Backup failed - nonrecoverable I/O

On a SQL 2008 SP2 (10.0.4000) I take database backup with a Maintenance Plan. This morning I had a failed database backup:
Executing the query "BACKUP DATABASE [thedatabase] TO  DISK = N'T:\\Backup\\th..." failed with the following error: "A nonrecoverable I/O error occurred on file "T:\\Backup\\thedatabase_backup_2011_01_18_221400_5137140.bak:" 112(failed to retrieve text for this error. Reason: 15105).
No nice :-(

When I looked in the log file generated by the Maintenance Plan, the error message was:
Task start: 2011-01-18T22:14:00.
Task end: 2011-01-18T22:14:01.
Failed:(-1073548784) Executing the query "BACKUP DATABASE [thedatabase] TO  DISK = N'T:\\Backup\\th..." failed with the following error: "A nonrecoverable I/O error occurred on file "T:\\Backup\\thedatabase_backup_2011_01_18_221400_5137140.bak:" 112(failed to retrieve text for this error. Reason: 15105).
BACKUP DATABASE is terminating abnormally.". Possible failure reasons: Problems with the query, "ResultSet" property not set correctly, parameters not set correctly, or connection not established correctly.

When I looked in the Windows System Log, there was no relevant entries.
But looking at the drive and the free space I saw that there was not space enough for the next backup file.
After a cleanup and manual execution of the Maintenance Plan everything was green.

The amount of free space can be looked up with PowerShell like this:
Get-WmiObject -Query "SELECT FreeSpace, Size FROM Win32_LogicalDisk WHERE DeviceID = 'T:'" -ComputerName SANDY.sqladmin.lan |
Format-Table @{Name='Freespace (GB)';Expression={"{0:N1}" -f($_.FreeSpace/1gb)}}, @{Name='Size (GB)';Expression={"{0:N1}" -f($_.Size/1gb)}} -AutoSize
The value of the parameter ComputerName should be changed to the actual databaseserver, also value in the WQL WHERE clause should be changed to the drive indicated in the error message.

The follow up is to order some additional storage.

I find the error message somewhat misleading. It looks like the ResultSet part is from the connectivity and not from the root error.

History

2011-01-19 : This is postede for the first time.
2013-08-22 : The PowerShell script is added.

SMO by SQLPS

With SQL Server 2012 SQLPS was changes from a mini-PowerShell to a PowerShell module. This makes is much simpler to import the functionality in a regular PowerShell script.
The examples below are written on a computer running Windows 8 and SQL Server 2012.
SQLPS is imported much simpler than we used to import SQL Server Management Objects SMO assemblies.
Import-Module 'SQLPS'
The parameter „DisableNameChecking“ can be added to avoid a message about unapproved verbs.
A list of exported Cmdlets in the module can be shown
(Get-Module 'SQLPS' -ListAvailable).ExportedCmdlets.Values.Name

Backup-SqlDatabase
Add-SqlAvailabilityDatabase
Disable-SqlAlwaysOn
Enable-SqlAlwaysOn
Switch-SqlAvailabilityGroup
Join-SqlAvailabilityGroup
New-SqlAvailabilityGroup
New-SqlAvailabilityReplica
New-SqlHADREndpoint
Remove-SqlAvailabilityGroup
Remove-SqlAvailabilityDatabase
Remove-SqlAvailabilityReplica
Resume-SqlAvailabilityDatabase
Set-SqlAvailabilityGroup
Set-SqlAvailabilityReplica
Set-SqlHADREndpoint
Suspend-SqlAvailabilityDatabase
Test-SqlAvailabilityGroup
Test-SqlAvailabilityReplica
Test-SqlDatabaseReplicaState
New-SqlAvailabilityGroupListener
Set-SqlAvailabilityGroupListener
Add-SqlAvailabilityGroupListenerStaticIp
Invoke-PolicyEvaluation
Restore-SqlDatabase
Invoke-Sqlcmd
Encode-SqlName
Decode-SqlName
Convert-UrnToPath

