Configuring SFTP backups in SDDC Manager fails for "Saving SDDC Manager Backup file failed"

Products

• VMware Cloud Foundation

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• File system backups for SDDC manger fails consistently with error 'Failed to send file to remote location'. The below error in /var/log/vmware/vcf/sddc-support/backup-*/sos.log may also be seen:

2020-11-23T13:39:44.750Z [DEBUG commandutils.py::run_cmds_over_ssh::366::backup-255ebaca-4677-4bf2-ac4e-3fa8b5c4ab7b] server: 172.17.62.201 ------ cmd: ls /upload/backup/sddc-manager-backup/vcf-backup-sddc-manager-row13-local-2020-11-23-13-39-02.tar.gz
2020-11-23T13:39:45.012Z [DEBUG commandutils.py::run_cmds_over_ssh::390::backup-255ebaca-4677-4bf2-ac4e-3fa8b5c4ab7b] server: 172.17.62.201 --- rc: 1
2020-11-23T13:39:45.015Z [DEBUG commandutils.py::run_cmds_over_ssh::393::backup-255ebaca-4677-4bf2-ac4e-3fa8b5c4ab7b] server: 172.17.62.201 --- stdout: 
2020-11-23T13:39:45.017Z [DEBUG commandutils.py::run_cmds_over_ssh::395::backup-255ebaca-4677-4bf2-ac4e-3fa8b5c4ab7b] server: 172.17.62.201 --- stderr: 
2020-11-23T13:39:45.020Z [INFO commandutils.py::run_cmds_over_ssh::397::backup-255ebaca-4677-4bf2-ac4e-3fa8b5c4ab7b] rc is not 0, but: 1
2020-11-23T13:39:45.023Z [DEBUG fileutils.py::copy_file_to_remote::177::backup-255ebaca-4677-4bf2-ac4e-3fa8b5c4ab7b] Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "utils/fileutils.py", line 171, in copy_file_to_remote
AssertionError: Copying file /var/log/vmware/vcf/sddc-support/backup-2020-11-23-13-39-02-1657/vcf-backup-sddc-manager-row13-local-2020-11-23-13-39-02.tar.gz to remote failed
2020-11-23T13:39:45.026Z [ERROR backuphelper.py::send_file_to_remote::833::backup-255ebaca-4677-4bf2-ac4e-3fa8b5c4ab7b] Copying file /var/log/vmware/vcf/sddc-support/backup-2020-11-23-13-39-02-1657/vcf-backup-sddc-manager-row13-local-2020-11-23-13-39-02.tar.gz to remote failed

Note: This log excerpt is an example. Date, time, and environmental variables may vary depending on your environment.
 

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation 4.1

Cause

This may occur when the user used for the FTP configuration does not have SSH access or the SSH service on the FTP appliance is not enabled.

Resolution

Ensure the the SSH service on the FTP appliance is enabled and started and the user defined is allowed SSH access.