Troubleshooting Backup System State Backup of component [NPS Database;] failed

NPS VSS Writer

The NPS writer is responsible for enumerating the Network Policy Server (NPS) configuration files for servers that have the Network Policy and Access Services role installed.

Linked to this is mostly the Remote Desktop Gateway. so think twice before restarting :)

I have not found what service is linked to the NPS Writer, but I do have found a bigger list with VSS Writers. source: https://support.software.dell.com/appassure/kb/129774

• Find each of the VSS writers in a failed state by issuing this command in an elevated command prompt - vssadmin list writers.
• Make a list of all the failed VSS writers or take a screenshot.
• Find the VSS writer's associated Service Display Name in the table below and restart the service.
• Issue the command again to confirm the status has changed Stable with no Error - vssadmin list writers.
• Attempt to perform another snapshot.
• If the VSS writers fail again, it will be necessary to restart the server.

VSS WRITER	SERVICE NAME	RELATED SERVICE TO RESTART
ASR Writer	VSS	Volume Shadow Copy
BITS Writer	BITS	Background Intelligent Transfer Service
Certificate Authority	CertSvc	Active Directory Certificate Services
COM+ REGDB Writer	VSS	Volume Shadow Copy
DFS Replication service writer	DFSR	DFS Replication
DHCP Jet Writer	DHCPServer	DHCP Server
FRS Writer	NtFrs	File Replication
FSRM writer	srmsvc	File Server Resource Manager
IIS Config Writer	AppHostSvc	Application Host Helper Service
IIS Metabase Writer	IISADMIN	IIS Admin Service
Microsoft Exchange Replica Writer	MSExchangeRepl	Microsoft Exchange Replication Service
Microsoft Exchange Writer	MSExchangeIS	Microsoft Exchange Information Store
Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer	vmms	Hyper-V Virtual Machine Management
MSMQ Writer (MSMQ)	MSMQ	Message Queuing
MSSearch Service Writer	WSearch	Windows Search
NPS VSS Writer	EventSystem	COM+ Event System
NTDS	NTDS	Active Directory Domain Services
OSearch VSS Writer	OSearch	Office SharePoint Server Search
OSearch14 VSS Writer	OSearch14	SharePoint Server Search 14
Registry Writer	VSS	Volume Shadow Copy
Shadow Copy Optimization Writer	VSS	Volume Shadow Copy
SMS Writer	SMS_SITE_VSS_WRITER	SMS_SITE_VSS_WRITER
SPSearch VSS Writer	SPSearch	Windows SharePoint Services Search
SPSearch4 VSS Writer	SPSearch4	SharePoint Foundation Search V4
SqlServerWriter	SQLWriter	SQL Server VSS Writer
System Writer	CryptSvc	Cryptographic Services
TermServLicensing	TermServLicensing	Remote Desktop Licensing
WDS VSS Writer	WDSServer	Windows Deployment Services Server
WIDWriter	WIDWriter	Windows Internal Database VSS Writer
WINS Jet Writer	WINS	Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)
WMI Writer	Winmgmt	Windows Management Instrumentation

or----

VSS Writers and Corresponding Service Table

VSS Writer	Service Name	Service Display Name
ADAM $instanceName Writer	ADAM_$instanceName	$instanceName
ASR Writer	VSS	Volume Shadow Copy
BITS Writer	BITS	Background Intelligent Transfer Service
Certificate Authority	CertSvc	Active Directory Certificate Services
COM+ REGDB Writer	VSS	Volume Shadow Copy
DFS Replication service writer	DFSR	DFS Replication
DHCP Jet Writer	DHCPServer	DHCP Server
FRS Writer	NtFrs	File Replication
FSRM writer	srmsvc	File Server Resource Manager
IIS Config Writer	AppHostSvc	Application Host Helper Service
IIS Metabase Writer	IISADMIN	IIS Admin Service
Microsoft Exchange Replica Writer	MSExchangeRepl	Microsoft Exchange Replication Service
Microsoft Exchange Writer	MSExchangeIS	Microsoft Exchange Information Store
Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer	vmms	Hyper-V Virtual Machine Management
MSMQ Writer (MSMQ)	MSMQ	Message Queuing
MSSearch Service Writer	WSearch	Windows Search
NPS VSS Writer	EventSystem	COM+ Event System
NTDS	NTDS	Active Directory Domain Services
OSearch VSS Writer	OSearch	Office SharePoint Server Search
OSearch14 VSS Writer	OSearch14	SharePoint Server Search 14
OSearch15 VSS Writer	OSearch15	SharePoint Server Search 15
Registry Writer	VSS	Volume Shadow Copy
Shadow Copy Optimization Writer	VSS	Volume Shadow Copy
SharePoint Services Writer	SPWriter	Windows SharePoint Services VSS Writer
SMS Writer	SMS_SITE_VSS_WRITER	SMS_SITE_VSS_WRITER
SPSearch VSS Writer	SPSearch	Windows SharePoint Services Search
SPSearch4 VSS Writer	SPSearch4	SharePoint Foundation Search V4
SqlServerWriter	SQLWriter	SQL Server VSS Writer
System Writer	CryptSvc	Cryptographic Services
TermServLicensing	TermServLicensing	Remote Desktop Licensing
WDS VSS Writer	WDSServer	Windows Deployment Services Server
WIDWriter	WIDWriter	Windows Internal Database VSS Writer
WINS Jet Writer	WINS	Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)
WMI Writer	Winmgmt	Windows Management Instrumentation

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1. NPS VSS Writer = Com+ Event System
2. IIS Config Writer = Application Host Helper Service

The COM + Event System  handles the following services:

System Event Notification Service

File Replication Service

DHCP Server

DFS Replication

Background Intelligent Transfer Service

Restarting this helps a few of the VSS writers that may fail.

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Spent too much time on this problem, but found a way to get all the writers to a stable state.  Not sure about the IIS writer, since the servers I was working on did not have that writer.  You can remove it, by deleting the key in HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\VSS\Diag.  As for the NPS VSS Writer, I discovered that if I run the Windows backup app, and select only system state for backup, the writer will go to a stable state, after the backup fails.  I can then get a system state backup using NetBackup.

To re-register the VSS WMI Writer, open a command prompt and run: 

# cd %windir%\system32\wbem​​​
# for /f /%s in ('dir /b *.dll) do regsvr32 /s %s
# wmiprvse /regserver
# winmgmt /regserver