVssBackupComponents::SetAdditionalRestores(true)
From your description, you only take a full backup of a SQL user database with SQL vss writer, so there is no need to specify the SetAdditionalRestores option.
Besides, you can check the SQLWriter related logs in the Windows event log. Or you can enable VSS tracing to check related logs, to do so, copy the commands below into notepad, and save the file as “tracing.bat”. Run the same to make the registry changes required
to configure VSS tracing.
net stop swprv
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Debug\Tracing /v TraceFile /t REG_SZ /d C:\trace.txt /f
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Debug\Tracing /v TraceLevel /t REG_DWORD /d 0xffffffff /f
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Debug\Tracing /v TraceEnterExit /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Debug\Tracing /v TraceToFile /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Debug\Tracing /v TraceToDebugger /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Debug\Tracing /v TraceFileLineInfo /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Debug\Tracing /v TraceForceFlush /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Reference:
A Guide for SQL Server Backup Application Vendors
Troubleshooting VSS and Backup
Thanks,
Lydia Zhang
Lydia Zhang
TechNet Community Support