Job fails to start due to timeout

KB ID: 1909
Product: Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows
Veeam Backup & Replication
Version: VBR - 7 and up | VAW - 2.x and up
Published: 2014-07-29
Last Modified: 2022-07-11
Get weekly article updates
By subscribing, you are agreeing to have your personal information managed in accordance with the terms of Veeam's Privacy Notice.

Cheers for trusting us with the spot in your mailbox!

Now you’re less likely to miss what’s been brewing in our knowledge base with this weekly digest

error icon

Oops! Something went wrong.

Please try again later.

Challenge

In Veeam Backup & Replication, if more than 100 jobs are running simultaneously, and the user attempts to start more jobs, they may fail to start with the following error message:
Error Job <JobName> cannot be started. SessionId: <UUID>, Timeout: [361 sec]
A Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows backup job may fail with:
Managed session <UUID> has failed 
In the Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows service logs (Svc.VeeamEndpointBackup.log) following errors are found:
Error Job <JobName> cannot be started. SessionId: <UUID>, Timeout: [361 sec]
Error Job [Infrastructure update] has failed to start. Timeout expired (6 minutes). SessionId: <UUID>
The following event is found in the System event logs:
Log Name:      System
Source:        Win32k
Event ID:      243
Task Category: None
Level:         Warning
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:     
Description:
A desktop heap allocation failed.

Cause

By default, Veeam services are run as the LocalSystem account. As a result, all processes are started under NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM context. If the Windows OS is running out of Desktop Heap memory, new processes can't be started. 

Solution

Article Applicability

This article is relevant to a specific scenario where the Windows OS suffers from a 'heap allocation' failure.

The solution provided in this article should only be performed if Event ID# 243 is found in the Windows System Event Logs (eventvwr.msc).

The Desktop Heap size must be increased via a registry modification.

Because this change will affect the desktop heap of all services (also known as non-interactive window stations), do not make the new value larger than necessary.

  1. Run regedit and navigate to
    HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\SubSystems

  2. Find string named "Windows"

  3. Edit the Value data to change the third "SharedSection" value only.
    Do not modify any other values.

  4. Press OK
  5. Reboot the machine
The steps provided will not always resolve the heap issue; in case of a desktop heap memory leak caused by a third-party service, the issue may return several days\weeks after OS restart. If this occurs, we recommend contacting Microsoft support for low-level debugging assistance.

More Information

Starting with Server 2012 R2, Microsoft has changed the core logic of the heap memory management system, and publicly available tools used with previous versions to check per process head usage are incompatible. If you encounter the Veeam error listed in this KB and Event ID# 243 is found in the event viewer, we advise opening a case with Microsoft support to request assistance tracking down any service memory leaks.
To submit feedback regarding this article, please click this link: Send Article Feedback
To report a typo on this page, highlight the typo with your mouse and press CTRL + Enter.

Spelling error in text

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Thank you!

Thank you!

Your feedback has been received and will be reviewed.

Oops! Something went wrong.

Please try again later.

KB Feedback/Suggestion

This form is only for KB Feedback/Suggestions, if you need help with the software open a support case

By submitting, you are agreeing to have your personal information managed in accordance with the terms of Veeam's Privacy Notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Verify your email to continue your product download
We've sent a verification code to:
  • Incorrect verification code. Please try again.
An email with a verification code was just sent to
Didn't receive the code? Click to resend in sec
Didn't receive the code? Click to resend
Thank you!

Thank you!

Your feedback has been received and will be reviewed.

error icon

Oops! Something went wrong.

Please try again later.