Error: "BackupManager encountered an exception" during vCenter Server VAMI backup
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Error: "BackupManager encountered an exception" during vCenter Server VAMI backup

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Article ID: 344950

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Attempts to perform a file-based backup using the vCenter Server VAMI UI fail. The system logs and interface report the following behaviors:

  1. The error message `BackupManager encountered an exception` appears in the VAMI.
  2. The backup process fails at 5% during the lotus database backup phase.
  3. The /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/backup.log file contains the error: VdcBackupDB: Server in state (8) in which it cannot perform backup. error(9125).
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [LotusBackup:PID-######] [Lotus::BackupLotus:Lotus.py:##] INFO: Starting backup Lotus.
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [LotusBackup:PID-######] [Lotus::BackupLotus:Lotus.py:##] INFO: BackupLotus: Running /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcbackup /storage/db/vmware-vmdir/ /tmp/backup_lotus
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [LotusBackup:PID-######] [Lotus::BackupLotus:Lotus.py:##] INFO: stdout: VdcBackupDB: Server in state (8) in which it cannot perform backup. error(9125)
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [LotusBackup:PID-######] [Lotus::BackupLotus:Lotus.py:##] ERROR: BackupLotus: command "/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcbackup /storage/db/vmware-vmdir/ /tmp/backup_lotus" failed. rc: 165.
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [LotusBackup:PID-######] [Lotus::BackupLotusCleanup:Lotus.py:###] INFO: Successfully completed Lotus cleanup.
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [MainProcess:PID-######] [vpxdevent_lib::dispatch_events:vpxdevent_lib.py:###] INFO: Event com.vmware.applmgmt.backup.job.failed.event successfully posted tohttp://localhost:8085/sdk
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [MainProcess:PID-######] [BackupManager::main:BackupManager.py:###] INFO: Backup job failed.

    OR

    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [MainProcess:PID-######] [Proc::VerifyProcStatusAndGetArchive:Proc.py:###] ERROR: Error at process LotusBackup; rc:165.
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [MainProcess:PID-######] [Proc::VerifyProcStatusAndGetArchive:Proc.py:###] ERROR: stderr:Encounter error during dump Lotus, check log for details: backup.log
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [MainProcess:PID-######] [Proc::VerifyProcStatusAndGetArchive:Proc.py:###] INFO: Following error message isn't localized:  stderr:Encounter error during dump Lotus, check log for details: backup.log
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [MainProcess:PID-######] [BackupManager::main:BackupManager.py:###] ERROR: BackupManager encountered an exception: Hit exception inside process LotusBackup:
    YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS [MainProcess:PID-######] [BackupManager::HandleBackupCleanup:BackupManager.py:###] INFO: Cleaning up the backup job.

  4. Running the state check command confirms a standalone state:
    • /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcadmintool
      Select option 6
      VmDir State is - Standalone

 

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 7.x, 8.x, 9.0, 9.1

Cause

  • This issue occurs because the VMware Directory Service (`vmdird`) on the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) is operating in **standalone** mode. This state breaks directory replication across the Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) topology, preventing services from authenticating during the backup operation.

Resolution

To resolve the issue, validate and change the vmdir state to Normal 

  1. Take a snapshot of the vCenter Server Appliance. Refer to Snapshot Best practices for vCenter Server Appliance.

  2. Log in to the VCSA via SSH and enter the shell.

  3. Validate the entry in the likewise registry:

    • /opt/likewise/bin/lwregshell list_values '[HKEY_THIS_MACHINE\Services\vmdir]' | grep "Arguments"

    • Example output

      +  "Arguments"         REG_SZ          "/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/sbin/vmdird -s -l 0 -f /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/share/config/vmdirschema.ldif -m standalone"

  4. Update the vmdird state to NORMAL if the registry does not show standalone but the state check returned (8):

    •  /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcadmintool

    • Select Option 5 and set the value by manually typing Normal.

  5. If the argument includes -m standalone, the registry must be modified.

    • Modify the likewise registry based on your vCenter version:

      • For vCenter 8.0 U3 and later:

        • /opt/likewise/bin/lwregshell set_value '[HKEY_THIS_MACHINE\Services\vmdir]' "Arguments" "/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/sbin/vmdird -L /var/log/vmware/vmdird/vmdird.log -l 0 -f /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/share/config/vmdirschema.ldif"

      • For versions prior to 8.0 U3.

        • /opt/likewise/bin/lwregshell set_value '[HKEY_THIS_MACHINE\Services\vmdir]' "Arguments" "/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/sbin/vmdird -s -l 0 -f /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/share/config/vmdirschema.ldif"

  6. Reboot the VCSA to apply changes.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: The resolution steps provided for vCenter 8.x and earlier also address backup failures in vCenter 9.0 and 9.1, where ELM is no longer supported but vmdird state issues may still persist.

Additional Information

Japanese version : VAMI を介した VCSA バックアップが、vmdird データベースのバックアップ中に「Server in state (8) in which it cannot perform backup」のエラーで失敗する

NOTE: This issue will also affect backups in vCenter versions 9.0 and 9.1 even though ELM is no longer supported in these versions

The resolution in this KB will address the issue in version 9.x

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