Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK) 5.5.3 initialization fails when triggering backup/restore through rsh server of Windows SUA (Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications)

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

When invoking backup/restore operation via rsh server of Windows SUA (Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications), you experience these symptoms:

• VDDK application fails to initialize
• Trace files show error similar to:
  
  VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit unrecoverable error

Environment

Virtual Disk Development Kit 5.5
VMware Virtual Disk Development 1.2

Cause

This issue occurs because during initialization the VMware Virtual Disk Development (VDDK) application checks for the standard Windows system environment variable.

Since, some of the standard Windows system environment variables are not being set on rsh server of Windows SUA, VDDK application fails while initialization.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, make sure that all the standard Windows system environment variables are set properly on rsh server of Windows SUA.