SMB Backup Fails with NT_STATUS_NOT_FOUND Error When Using Short Hostname. Error : General System error reported by backup server.

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

After upgrading to vCenter Server 8.0.2 or later, attempts to configure or run SMB backups may fail with an "NT_STATUS_NOT_FOUND" error when using a short hostname for the backup server. This issue specifically affects environments using static IP addressing.

• When attempting to configure or run a backup using the VAMI interface, the operation fails with an error message similar to:
  • "General system error reported by the backup server", or
  • "do_connect: Connection to <hostname> failed (Error NT_STATUS_NOT_FOUND)"

Environment

• vCenter Server 8.0.2 and newer

Cause

In vCenter Server environments using static IP configuration, the DNS search domain entries may be missing from the network configuration, preventing hostname resolution for short hostnames.

Resolution

Choose one of the following solutions:

1. Use FQDN Instead of Short Hostname:
   1. Log into the VAMI interface
   2. Navigate to Backup
   3. When configuring the backup location, use the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the backup server instead of the short hostname
      
      
2. Add DNS Search Domain to Network Configuration:
   1. Log into the vCenter Server shell
   2. Edit the network configuration file for your primary interface (typically /etc/systemd/network/10-eth0.network)
   3. Add the following line under the [Network] section:
      
            Domains=your.domain.name
      
      
   4. Restart the network service or reboot the vCenter Server
      
      
3.    Add Hostname Entry to Hosts File:
   1. Log into the vCenter Server shell
   2. Edit the /etc/hosts file
   3. Add an entry in the following format:
      
            <IP_ADDRESS> <FQDN> <SHORT_HOSTNAME>
      
      
   4. Save the file

 

Additional Information

• This issue primarily affects environments using static IP addressing
• The issue may not be present in DHCP environments where DNS search domains are automatically configured
• Always ensure proper DNS resolution is configured in your environment when using hostname-based services