Hyper-V VSS Writer State : [7] Failed Last error : Timed out

Had an issue of the Hyper-V VSS when I typed to check.

vssadmin list writers

In the event viewer I got as the following :

\

I want to get the VSS back to be stabilize but not wanting to restart the server, therefore I restart a service.

Service to restart : Microsoft Virtual Machine Management

Keyword :

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error querying for the IVssWriterCallback interface. hr = 0x80070005, Access is denied.. This is often caused by incorrect security settings in either the writer or requestor process.Operation:  Gathering Writer Data Context:  Writer Class Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}  Writer Name: System Writer  Writer Instance ID: {bc497fa6-6627-47fb-a005-ac94fa83904e}Error : 8194 vssadmin list writer Hyper-V State 7 timed out

SCDPM–Job Failed to Cancel or Hung or Stuck BUT Cannot be remove

Environment
SCDPM 2012 SP1

It’s been hours the job has been cancelled but couldn’t be remove from the DPM job.  Can’t execute the next job due to the job is still in progress to cancel.   However, found the issue is with the SQL Database that is holding the job from being release. 

In the SCDPM console, it displays as below :

The following steps were carried out :

• Launch the SQL Server Management Studio (<right-click> run as Administrator)

Once it’s launched, ensure DPM DB is connected

Copy the script below :

USE DPMDB BEGIN TRAN -- mark replica as invalid if there was some operation happening on that replica UPDATE tbl_PRM_LogicalREplica SET Validity = 1 -- Invalid WHERE OwnerTaskIdLock IS NOT NULL AND Validity <> 5 AND -- ProtectionStopped Validity <> 6 -- Inactive -- Release all the locks held UPDATE tbl_PRM_LogicalREplica SET OwnerTaskIdLock = null, Status=8 if (select COUNT(name) from tbl_AM_Agent where Name like 'DPM RA v2%') > 0 begin exec sp_executesql N'UPDATE tbl_RM_ShadowCopy SET ArchivetaskId = NULL, RecoveryJobId = NULL' end UPDATE tbl_ARM_Datasource SET Status = 0, OwnerLockId = NULL DELETE tbl_RM_DatasourceServerlock DELETE tbl_RM_ShadowCopyLocks -- Set All running tasks and jobs to failed UPDATE tbl_TE_TaskTrail SET ExecutionState = 3, LastStateName = 'Failure', StoppedDateTime = GetUtcDate() WHERE ExecutionState NOT IN (2,3) UPDATE tbl_JM_JobTrail SET JobState= 'Failed', EndDateTime = GetUtcDate() WHERE jobstate= 'Execute' OR jobstate= 'Retire' -- unreserve resources held UPDATE tbl_MM_Global_Media SET ReservationLevel = 0, ReservationOwnerMMId = null UPDATE tbl_MM_Global_Drive SET ReservationLevel = 0, ReservationOwnerMMId = null UPDATE tbl_MM_Global_IEPortResource SET ReservationLevel = 0, ReservationOwnerMMId = null COMMIT TRAN

 

• Click on New Query
• Paste the Script into the Query Column
• Click Execute

• Check on the OUTPUT column below
• Close the SCDPM console and open it back.  It should clear the status and be able to execute whatever job that is outstanding.

Hope this helps.   Works on SCDPM 2012 R2 too. 

Resource of the script is from here.

Thank you.

keywords : SCDPM, Data protection manager 2012 SP1, SCDPM 2012 SP1, SCDPM 2012 R2, Job cancel but hang, cancel job failed

PowerShell–Get-VM command is not recognize or missing

Currently I’m supporting one of the customer, found out that the PowerShell is in version 1.0 in the SCVMM.  Therefore, I tried to execute a script using the get-vm but it says as not recognize.

The message was :

PS C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop> Get-VM The term 'Get-VM' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.

As a workaround, I’ve execute the command as below :

Import-Module virtualmachinemanager

Then the get-vm command works.

keywords : SCVMM, get-vm missing, get-vm command not recognize, powershell command not recognize.

PowerShell–Listing of Folder Permission, export to CSV

Today would like to share with you about a way to list down all the Folder and subfolder permission into a CSV format.  This is good especially for internal or external audits.

There are two options that you can run.

• Run in the File Server (provided you have PowerShell installed)
• Run from your Computer (Map the File Server Drive, and also provided you have PowerShell installed in your computer)

The coding is as below :

# This is the file specified for the Output of CSV. Make the necessary change $OutFile = "C:\Download\Permission.csv" $Header = "Folder Path,IdentityReference,AccessControlType,IsInherited,InheritanceFlags,PropagationFlags" Del $OutFile Add-Content -Value $Header -Path $OutFile # This is the top path of where want to scan the permission from.  This will include the sub folders $RootPath = "C:\Download\Driver" $Folders = dir $RootPath -recurse | where {$_.psiscontainer -eq $true} foreach ($Folder in $Folders){     $ACLs = get-acl $Folder.fullname | ForEach-Object { $_.Access  }     Foreach ($ACL in $ACLs){     $OutInfo = $Folder.Fullname + "," + $ACL.IdentityReference  + "," + $ACL.AccessControlType + "," + $ACL.IsInherited + "," + $ACL.InheritanceFlags + "," + $ACL.PropagationFlags     Add-Content -Value $OutInfo -Path $OutFile     }}

Note : Make changes to the Pink in colour according to your CSV file and which path you want to scan your File Server and export out the permission listing.

