vCenter Server VAMI file-based backup fails with an "Error during component vum backup"

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• File-based backup for vCenter Server fails with

"BackupManager encountered an exception. See logs for details. https://xxx.vmware.com/appliance/support-bundle"

• reviewing /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/backup.log the following messages can be found:

YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.xxx [20241006-210012-24026615] [ComponentScriptsBackup:PID-24147] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:345] ERROR: Process returncode is 1, but expected exit codes are [0].
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.xxx [20241006-210012-24026615] [ComponentScriptsBackup:PID-24147] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:327] ERROR: rc: 1, stderr: Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/plugins/../util/Calculate.py", line 59, in <module> main(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2] sys.argv[3]
    File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/plugins/../util/Calculate.py", line 46, in main
            stdout_obj.write(data)
BrokenPipeError: [Errno 32] Broken pipe
..
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.xxx [20241006-210012-24026615] [ComponentScriptsBackup:PID-24147] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:332] INFO: Skip to report the error.
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.xxx [20241006-210012-24026615] [ComponentScriptsBackup:PID-24147] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:345] ERROR: Process returncode is 1, but expected exit codes are [0].
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.xxx [20241006-210012-24026615] [ComponentScriptsBackup:PID-24147] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:361] ERROR: rc: 79, stderr: b'curl: (79) Error in the SSH layer\n'
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.xxx [20241006-210012-24026615] [ComponentScriptsBackup:PID-24147] [Proc::UpdateExceptionStatus:Proc.py:383] ERROR: Checksum not generated at /dev/shm/backupRestoreSumFile-20241006-210012-24026615-vhyhwxvi
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.xxx [20241006-210012-24026615] [ComponentScriptsBackup:PID-24147] [ComponentScripts::ComponentScriptsBackup:ComponentScripts.py:88] ERROR: Component backup command "/etc/vmware/backup/component-scripts/vum/backup_restore.py --startBackup" failed 1.
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.xxx [20241006-210012-24026615] [ComponentScriptsBackup:PID-24147] [Log::run:Log.py:64] ERROR: Unable to perform backup: [Errno 32] Broken pipe
YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.xxx [20241006-210012-24026615] [ComponentScriptsBackup:PID-24147] [ComponentScripts::ComponentScriptsBackup:ComponentScripts.py:115] ERROR: Error during component vum backup

Environment

vCenter Server .7.0.x

Resolution

To fix this issue, take the following steps:

1. Take a snapshot of the vCenter Server VM. If the vCenter Server is running in an ELM (Enhanced Linked Mode) Replication with other Systems, make sure to take offline snapshots (in powered-off state) of all ELM replication partners
2. Reset the vCenter Update Manager (VUM) database by following the steps outlined in Resetting VMware Update Manager Database in vCenter Server Appliance 6.5/6.7/7.0/8.0
3. Move the 2 files backup-history.json and backup_schedule.json from /storage/applmgmt/backup_restore/ to /storage/core/

   # mv /storage/applmgmt/backup_restore/backup-history.json /storage/core/
   # mv /storage/applmgmt/backup_restore/backup_schedule.json /storage/core/

4. Restart the appliance management service applmgmt:

   # service-control --stop applmgmt && service-control --start applmgmt

5. Initiate the backup.