Support Tip: Server Manager alert for the VSSNullProvider service after installing DPM 2012 R2 UR3

[System-Center-Team]

First published on TECHNET on Sep 10, 2014

~ Andy Nadarewistsch and Wilson Souza

Hi everyone, Andy and Wilson here. Recently we noticed an issue affecting some customers after installing System Center 2012 R2 Data Protection Manager Update Rollup 3 on Windows Server 2012 R2 computers and we wanted to take a minute and discuss the problem and the workarounds just in case you happen to run into it.

With the feature updates to UR3, DPM 2012 R2 now has the ability to backup VMs using VSSNullProviders . As part of that feature, DPM installs the VSSNullProvider service along with the DPMRA update. After these are installed you may experience the symptoms below on Windows Server 2012 R2 computers.

NOTE Although you may experience the issue below, the DPM backup jobs will still invoke and start the VSSNullProvider service and complete the backups successfully.

Symptoms

After installing the DPM 2012 R2 UR3 agent on a Windows Server 2012 R2 computer, Server Manager generates an alert stating that the VSSNullProvider service (in which startup type is set to automatic) is stopped.

Server Manager Dashboard shows the following:

Service alert (detailed):

This is the VSSNullProvider view in the Services console:

During a backup event the service will be started again. This can be seen in the System Event ID: 7036

Once the backup is complete the service will be stopped 6 minutes after being idle.

Cause

This is by design as Service Control Manager stops the VSSNullProvider service after a backup.

Resolution

To stop the Server Manager alerts, set the VSSNullProvider service startup type to Manual.

Andy Nadarewistsch and Wilson Souza | Microsoft GBS Management and Security Division

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