Error 18210 Backup up SQL Server 2005 Database to network drive

I have 2 different servers that run nightly backup jobs to a network drive using the UNC format. I am noticing the larger databases encountering the following errors on a regular basis

Error: 18210, Severity: 16, State: 1.

'\\fnfssql3\SQLBackups\MNSQL05\<database>.BAK'. Operating system error 64(The specified network name is no longer available.).

BACKUP failed to complete the command BACKUP DATABASE <database>. Check the backup application log for detailed messages.

There are 5 databases on this server all backed up by the same job and 3 of them wortk fine and 2 of them fail so it is not a permissions problem. Have there been any problems with backing up to a network drive in 2005?

Well, backing up to networks drives is not officially *supported*, thats why the browser only display the local drives.

The reason for that and the logical explanation why you shouldn′t do that is, because the network is less reliable than local drives. If you want to make sure the database is backuped to network, you will have to either make sure the windows where the backups are streamed to the network don′t interfer with each other or you use a local backup to a drive and copy the files later over. Thats the most reliable option beside using a NAS / SAN.

Jens K. Suessmeyer

http://www.sqlserver2005.de

|||

Network hic-up can do this. One can see such error without sql involved.

Try trapping the error and retry the operation. Also, try backing up locally as suggested by Jens.

|||

Backing up database to a UNC path is fully supported. You must be thinking of running the database from a network drive.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304261

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2000/maintain/sqlbackuprest.mspx

|||

Oj,

the reason why I put *supported* in stars is, that it is sure supported, but not reliable in terms of just having a network share associated on a UNC share. (I thought he explanation should made that clearer, sorry for the poor explanation :-) ) The reliablity descrease due to your mentioned outages on the network. Having big backup files for the transfer over the network is there not recommended undless you have a SAN or a NAS which ensures more reliablity for the transfer. I often used the UNC path backup too on customer sites but either tried to shape the task to copy the files to different time windows or used a local backup and copied the files over with a mechanism (like xcopy / robocopy) to restart in the case of a connection loss.

Jens K. Suessmeyer

http://www.sqlserver2005.de

Error 1603 During Installation

I'm encountering an error 1603 durring installation of Reporting Services
Enterprise Edition. I've read the knowledge base article about installing
without creating virtual directories but during that install, I get another
error. This error states 'This installation package could not be opened.
Verify that the package exists and that you can access it or contact the
application vendor to verify that this is a valid windows installer package.'
I'm pretty sure that I've specified the path to setup.exe and the .msi file
correctly in the command line. I've tried installing as me, a user with
administrative priveleges, and as Administrator and I receive the same error.
There are no log files written that I can see. Can anyone help me with this?
TIA
ErnieErnie,
I had same problem. I did this:
1. copied the the RS setup files to a folder named "ENT" root to the c
drive. This is the same drive as sql is installed.
2. from the command line in the "ENT" folder typed this EXACTLY:
setup /i "C:\ent\setup\rsrun.msi" RSDONOTCREATEVIRTUALDIRECTORIES=True
It worked. Before, I tried several different cominations of paths and
starting locations that did not work. I don't know why but this did the
trick. Hope it helps.
pepe
"ebferro" wrote:
> I'm encountering an error 1603 durring installation of Reporting Services
> Enterprise Edition. I've read the knowledge base article about installing
> without creating virtual directories but during that install, I get another
> error. This error states 'This installation package could not be opened.
> Verify that the package exists and that you can access it or contact the
> application vendor to verify that this is a valid windows installer package.'
> I'm pretty sure that I've specified the path to setup.exe and the .msi file
> correctly in the command line. I've tried installing as me, a user with
> administrative priveleges, and as Administrator and I receive the same error.
> There are no log files written that I can see. Can anyone help me with this?
> TIA
> Ernie|||Pepe:
Thanks for the suggestion but it still crashes with the same error message.
I guess I'm hosed.
Ernie
"pepe" wrote:
> Ernie,
> I had same problem. I did this:
> 1. copied the the RS setup files to a folder named "ENT" root to the c
> drive. This is the same drive as sql is installed.
> 2. from the command line in the "ENT" folder typed this EXACTLY:
> setup /i "C:\ent\setup\rsrun.msi" RSDONOTCREATEVIRTUALDIRECTORIES=True
> It worked. Before, I tried several different cominations of paths and
> starting locations that did not work. I don't know why but this did the
> trick. Hope it helps.
> pepe
>
> "ebferro" wrote:
> > I'm encountering an error 1603 durring installation of Reporting Services
> > Enterprise Edition. I've read the knowledge base article about installing
> > without creating virtual directories but during that install, I get another
> > error. This error states 'This installation package could not be opened.
> > Verify that the package exists and that you can access it or contact the
> > application vendor to verify that this is a valid windows installer package.'
> > I'm pretty sure that I've specified the path to setup.exe and the .msi file
> > correctly in the command line. I've tried installing as me, a user with
> > administrative priveleges, and as Administrator and I receive the same error.
> > There are no log files written that I can see. Can anyone help me with this?
> > TIA
> > Ernie|||Don't quit trying. I must have tried 25 times before it worked.
"ebferro" wrote:
> Pepe:
> Thanks for the suggestion but it still crashes with the same error message.
> I guess I'm hosed.
> Ernie
> "pepe" wrote:
> > Ernie,
> >
> > I had same problem. I did this:
> > 1. copied the the RS setup files to a folder named "ENT" root to the c
> > drive. This is the same drive as sql is installed.
> > 2. from the command line in the "ENT" folder typed this EXACTLY:
> >
> > setup /i "C:\ent\setup\rsrun.msi" RSDONOTCREATEVIRTUALDIRECTORIES=True
> >
> > It worked. Before, I tried several different cominations of paths and
> > starting locations that did not work. I don't know why but this did the
> > trick. Hope it helps.
> >
> > pepe
> >
> >
> > "ebferro" wrote:
> >
> > > I'm encountering an error 1603 durring installation of Reporting Services
> > > Enterprise Edition. I've read the knowledge base article about installing
> > > without creating virtual directories but during that install, I get another
> > > error. This error states 'This installation package could not be opened.
> > > Verify that the package exists and that you can access it or contact the
> > > application vendor to verify that this is a valid windows installer package.'
> > > I'm pretty sure that I've specified the path to setup.exe and the .msi file
> > > correctly in the command line. I've tried installing as me, a user with
> > > administrative priveleges, and as Administrator and I receive the same error.
> > > There are no log files written that I can see. Can anyone help me with this?
> > > TIA
> > > Erniesql