Server Object

To create a SMO Server object on a local default SQL Server database instance can be like
$SmoServer = New-Object Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Server '(local)'
SMO only connects to the when you ask for something specific. For a start I would like to know the basics about the installation.
$SmoServer.Information

Parent                      : [TITANIUM]
Version                     : 11.0.3128
EngineEdition               : EnterpriseOrDeveloper
ResourceVersion             : 11.0.3000
BuildClrVersion             : 4.0.30319
BuildClrVersionString       : v4.0.30319
BuildNumber                 : 3128
Collation                   : Latin1_General_100_CI_AS_KS_WS_SC
...

The full set of Server property values can be accessed
$SmoServer | Format-List *

AuditLevel                  : Failure
BackupDirectory             : D:\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Backup
BrowserServiceAccount       : NT AUTHORITY\LOCALSERVICE
BrowserStartMode            : Disabled
BuildClrVersionString       : v4.0.30319
BuildNumber                 : 3128
...

Database Object

A SMO Database object can be created on a database with a known name
$SmoDatabase = $SmoServer.Databases['msdb']
This object can give access to some information
$SmoDatabase | Format-Table DataSpaceUsage,IndexSpaceUsage -AutoSize

DataSpaceUsage IndexSpaceUsage
-------------- ---------------
12080            3136

Table Object

Also the Database object can be used to create a SMO Table object. This can be direct on the table name alone
$SmoDatabase.Tables['sysjobhistory']
Or the Table object can be create more specific on the schema name with the table name
$SmoTable= ($SmoDatabase.Tables |
Where-Object -FilterScript { $PSItem.Schema -eq 'dbo' -and $PSItem.Name -eq 'sysjobhistory' })

Again the Table object gives access to some basic information
$SmoTable | Format-Table Schema,Name,DataSpaceUsed,IndexSpaceUsed,RowCount -AutoSize

Schema Name          DataSpaceUsed IndexSpaceUsed RowCount
------ ----          ------------- -------------- --------
dbo    sysjobhistory            32             32       84

Stored Procedure Object

The Database object can also be used to create a SMO Stored Procedure object. Like the Table object it can be created in two ways, but I will be (professional) lazy and only show the creation on the name alone
$SmoStoredProcedure = $SmoDatabase.StoredProcedures['sp_get_job_alerts']
A stored procedure usually has one or more parameters that can be described with
$SmoStoredProcedure.Parameters | Format-Table Name,DataType,DefaultValue,IsOutputParameter -AutoSize

Name      DataType         DefaultValue IsOutputParameter
----      --------         ------------ -----------------
@job_id   uniqueidentifier                          False
@job_name sysname                                   False

Server Job Object

With the installation of the SQL Server database service is also installed SQL Server Agent that is the SQL Server scheduler used for maintenance, monitoring and other automated tasks.
A SMO Job Server object can be created from a Server object property and gives a quick access to some basic SQL Server Agent information
$SmoServer.JobServer

AgentDomainGroup          : NT SERVICE\SQLSERVERAGENT
AgentLogLevel             : Errors, Warnings
AgentMailType             : SqlAgentMail
AgentShutdownWaitTime     : 15
DatabaseMailProfile       : 
ErrorLogFile              : D:\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Log\SQLAGENT.OUT
...

More interesting is the information om a job, where a SMO Server Job object can be created on the Server object
$SmoJob = $SmoServer.JobServer.Jobs['syspolicy_purge_history']
This gives access to some basic information on the job and its execution
$SmoJob | Format-Table CurrentRunStatus,LastRunDate,LastRunOutCome,NextRunDate -AutoSize

CurrentRunStatus LastRunDate         LastRunOutcome NextRunDate        
---------------- -----------         -------------- -----------        
            Idle 05-04-2013 02:00:00      Succeeded 21-05-2013 02:00:00

Reference

There are much more on SMO in MSDN Library, you can start with
„Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo Namespace“
SMO is much larger which is indicated at
„SQL Server Management Objects Reference“, take a look at the index to the left.

