brbackup (util_vol_online) fails with BR0344E No tablespace has been put in backup status by backup utility

Here are the details of two different brbackup executions:

1. Backup_mode=all; backup_type=online; backup_dev_type=util_vol_online (according to BC-BRI spec this has similar behavior to util_file_online)
2. ‘brbackup’ successfully invoked the ‘backint’ program.
3. ‘backint’ reported set of files to be backed up in .switch.lis file with “#BEGIN”, created .switch.sem file and waited for the semaphore file to be deleted
4. ‘brbackup’ created .switch.log file with “#SUCCESS” and deleted .switch.sem file
5. ‘backint’ then took a backup and reported the end of backup by reporting files in .switch.lis file with #END before file names.
6. ‘brbackup’ again reported “#SUCCESS” in .switch.log file and deleted .switch.sem file
7. ‘backint’ reported the successful backup for all files to output in format: “#SAVED  <BID> <filename>”
8. ‘brbackup’ recognized the “#SAVED” messaged and reported the completion back
9. ‘brbackup’ failed with error: BR0344E No tablespace has been put in backup status by backup utility

Question:

1. According to spec, ‘brbackup’ takes care of putting DB/tablespace in backup status; but we don’t see any ‘Alter database…’ command executed with util_vol_online (or util_file_online) option. And the error at the end indicates that it expected backup utility to move tablespaces into backup status. What is expected from ‘backint’ after it reports back “#SAVED” messages?

1. Backup_mode=all; backup_type=online; backup_dev_type=util_vol (according to BC-BRI spec this has similar behavior to util_file)
2. ‘brbackup’ put the DB in backup mode: ‘Alter database begin backup’
3. ‘brbackup’ successfully invoked the ‘backint’ program.
4. ‘backint’ reported set of files to be backed up in .switch.lis file with “#BEGIN”, created .switch.sem file and waited for the semaphore file to be deleted
5. ‘brbackup’ does not delete the .switch.sem file at all and ‘backint’ keeps on waiting (this continued for almost couple of hours after which I exited the ‘backint’ process)

Question:

1. According to BC-BRI spec, ‘brbackup’ is actually putting tablespaces into backup status and once done with that, it deletes the .switch.sem file. How much time should it take usually? Spec says it’s around 20 mins but here it went on forever.
2. Is there a requirement such that only specific user should execute ‘brbackup’? If yes, which user should that be?

(Above executions are done using BR*TOOLS 7.20 installed on RHEL6.3)

I have attached the log files for both of these operations here; can you please have a look and provide some help/insight into what exactly might be wrong here?