My Veeam job has been failing for a few nights and I keep postponing the investigation.
A failed backup is a disaster waiting to happen. First stop ignoring, then find the cause: usually credentials, full repository, VSS on the guest, or a network path to the proxy.
Try this first
- 1Open Veeam, click the failed job, read the Sessions log: note where it breaks (VSS, snapshot, transport, target).
- 2Check the basics: Veeam Service running, repository >15% free, guest credentials still valid (no expired password).
- 3VSS errors on the guest: inside the VM run Get-VssWriter, restart the problematic writer (Volume Shadow Copy, COM+, sometimes SQL writer). On Linux: check fsfreeze or the application-aware snapshot config.
- 4Repository issues: verify the service account rights on the share or local path, check antivirus exclusions for .vbk/.vib files.
- 5Run an Active Full if the incremental chain is corrupt. Do not hope it fixes itself tomorrow.
When to bring us in
If you see repeated 'Storage failure' or bitrot symptoms in Veeam, run a SureBackup or a manual restore test to a sandbox. Trusting a green tick is not a backup.
See also
- One DC or two DCs for an SMB office?Two is almost always the right answer; one DC is a single point of failure for logon, DNS and GPOs.
- Should I split FSMO roles across two DCs?For a small domain all on one DC is fine; with two DCs splitting is tidier but not required.
- How do I know my AD replication is healthy?Replication errors creep in silently; they only surface when logins or GPOs misbehave.
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