Attending TechEd North America 2013

SQL Alias

Some applications can not use a connectionstring on a given TCP port number or a named database instance. This can be solved by a SQL Alias. Usually this is created using SQL Server Configuration Manager, but a installation of SQL Server Client Connectivity is actually not required.
A SQL Alias can be created as a Connectivity alias using the tool"cliconfg.exe", that is a part of Windows Data Access Components (WDAC, formerly MDAC).

Builds

The "cliconfg.exe" comes in two builds

• 64-bit: %windir%\System32\cliconfg.exe
• 32-bit: %windir%\SysWOW64\cliconfg.exe

when you are on a 64-bit (x64) Windows. On a 64-bit Windows the 64-bit "cliconfg.exe" is default.
Usually you have to be local administrator to add a new alias.
Any SQL Alias if it is 32-bit or 64-bit created by "cliconfg.exe" can be crated and edited in SQL Server Configuration Manager if the SQL Client Connectivity is installed.

Registration

The registration of a SQL Alias is placed in the registry:

• 64-bit: \\HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\Client\ConnectTo\
• 32-bit: \\HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\Client\ConnectTo\

Like any other entry in the registry they can be managed by the native API or by Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) using a COM tool like Windows Scripting Host (WSH) by JScript or using a .NET tool like PowerShell.
The PowerShell cmdlet New-ItemProperty can be used like this:
[String]$RegPath = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\Client\ConnectTo'
[String]$RegName = 'SPSQL'
[String]$RegData = 'DBMSSOCN,DBSERVER.bacon.lan,54321'

New-ItemProperty -Path $RegPath -Name $RegName -PropertyType String -Value $RegData
DBMSSOCN is the TCP/IP network libary.

Check SQL Alias

Like any other connection a SQL alias can be checked by a Universal Data Link (UDL) file.

1. Create a empty text file and rename it “something.udl” to the filetype UDL.
2. Edit the properties of the UDL definition. This can be done by doubleclick on the file in Windows Explorer.
3. Pick a provider, e.g. “Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server”
4. Enter the name of the SQL Alias as servername and security information.
5. Click “Test”.

WARNING! The content of a UDL file is clear text. If you enter username and password for a SQL Login, this will be readable.

Reference

MSDN Blogs > SQL Protocols: “Connection Alias”.
Molson Online: “Windows 7 64 bit and SQL Server cliconfg”.
MSDN Blogs > SQL Protocols: “Configure and manage SQL Server 2005 from your application using WMI”.
MSDN Blogs > SQL Protocols: “Configure Aliases Programmatically Using WMI”.

History

2011-04-23 Original blog entry.
2013-04-13 PowerShell cmdlet New-ItemProperty added.

SQLPS Clear-Host error

When a ps1-scriptfile contains a Clear-Host statement, which I often use when testing a script in PowerShell ISE, the script fails on SQLPS with an error like this:
A job step received an error at line 3 in a PowerShell script. The corresponding line is '$space.ForegroundColor = $host.ui.rawui.ForegroundColor'. Correct the script and reschedule the job. The error information returned by PowerShell is: 'Exception setting "ForegroundColor": "Cannot convert null to type "System.ConsoleColor" due to invalid enumeration values. Specify one of the following enumeration values and try again. The possible enumeration values are "Black, DarkBlue, DarkGreen, DarkCyan, DarkRed, DarkMagenta, DarkYellow, Gray, DarkGray, Blue, Green, Cyan, Red, Magenta, Yellow, White"."

A quick work-around is to comment out the Clear-Host statement as a preparation to execute it as a PowerShell step in a SQL Server Agent job.

This is on a Windows Server 2008 R2 with SQL Server 2008 R2. The Windows PowerShell is 3.0 while SQLPS is 2.0.