Event ID 1542 — Backup and Restore Functionality in a Cluster

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Successful backup and restore requires certain preconditions. The failover cluster must be running and must have quorum. Software used for backup and restore must be compatible with the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and with the VSS Writer used by failover clusters. For complete success in a restore, all nodes must be running throughout the time when the restore is performed. Also, the account used by the person performing the backup or restore must be an administrative account.

Event Details

Resolve

Confirm access to cluster configuration database during restore

An operation associated with a restore of the cluster configuration did not succeed. During a restore, the restore software must obtain exclusive access to the cluster configuration database on a given node. If other software has access (open handles to the database), the restore cannot be performed. If you do not currently have Event Viewer open, see "Opening Event Viewer and viewing events related to failover clustering." After reviewing recent events, consider which of the following actions applies to your situation:

• Make sure that the cluster configuration database on each node is not being scanned or accessed by antivirus software, encryption software, or any other software that uses a file system filter driver. You can use a utility called Handle to view the open handles to a file. For information and download instructions for Handle, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=105134. Note that the file for the cluster configuration database, Clusdb, is under the system root folder in the Cluster folder (usually c:\Windows\Cluster).
• Make sure that the Cluster service is running on all nodes when a restore is performed. The Cluster service helps coordinate actions performed on nodes, including actions associated with a restore.

To perform the following procedure, you must be a member of the local Administrators group on each clustered server, and the account you use must be a domain account, or you must have been delegated the equivalent authority.

Opening Event Viewer and viewing events related to failover clustering

To open Event Viewer and view events related to failover clustering:

1. If Server Manager is not already open, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
2. In the console tree, expand Diagnostics, expand Event Viewer, expand Windows Logs, and then click System.
3. To filter the events so that only events with a Source of FailoverClustering are shown, in the Actions pane, click Filter Current Log. On the Filter tab, in the Event sources box, select FailoverClustering. Select other options as appropriate, and then click OK.
4. To sort the displayed events by date and time, in the center pane, click the Date and Time column heading.

Verify

Confirm that the nodes are running and that the backup or restore process succeeded.

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the local Administrators group on each clustered server, and the account you use must be a domain account, or you must have been delegated the equivalent authority.

Viewing the status of the nodes in a failover cluster

To view the status of the nodes in a failover cluster:

1. To open the failover cluster snap-in, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Failover Cluster Management. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
2. In the Failover Cluster Management snap-in, if the cluster you want to manage is not displayed, in the console tree, right-click Failover Cluster Management, click Manage a Cluster, and then select or specify the cluster that you want.
3. If the console tree is collapsed, expand the tree under the cluster you want to manage, and then click Nodes.
4. View the status for each node. If a node is Up, the Cluster service is started on that node.

Another way to view node status is to run a command on a node in the cluster.

Using a command to view the status of the nodes in a failover cluster

To use a command to view the status of the nodes in a failover cluster:

1. On the node that you are checking, click Start, point to All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

2. Type:

   CLUSTER NODE /STATUS

   If the node status is Up, the Cluster service is started on that node.

Related Management Information

Backup and Restore Functionality in a Cluster

Failover Clustering