Status 995 is reported in the SQL Server error log for SQL Server DB backup using NetBackup SQL Server extension

Symptoms:

 

Regular file system backups of the SQL client can run at the same time as the SQL Server database backups, and all of the SQL Server databases are backed up by one batch file. The first several databases fail to backup and then the rest backup successfully.  Once the backup job has completed, NetBackup will retry the backup of the databases that failed on the first pass, they are then backed up successfully.  


Log Files:
The MSSQL <install_path>\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$<instancename>\LOG\ errorlog on the SQL client reports:

2000-02-01 19:48:44.04 kernel BackupMedium::ReportIoError: write failure on backup device 'clr_templates-VNBU0-154-121'. Operating system error 995(The I/O operation has been aborted because of either a thread exit or an application request.).
2000-02-01 19:48:44.04 kernel BackupVirtualDeviceFile::RequestDurableMedia: Flush failure on backup device 'clr_templates-VNBU0-154-121'. Operating system error 995(The I/O operation has been aborted because of either a thread exit or an application request.).
2000-02-01 19:56:44.48 kernel BackupMedium::ReportIoError: write failure on backup device 'inchart-VNBU0-154-305'. Operating system error 995(The I/O operation has been aborted because of either a thread exit  or an application request.).
2000-02-01 19:56:44.48 kernel BackupVirtualDeviceFile::RequestDurableMedia: Flush failure on backup device 'inchart-VNBU0-154-305'. Operating system error 995(The I/O operation has been aborted because of either a thread exit or an application request.).


Resolution/Workaround:
The SQL API is attempting to create the virtual device and it requires virtual memory and/or physical memory in order to do so.  With the regular NT file system backup, the SQL services, and other programs running at the same time utilizing system resources the system doesn't have enough virtual/physical memory to create the virtual device.  When the 3rd and 4th databases in the batch file are ready to be backed up, the NT file system backup is done freeing up the necessary memory to be used in creating the virtual device.  By splitting the database backups into several batch files and staggering the backups so the server has enough resources to create the necessary virtual devices the SQL backups can complete successfully.

 

1.  This problem can be eliminated by breaking up the SQL Server database backup into several policies, each backing up a few databases at a time, and also staggering the backups so that the file system is not backed up at the same time as the SQL Server databases.  
 

2.  Increasing virtual memory and/or physical memory is also known to correct this issue.