The output will be something like below when open with Excel :

I’m executing on my PC, that’s the reason I have the output as above.

Thank you and hope this helps.

keywords : ACL, folder permission, powershell, File Server, fileserver, Access list, access control list, permission to CSV

Azure – Removing / Deleting Resource Group with PowerShell

Since Azure introduced the new portal, the recommendation to create is as below :

1. Create Resource Group
2. Create Azure Storage Account
3. Create Azure VNET

That is the 3 basic items that MUST be created first before creating any VMs.

So now I face the “horror of cleaning up” after conducting some demos. The cleaning up is quite a challenge through the GUI Management Portal.  Therefore I need to clear the entire Resource Group.  Before I can delete that, I need to delete all the contents in the resource group. It’s very tedious.

Now I’ve found a way that I would like to share.

Step 1

Update your local PowerShell with the Azure SDK.   If not download it from here.

Step 2

Once it’s installed, then you should have the Azure commands added into your PowerShell.

Launch the Run ISE as Administrator

Minimize the PowerShell Window.

Step 3

• Launch IE (Internet Explorer)
• Go to https://portal.azure.com
• Login with your Azure Account
• Open another IE tab.  Enter the https://resources.azure.com/ to access to Azure Resource Explorer.

• Expand the left panel
• Browse to the Resource Group

• Take note of the PowerShell command (which is going to help later).

Step 4

• Maximize the PowerShell that was launch earlier (ISE) in Step 2
• Login using the command of Login-AzureRMAccount

• Take note of the SubscriptionId
• The command to remove the entire Resource Group is as follow :

Remove-AzureRMResource –ResourceId /subscriptions/SubscriptionId/resourceGroups/resourcegroupname/ –ApiVersion 2014-04-01 –Force

Note : Only make changes to the pink colour syntax.  The first is your subscription ID information that you get from the top when you login to Azure and the second one is the resource group name. 

• If you’re not so sure of the command, then refer to the command that you noted earlier in Step 3 from the Azure Resource Explorer.
• As example I would like to delete off the entire Resource Group of RG-CANADA-CENTRAL-01 in my subscription then I type the following :

• Once it’s completed removing the Resource Group, a True word is indicated.

So hopefully the above helps you as it has helped me in cleaning up the Resource Group.

keywords : azure, resource explorer, manage azure, azure portal , resource group, housekeeping resource group, new azure portal, manage azure portal

How to Remove Azure Account (Cached) using PowerShell

Recently I’ve done quite a lot of testing using various accounts to Azure.  All the commands are executed in the PowerShell ISE (Run ISE are Administrator).

The PowerShell should have the Azure Commands in it already.  If not, can download from here.

Select the Install from the Command-line tools

When I tried to Get-AzureAccount, it displayed more than one account and subscriptions

I need to remove the other subscriptions.  Therefore I perform as follow :

Execute the command as below :

• Get-AzureAccount | format-table id

Once displayed, I execute to remove the account using

• Remove-AzureAccount account-name

Note : Just replace the account-name with the account that needs to be deleted.

Another way is to remove all the accounts then re-add it back. 

To do this execute it as below to remove all the accounts :

• Get-AzureAccount | ForEach-Object {Remove-AzureAccount $_.ID -Force}

To add the account that I’m working on, use :

• Add-AzureAccount

 

keys : add azure account, remove azure account in cache, Azure powershell command line, command-line, azure subscription, AzureSubscription, get-azureaccount, remove-azureaccount, Azure SDK

Reset Local Administrator Password for Azure VM

Recently I had set up quite a couple of VMs in Azure and one of the VMs local administrator’s password I’ve keyed in wrongly and totally forgotten what is it anymore.

So in the Azure new portal there’s a feature to reset the password.

Local Administrator username : bkhoo

The steps taken are as below :

• Launch the new portal : https://portal.azure.com

• On the left menu bar click on the Virtual Machines
• In the Virtual Machines, select the specific Virtual Machine that want to reset the local administrator password.

• In the settings menu on the right, click Reset password .

• Key in the new password and confirm password, then click on Reset 

Then I test it, I can now RDP into the VM using the new reset password .

keywords : forgot password,local administrator password, Azure VM, Virtual machine password, how to reset local administrator password in virtual machine, VM, VMs, virtual machines