ESXi configuration backup fails with an error - "A general system error occurred: Internal error"
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ESXi configuration backup fails with an error - "A general system error occurred: Internal error"

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Article ID: 312999

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Updated On: 04-16-2025

Products

VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When trying to take the ESXi configuration backup on the ESXi via SSH following the KB article - How to back up and restore the ESXi configuration, it fails as below. 

[root@esxi:~] vim-cmd hostsvc/firmware/backup_config
(vmodl.fault.SystemError) {
   faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
   faultMessage = <unset>,
   reason = "Internal error"
   msg = "Received SOAP response fault from [<<io_obj p:0x000000ff6b57ca78, h:5, <TCP '127.0.0.1 : 49088'>, <TCP '127.0.0.1 : 8307'>>, /sdk>]: backupConfigur
A general system error occurred: Internal error"
}

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7

Cause

This issue can occur if the downloads folder is missing in the /scratch partition of the ESXi.

Resolution

  1. Navigate to the /scratch partition and create a folder called downloads

    [root@esxi:~] cd /scratch/
    [root@esxi:/vmfs/volumes/<datastore UUID>] mkdir downloads

  2. Take the ESXi configuration backup again 

    [root@esxi:~] vim-cmd hostsvc/firmware/backup_config
    Bundle can be downloaded at : http://*/downloads/<datastore UUID>/configBundle-esxi.domain.tgz

Additional Information