Veeam Free Causes SQL Error 3041

I’m running Veeam Free 3.0.1.1039 on a Server 2016 running SQL Server 2016. Every time the backup runs, I see MSSQLSERVER event ID 3041 in the Application event log:  “BACKUP failed to complete the command BACKUP LOG model. Check the backup application log for detailed messages.” The error occurs on each database. The same error appears in the SQL ERRORLOG, but with no more detail.

This Veeam forum thread reported the same error.

I found a Veeam KB article that I thought might be related:

SQL Log Truncation and Log Backup Silently Fails After Installing Veeam 9.5 Update 3
https://www.veeam.com/kb2447

Basically this points to the user executing the SQL backup not having sufficient permissions to finish the SQL backup. While I couldn’t find the message mentioned in that article, I decided to change the service user. That seems to have resolved the issue. Follow these steps:

1. Open your backup job wizard and note down all settings including the job name on the first page . These will be lost when you change users.
2. In SQL Server Management Studio, under Security > Logins, identify a user that has sysadmin privileges on the SQL server as well as full admin rights on the file system. (I already had a user defined for other reasons; you may need to add a SQL Login and grant permissions.)
3. In services.msc, change the Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows logon from Local System to the user identified in step 2. Restart the service.
4. Go back in to Veeam and configure a backup job using settings noted in step 1. If you give it the identical name, it may be able to continue the incremental backup chain from the previous backup. (I was unable to test this properly as I had already given it a different name.)
5. Test the job. The 3041 errors should not appear.

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