Please use the following steps on [VSSDatabaseExpt] VSS_E_UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR (MS SQL database backup in VSS mode).
Symptom:
When performing either a scheduled or manual Microsoft SQL database backup job in VSS backup mode. The following backup errors are received in the backup report:
- Cannot start shadow copy, reason =VSS_E_UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR
- [VSSDatabaseExpt] VSS_E_UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR
The backup error persists even after the following actions have been performed:
- The MS SQL Server version is updated to the latest service pack / rollup.
- The MS SQL Server has been rebooted.
- The VSS writers have been re-registered using the %OBM_Install_home%\bin\RegisterVSS.bat
Cause:
This issue can occur if there is not enough space on the SQL server to create a VSS snapshot of the database. In other words, the maximum size of the shadow storage area is too small.
Resolution:
To resolve this issue, consider to resize the maximum shadow storage area on the MS SQL server.
Refer to the following Microsoft Document for details on how to resize the shadow storage area:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/vssadmin-resize-shadowstorage